---
title: Exploring Trends in College Marketing Materials - Yes& | Lipman Hearne
description: Symbolic mascots, expansive viewbooks, and interactive user focused designs. On a rainy afternoon I met up with Jeremy Spaso and …
---

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# [Exploring Trends in College Marketing Materials - Yes& | Lipman Hearne](https://insights.yesandagency.com/insights-yes-lh/tips/exploring-trends-in-college-marketing-materials)

 Written by [Alexia Koelling](https://insights.yesandagency.com/insights-yes-lh/author/alexia-koelling) | Jul 10, 2024 4:00:00 AM

## **Symbolic mascots, expansive viewbooks, and interactive user focused designs.**

On a rainy afternoon I met up with Jeremy Spaso and Kirsten Fedderke to look over boxes and bags of materials collected at college fairs and by our colleagues with college-age kids (shout out to Kay Logan!).  After poring over the samples and sorting and resorting them, we identified some trends, found a few things that stood out, and reconfirmed some watchouts.

## The Trends

**We’ve got a tower! **Photos of the tower subconsciously conveys stability and strength in tumultuous times.  But, as a cover shot, it can blend into a skyline of towers (more below).

**We’ve got hammocks!** In an era of mental health concerns, it appears to be a way to convey that these colleges have balance.

**Mascots** are being recast as spirit symbols for the whole institution—and using a different subject appears to inspire a different tone and look/feel for the materials.

**People have left the covers**—and those who do have people have groups of three. Text only (mostly bold san serif), graphics, logos, illustrations, and campus/tower beauty shots are the norm.

**Cost/tuition** is increasingly being framed as a focus on “your investment.”

## What stood out

**The pendulum has swung away from the minimalist viewbook**. Viewbooks with 30+, 40+, 50+ pages (even one with 166 pages) were spread across the table. More including content that we used to send people to the web for—making it a one stop shop with majors, outcome stats, etc. Many had pull out posters, and a depth of testimonials.

**People are moving beyond the traditional diecut**. Interactive elements that engage the reader and convey the brand through the content can make the reader pause, smile, and potentially share.

**Designing across the user journey can make each piece more impactful**. Those that helped the reader understand the first touch was an introduction and referenced back to previous touches created an immersive experience.

## Two Quick Watch Outs

**Testimonials are compelling**. Testimonials that are obviously written by the institution are… obvious.

**Broken links are a massive let down**. If someone is interested enough to scan your QR code, they’ll be extra disappointed with a 404.

### [It’s time to celebrate! . Our longtime client, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, celebrated the Living History campaign on June … : By Colleen O’Grady *Insights* 10.Jul.2024](https://www.yesandlipmanhearne.com/insights/philanthropy/its-time-to-celebrate/?color-scheme=bg-yellow-fade)

[View full post](https://insights.yesandagency.com/insights-yes-lh/tips/exploring-trends-in-college-marketing-materials)

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