Marketing and Branding the Agronomy Major at Iowa State University

Abstract

The decline of enrollments in agronomy programs across the United States has been a concern for more than a decade. In an effort to reverse this trend, the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University (ISU) launched the I'm An Agrono- mist marketing campaign in 2006. This article reports on these efforts and the change in the undergraduate agronomy student population at Iowa State University since the campaign's inception. In the spring of 2010, 106 more students were studying agronomy than in 2005. This was an increase of 91%. Prior to implementing marketing strategies, agronomy enrollment at ISU had been on a 6-year decline. The campaign has also had the additional benefits of generating a sense of pride and excitement among department staff, students, and alumni. The execution of the marketing campaign has been accomplished through close collaboration between staff within our department including graphic artists, communication specialists, and those passionate about the topic. In designing our marketing strategies, we observed and learned from marketing approaches in widespread use. The most important elements in the development of our marketing campaign were a simple message, artistic style, branding, and advertising in smart locations. While direct connections between marketing efforts and enrollment increases are difficult to prove, the I'm An Agronomist campaign has coincided with a time of extraordinary growth in student numbers. The campaign has also appeared to have had additional benefits with regard to internal morale and external relations.