Sappi North America’s publication, Verticals: The Marketing of Higher Education is the 2017 winner of the Positively Print award presented at the PRINT 17 show now taking place in Chicago. Pursuing the organization’s mission to educate its stakeholders, Sappi launched the Verticals series to examine individual vertical markets and the unique challenges, traditions, and idiosyncrasies each faces when communicating with its target audience. This first installment aims to bring colleges and universities across the United States a set of best practices for attracting new students through in-depth research and case studies.
The winning piece brings industry statistics to life, busts myths on marketing to this demographic, and includes a five-page pullout full of special effects and cross-channel marketing tips. With competition stronger than ever, the publication creatively demonstrates how print, a sustainable choice, effectively cuts through digital clutter, helping colleges and universities create a lasting impression to stand out with students and their families. A direct mail campaign launching the piece was sent to 2,000 universities, which sparked demand for additional copies and requests for presentations.
This is the eighth year for the Positively Print award, which recognizes an organization that promotes the power, sustainability, and effectiveness of print. “Sappi North America’s engaging and informational publication portrays the impact of print through a real-world example and also integrates facts about its sustainable production,” said NPES President Thayer Long. Recent past Positively Print winners include: (2016) Rolland Enterprises, Inc. – The Paper Loop magazine; (2015) Sappi NA – A Communicator’s Guide to the Neuroscience of Touch; (2014) IKEA – Bookbook Campaign; (2013) Sappi Fine Paper North America – PRINT & Book; (2012) PrintCity – PRINT! Seen! Lean and Green; and (2011) Domtar – Paper Because Campaign.
