Two professional marketing organizations recently recognized Sweet Briar College's new printed recruitment materials that were launched last fall.

The monthly Admissions Marketing Report magazine awarded the College two silver medals and a merit award in its 20th annual Admissions Advertising Awards. One silver was for the total recruitment package category. The "Think is for Girls" poster took the other silver, and the "Insider's Guide" earned a merit in the general brochure category. Sweet Briar competed in a category for schools with fewer than 2,000 students.

The entire "Think is for Girls" campaign won a gold award in the first round of the American Advertising Federation's prestigious ADDY Awards. Entries are judged locally by AAF-affiliated clubs. Winners advance to regional and then national competitions.

The new materials and advertising campaign were developed and tested by Richard Harrison Bailey/The Agency. Included in the recruiting package are a 32-page viewbook, which provides a comprehensive overview of the College, and the "Insider's Guide," a companion "handbook" that discusses Sweet Briar traditions.

In focus testing, the phrase "Think is for Girls" struck a chord with high school-age girls, who said it "quickly identifies Sweet Briar not only as a women's institution, but also as challenging, intellectual and straightforward." One respondent noted that it conveys the idea that "girls can be girly and can be smart, too."

The viewbook and "Insider's Guide" concepts also tested well, getting high marks for their professionally presented but realistic picture of life at Sweet Briar.

Ken Huus, SBC dean of admissions, is proud of the awards and acknowledges that they indicate the College is on the right track with its recruiting strategies. Even better is a significant rise in the number of applications Sweet Briar has received this year, an increase he believes is partly due to the new materials.

"Awards are cool, but they won't put another student in the classroom," he said.

Huus said the college search is about matching the personality, values, and strengths of the institution to the student. He credits the viewbook and "Insider's Guide" with helping applicants decide if Sweet Briar is a good fit.

"Our new recruitment materials accurately, honestly, and clearly portray for prospective students the kind of place we are. They can see themselves here in ways they couldn't before," he said.

Admissions is introducing several new recruitment pieces this year, starting with the "College Search Journal." A brief introduction to Sweet Briar, the journal also notably offers advice on the kinds of things to look for in a college. A three-part mailing aimed at parents of prospective students is also planned.