West Park University (WPU) is among the top twenty choices for higher education in the Midwest. Bill Grant, the newly appointed president of WPU, wants to raise the university's profile and make it among the top ten choices for students pursuing a college degree in the Midwest. He wanted to make a comprehensive presentation to the board of trustees of the university outlining his vision. As part of this vision presentation, he wanted to propose an Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) campaign to attract the best student prospects and their parents to WPU. In order to prepare for such a pitch, Bill Grant hired an independent marketing consulting firm, Strategy First.

The executives at Strategy First who were assigned to the WPU project decided to conduct a competitive analysis of the promotional mix by examining IMC elements used by peer/competitor universities.

Promotion has been defined as the coordination of all seller-initiated efforts to set up channels of information and persuasion in order to sell goods and services or promote an idea. Most of an organization's communications with the marketplace take place as part of a carefully planned and controlled promotional program. The basic tools used to accomplish an organization's communication objectives are often referred to as the promotional mix.

The promotional mix includes six elements: advertising, sales promotion, publicity/public relations, personal selling, direct marketing, and Digital/Internet Marketing. Each element of the promotional mix is viewed as an integrated marketing communications tool that plays a distinctive role in an IMC program. Each may take on a variety of forms. And each has certain advantages.

From the descriptions of the competitive IMC activity, identify the specific subtype of promotional mix element and match those with the six broad types of promotional mix elements.

Contest

Sales Promotion

Digital/Internet

Marketing

Public Relations

Competitive IMC Activity (The names of the peer universities have been concealed for this exercise)

Specific Subtype of Promotional Mix Element

Promotional Mix Element

University Z launched a smart phone application (App) to engage high school students and their parents witness events and student accomplishments at the university.

University M announced an essay competition (bundled with its college application) with a slew of prizes to encourage high school students to apply to the university; this was to increase the overall number of applications to the university.

University Y uploaded a stirring and emotional student-generated video campaign on YouTube with a message at the end to pass on the video link to as many friends as possible; it also released it to media outlets.

University P obtained a list of households in the city that had a child of sixteen years of age, and placed telephone calls through volunteers to introduce the university and invite parents to an information session.

University N launched a series of ads on various local television channels promoting the university and its diversity initiatives.

University R obtained a mailing list of high school teachers in two neighboring cities and sent a well-produced brochure to these teachers, asking them to encourage their best students to apply to the university.