CASE is dedicated to providing work that delivers strong, quantifiable results that bring value to the organization. This is why our clients’ biggest successes are our proudest moments. Here are some examples of how CASE has helped other organizations move to the next level. If you are interested in what we do and want to learn more, please contact us.

1. Designing/Optimizing On-Campus Recruiting Strategies

Accenture Strategy, the strategy consulting division of the world’s largest consultancy, wanted to boost its on-campus presence at Northwestern. Additionally, Accenture Strategy had been falling short of their resume goals in the face of intense competition and the fact that some students confused Accenture Strategy with Accenture’s technology practice.

Accenture approached CASE to develop an outreach strategy to increase its resume submission count and to develop creative recruiting events that would more effectively market Accenture Strategy’s brand on campus.

CASE accomplished this by approaching the problem from several angles. First, CASE conducted research to identify the most effective and efficient marketing channels to reach relevant Northwestern students. Additionally, CASE developed a portfolio of event offerings, one being a coffee chat in Norris for Accenture and students. In order to reduce the awkwardness students felt when coming to an info session, CASE members proactively paired students with consultants. CASE also developed a database and a quick survey for students to fill out before entering the event in order to measure our effectiveness.

In the following fall, Accenture received ≈180 resumes, a 100% increase from last year and the highest resume submission count it had ever received from Northwestern. Additionally, CASE was able to provide tangible results to show that an online marketing strategy was more effective than paper fliering. The insight we gained about effective campus marketing strategies from this engagement has helped us improve our own recommendations on branding and outreach efforts of other organizations.

2. Lobbying the Administration to Expand Course Offerings

The American Sign Language (ASL) club at Northwestern University offered student run classes for those interesting in learning this language. After two years of existence on campus, the club could not keep up with the demand for these peer-run classes.

The ASL club wanted help with two things from CASE. First, they wanted to legitimatize their organization by earning T-status from ASG. Second, they wanted to offer classes officially through the university to give credit to both the student-teachers and those learning American Sign Language.

To successfully tackle this challenge, we issued surveys that demonstrated the demand to learn ASL and student desire to take a for-credit class. We also conducted competitive analysis with other peer institutions to show precedent for a for-credit ASL class, and used this to determine which departments on campus should be petitioned to offer a full time class. Lastly, we investigated classes offered at Northwestern that would be best aligned with an ASL curriculum, such as seminars and professional linkage seminars. Combining all of this information, we presented ASL with a comprehensive lobbying deck and report that they could present to the Northwestern administration.

After about a year’s worth of discussions with administrators, using the materials and research provided by CASE, ASL was informed that the University was seeking a professor to teach an ASL professional linkage seminar. The seminar will be offered in either Winter or Spring quarter of 2011.

3. Increasing Fiscal Viability of a Student-run Publication

The Northwestern Business Review was a 2-year old business magazine run through the Institute for Student Business Education (ISBE) when they approached CASE.

NBR was an expensive venture, and ISBE wanted to develop NBR into a more self-sufficient entity. However, NBR did not have the in-house expertise to develop an ad sales team, nor did it know its current readership size. NBR partnered with CASE to determine its baseline readership level, develop an ad sales team and determine how to better market the magazine to Northwestern students.

CASE first sent out a survey to the student population to assess baseline numbers, which helped us gain a better understanding of the demographics of the NBR reader base. Additionally, CASE did a thorough competitive analysis of other student publications on campus. Furthermore, CASE, through its research, determined the break-even price for ads and the appropriate marketing strategy for ad sales. Lastly, CASE identified that the reader base most familiar with NBR was aging and an updated marketing blitz was necessary to refamiliarize new students to the publication. To develop another big push, CASE developed targeted marketing strategies at events such as Reading Week Pancake Night and Just in CASE as well as focusing the content on Northwestern and Evanston

After implementing the big marketing push, survey results showed that student readership increased by 20% (40% of campus). Furthermore, since content now focused on Northwestern instead of other schools, satisfaction of the magazine was reported at 67%. Additionally, NBR was able to develop an ad sales team which solicited the funds necessary to publish the next edition of NBR.