My daughter received her very first piece of college marketing mail this week. She was excited to receive it – but the piece was a total dud and a loss of opportunity from a marketing perspective.

So, I went to the archive with a special purpose this week, looking for inspired youth-focused college marketing examples. I chose two ideas to share with you:

Whether you’re in higher-ed or not, this week’s episode will inspire you (as it did me) to think about the fleeting moment of opportunity you have to connect with your audience in their language.

How were these mailers produced?

Folding Styles: Custom Tri-Fold (#1); Cross Fold / Tri-Fold Composite (#2) Sample #1: Cleveland State University with Oliver Inc. Sample #2: Kent State University Paper: ~80 lb Uncoated Cover Finishing: Die-cut/Score, Machine Fold, Fugitive Glue (#1); Die-cut, Score, Assemble and Glue, Fold (#2) Budget Rating: Low - Moderate

Trish Witkowski is Chief Folding Fanatic at the online community foldfactory.com. She holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in graphic design and a master of science degree in Graphic Arts Publishing from Rochester Institute of Technology's School of Printing Management and Sciences (now the School of Print Media). An award-winning designer, Trish held the position of creative director for a Baltimore-based agency for six years, and has taught design and desktop publishing at the college level. She has a specialized expertise in the area of folding and is the creator of the FOLDRite™ system, a 2004 GATF InterTech™ Technology Award winner.   Trish frequently publishes articles for graphic arts industry publications, and has written three books on the topic of folding: A Field Guide to Folding, Folding for the Graphic Arts: A Teacher's Handbook, and FOLD: The Professional's Guide to Folding.

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Color Printing Project Manager - RIOT Creative Imaging

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