Irvine-based Brandman University is figuring out how to best leverage its affiliation with Chapman University in its first solo advertising push.
Chapman’s adult education unit, which offers degrees, certificates and credentials in business, healthcare, education and other areas, launched a marketing campaign this summer targeting students for the fall semester.
Much of the campaign, which is the first since the school changed its name in 2009 and took some autonomy from Chapman, is touting the history of Chapman and Brandman’s association.
That’s a strategic move against many for-profit universities, which saw meteoric growth during the economic downturn and have faced federal scrutiny about students’ performance and debt.
Competing for-profit universities include Santa Ana-based Corinthian Colleges Inc., Phoenix-based Apollo Group Inc., Indiana’s ITT Educational Services Inc. and Career Education Corp. of Illinois.
“We don’t have the budgets of those other schools, but we’re trying to leverage our faculty and amenities in order to be different,” said Denise Godreau, vice chancellor of marketing and communications and chief marketing officer for the university. “We emphasize that we are part of Chapman and not some fly-by-night university that has come out of nowhere.”
It’s the first time Brandman has marketed itself after stepping out of the shadow of parent university Chapman.
The university, which was formerly called Chapman University College, changed its name in 2009 to Brandman after a $10 million endowment by late real estate magnate Saul Brandman.
The university is advertising through cable and network TV spots, cinema spots, radio spots, and online and print ads in most markets.
“Our media plan is to be heavy in the market at the critical time when students are making their enrollment decisions,” said Godreau.
The campaign is being handled by the Los Angeles office of Japan’s Dentsu Inc.
M Magazine Exec
Newport Beach-based M Magazine, a quarterly real estate and lifestyle magazine, has brought on a former OC magazine executive to expand its marketing.
Jeff Ditmire, the former president of the Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp.’s Orange Coast magazine, will be director of strategic partnerships for M Magazine.
The publication launched last year as a marketing offshoot of Newport Beach-based luxury home brokerage McMonigle Group.
The magazine features high-end real estate in Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Desert, along with profiles of luxury lifestyle products and services.
Ditmire will focus on the development and management of advertising partnerships, magazine marketing and overall promotional efforts.
Ditmire was president of Orange Coast until last August, when he was let go due to budget cuts.
Got Milk?
San Clemente-based California Milk Processor Board, which is funded by dairy producers and run by the state of California, has launched a 60-second commercial in the waiting rooms of dentists throughout California.
“More and more waiting rooms are equipped with TVs and digital displays,” said Steve James, executive director for the board, best known for its “Got Milk?” campaign. “A dental office is a natural environment for this type of education (about the benefits of milk) to take place.”
The commercial is being handled by San Francisco’s Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, which created the original “Got Milk?” campaign.
More than 150 dental offices in California will air the spot. About 20 dentists in Orange County will participate.
The commercial shows a dentist in fictional Mootopia that has no customers because the milk-drinking residents all have healthy teeth.
In addition, a 30-second TV spot is expected to air on cable and network TV through September.
New Accounts
Irvine-based Lages & Associates Inc., which specializes in technology clients, recently won accounts with Taiwan’s network storage maker Infortrend Technology Inc., Los Angeles-based lead management software maker Leads360 Inc., Newport Beach-based hair restoration device maker Apira Science and La Palma-based image enhancer DarbeeVision Inc.
The public relations firm has seen more activity coming out of the technology sector after nearly 18 months of companies putting their marketing plans on hold.
“Our clients are starting to say, ‘I can’t hide any longer and need to be out there marketing my product,’” said Beverly Lages, president of the firm.
Even though clients want to advertise, budgets are still very conservative compared to past years.
“They are a bit reserved from all the economic issues they have been dealing with, but feeling a little more optimistic,” Lages said.
Lages & Associates is helping Leads360 expand its lead management software into other markets, including insurance and secondary education industries.
