DePauw students are finding themselves smiling and posing for the camera more lately. Photographers hired by DePauw through the marketing company, Neustadt Creative Firm, are venturing out to capture the essence of academic and intellectual life on campus.
The focus of the collaboration is to provide a visual way to present the DePauw experience to its many constituencies, said Christopher Wells, vice president for communications and strategic initiatives.
"If we say that our students are highly engaged in their academic career, learn from experimental ways, and learn from each other through social events, it's better to have the photography to display that," Wells said.
According to the director of strategic communications, Jon Coffin, the idea for the collaboration was sparked by President Casey's call for a new direction for DePauw's communications and marketing strategies last year. Throughout the year, Mark Neustadt, the owner of the company, partnered with DePauw by conducting quantitive and qualitative research for DePauw's Communications. He focused heavily on the university's brand, which represents the school as an intellectual challenge and vibrant social experience combined to produce lifelong success.
Neustadt sought to explore the most important aspects of the DePauw experience, and through surveys and interviews, he realized that DePauw's intellectual life was vital to both prospective students and alumni.
"DePauw's intellectual challenge was the most important experience for all internal and external audiences," Neustadt said during the DePauw Communication Strategy Presentation on April 12.
Alumni, current students and prospective students all prioritized intellectual experience to be the top focus of the DePauw experience, as opposed to social life, despite DePauw's top-10 party school ranking by the Princeton Review.
Realizing the importance of intellectual life, the campaign decided to use photography to show students on campus engaging in an intellectual as well as social experience. Donors, mostly alumni who recognized the importance of this new venture. provided the funding used to support the initiative.
Coffin said Neustadt marketing is the first step towards
DePauw's marketing development phase. The photos will be used for a new system of admission publication next fall, which also includes a comprehensive redesign of the university website, new brochures for the annual fund, a new logo and a newly designed magazine.
"The new website will really focus on things that demonstrate the academics of this community," Coffin said. "Prospective students will be able to navigate it in an easier fashion."
The Neustadt photographers, who were on campus several weeks during the fall and recently during the spring semester, said they are enjoying taking pictures of students being active in and out of the classroom and depicting the academic nature of DePauw's vibrant campus.
"It's a beautiful campus," said Neustadt photographer Bruce Weller, while capturing a student riding to class on her bike. "The students here are very friendly and helpful."
Many DePauw students said they were supportive of the Neustadt photographers because of the new approach they offer to the admissions process.
"When I was approached by them, it was kind of strange," said sophomore Taylor O' Brien, "But I like their idea of taking photos of students in their everyday life so that prospective students can see that."
Junior Ben Reider, who met the photographers taking pictures inside Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, was excited to see photographers displaying another aspect of campus life.
"It's good that their capturing students outside of their campus, other than what you usually see online," Reider said.
