Despite tight deadlines, Smartt delivered the Brand Strategy Roadmap and launched the new website on time and on budget. Columbia College now has a website that integrates with social media, supports mobile devices, and is easier to update. 

A key finding was that the personalized attention students received from staff and instructors helped them develop life skills, not just earn academic credits. Yet the College was not capitalizing on this benefit in its messaging, so Smartt recommended a “platform for success” message for outreach to three main audiences: prospective students, parents, and current students. Such findings helped define formal messaging and visual brand guidelines for the College.

Smartt then developed a set of requirements for a new website that would appeal to a young demographic and make digital marketing easier for the College. Then Smartt faced an extra challenge: the campus moving schedule. Not only did this create timeline issues, but the college staff members who were normally available to develop and review website content were busy with the move. Fortunately an agile development process and close collaboration with Yetla Hernandez, the College’s project lead, allowed Smartt to work around many of these constraints and deliver a new website within the College’s timeframe.