"What can you do with a blanket, iPhone, and some prompts? It turns out you can record decent quality audio and share your experiences in a very authentic, powerful way.
This was the case in the fall of 2020, when classes and clubs were still operating remotely and Santa Clara University's annual First-Generation College Celebration Week was approaching. Coming up with a series of prompts for the current students, alumni, staff, and professors who agreed to participate, we sent along some instructions to record their stories under a blanket to serve as a DIY sound booth.
The result? Six short audiograms that shared ups and downs, origin stories, and outcomes as told by our very own members of our community. On social media, the series reached 115,700, garnered 1,600 engagements and was shared 36 times--all organic without any dollars spent to boost or amplify.
This evergreen content has proven to be impactful for admissions marketing and fundraising, and continues to be repurposed across our university."
From the Judges
This entry focused on a creative way to not only interact with alumni, but to reach a very important student population where they are utilizing social media. The budget was used effectively and the format was something not seen every day. The questions asked of their participants were outside of the standard interview questions and allowed them to tell personal, meaningful stories that made others feel seen.
