Bethlehem Tertiary Institute
For almost 20 years, Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (BTI) has been providing Christian-based teacher and counsellor training. As a small education centre in Tauranga, New Zealand, BTI was facing some challenges. Their tertiary brand was being ‘lost’ while sharing a property with a widely known Christian P-12 school; there was a struggle to gain recognition and respect as an educational provider offering graduate qualifications; and there was considerable competition with major universities offering similar degrees. In a nutshell, BTI was in desperate need of a point of difference in a busy marketplace.
Capacity Builders conducted research with current students, alumni and church leaders, which revealed BTI’s strengths as being a community with personal care, quality Christian education with high standards located in a popular beach setting.
The brand and marketing strategies developed by Capacity Builders highlighted that BTI is, at the heart, an influencer. As such, BTI needed to be positioned as the primary place for teaching and counselling tertiary training with a Christian worldview.
The strategy also revealed the need to be bold, thought-provoking, story-driven and relational in creative expression. This was reflected in a humorous campaign that featured quirky images such as a twenty-something guy knitting, with the headline ‘Real men knit. And teach.’
The concepts were aimed at grabbing attention in a busy marketplace. And it worked. There was an article about the campaign in the national paper, The Herald, in addition to a buzz locally.
BTI attracted a third more student enrolments in 2009, in part due to the fresh advertising created by Capacity Builders.
“Capacity Builders helped us put our sense of mission and values into clear language and then mapped out a plan. That plan has guided us in a fresh and vibrant set of promotions and marketing strategies for the past two years." Dr Amy Edwards
CEO/Executive Dean, BTI
