Chesterfield Texts

Chesterfield Texts for a Great Response

by Debbie Hinton

“Hey, I’m Ted for GED – get it? T-E-D for G-E-D!”

Because of the success, CCPS Adult

Those catchy words begin a 60 sec- President and Managing Partner at Mad- Continuing Education applied for and ond radio promotion that Chesterfield ison + Main. “By using text messagingas received additional funds from Race to County Public Schools Office of Adult our primary channel interaction, we were GED for two promotions for 2007-08, Continuing Education aired last Febru- able to connect with a targeted younger again managed by Madison + Main. The ary with results that produced a 200% demographic, and they responded in a first promotion began October 1 and increase in GED® applicants and test- big way.” will continue throughout the month. takers. The program, designed by Rich- National mobile marketing and The second campaign will run in Febru- mond-based advertising agencyMadison communication firmOTAirprovided the ary 2008. + Main, ran radio spots on area stations back-end technical interface, supporting An unexpected element of the cam- inviting listeners to interact with a virtu- the short code and text messages. paign was the response from other areas al Chesterfield County employee, Ted, to about the ads. Interested parties in Vir- learn more about enrolling in the GED ginia cities and counties, as well as from program. At the conclusion of the ad, “By using text messaging community colleges and universities, listeners were directed to text message a have contacted the Chesterfield program keyword to a short code. Funding for ... we were able to with requests for additional information. the project came from a Virginia Depart- One adult program from Maine contact- ment of Education Race to GED grant. connect with a targeted d the office when their community was e

The ads prompted listeners to text impacted by plant closings. the word GED to 68247 (OTAir), giving younger demographic...” “Based on last year’s results, we are listeners the chance to save money on reg- very excited and optimistic about people istration and testing fees. Radio listeners, re-connecting with Ted and responding anticipating the prospect of getting a bet- “The GED campaign generated lots to a free opportunity that they may have ter job, making more money, and feeling of excitement, and we were thrilled with missed last time,” says Dawn Wells, GED better about themselves, overwhelmingly the results,” said Deborah Hinton, Ad- Coordinator. “Truly, we have seen that responded to this opportunity, produc- ministrator of Adult Continuing Edu- passing this test changes people’s lives.”.: ing over 400 individual responses during cation for Chesterfield. “Getting Ted’s the three-week campaign. message in front of prospective test takers Debbie Hinton is the program manager for

“Using the mobile phone and text was important, and using such cutting Chesterfield County Office of Adult Con- messaging as part of this campaign edge marketing methods as text messag- tinuing Education. proved integral,” said Dave Saunders, ing enhanced the response rates.”

Jahvis’ Story

(continued from back cover)

skills and determination to persevere. He never lost sight of his “I am very proud of my GED certificate,” Jahvis says. “It hangs goal to study filmmaking, and after two semesters at Valencia, on the wall beside my bachelor’s degree. I have been working he was accepted to Full Sail, School of Film, in Orlando. In on an idea for some time to create a film about how the GED 2003, he completed the program with a bachelor’s degree in changes lives and gives opportunity to people who think they film and moved back to Richmond. Currently, he is a retail don’t have any.” .: manager and has completed several film projects. Collabo- rating with friends, he has begun looking for small film and Jim André is Specialist for Program Development at the Virginia production projects in the Richmond area. Although he plans Adult Learning Resource Center. to attend graduate school sometime in the future, he has not forgotten the importance of the GED in hisaccomplishments.