NCRA has launched a new toolkit designed to help court reporting schools identify, attract, and retain potential and new students as part of “Fresh Perspectives,” the second phase of the Take Note campaign that was launched in 2014. Newly designed rack cards with messaging specifically relatable to four potential student markets also debuted to complement the toolkits.
Both the new toolkits and rack cards debuted during the School Owners and Administrators Luncheon held earlier this month during the 2016 Convention & Expo in Chicago, Ill. Kelly Robertson of BowStern, the Florida-based public relations firm that has assisted NCRA in developing the Take Note campaign, introduced the new resources in a presentation during the luncheon.
“Put simply, court reporting isn’t often what people expect. The perceptions associated with the profession can be dated and, frankly, inaccurate. NCRA has developed a campaign that gives fresh perspective to the industry,” Robertson said. “This creative concept not only highlights a variety of unexpected vantage points from the workplace, but touches on perks of the profession while doing so. This campaign utilizes beautiful, eye-catching photography with a uniform tagline across all pieces: Find out how a career in court reporting can give you fresh perspective.”
The new two-sided rack cards feature designs and messaging developed to appeal to high school students, career changers, college students who have withdrawn, and veterans and their spouses. Each of the cards also features the text: “A career in court reporting can give you a fresh perspective.”
The back sides of the different rack cards feature messaging that ranges from noting career flexibility to earning potential to various employment venues and opportunities. High-quality artwork, such as a passport and map. support the message “make a move,” which was developed to appeal to career changers, while the message “get your career going” is illustrated with a scene from the side of a movie set that features a director’s chair with stenographer written across the back. High school students are targeted with the message of “score your dream job,” which is supported by the image of a large sporting venue that includes a large screen with captions. Finally, the message geared toward veterans is “work high speed” and is illustrated with a shot of U.S. House of Representatives during a State of the Union Address.
To help schools better market to potential students from the various target markets, the Fresh Perspectives phase of the Take Note campaign also includes a downloadable toolkit that offers guidance on determining the quality of leads, how to market to the various segments of potential students, public relations tips and strategies, effective use of print and online advertising, and media training. In addition, the toolkit also offers a section on how to acquire and use testimonials in recruiting efforts and best practices in local outreach efforts.
“NCRA recognizes that the success of court reporting schools is the key to the survival of the court reporting and captioning professions and has made meeting this challenge a top priority,” said Cynthia Bruce Andrews, M.S.Ed, NCRA’s Director of Professional Development Programs. “The Fresh Perspectives effort is just one of many initiatives the Association in undertaking to help our schools thrive.”
The Fresh Perspective rack cards and toolkits, along with the many other Take Note campaign resources, are available to preview and download at crTakeNote.com.
