RISD staff outline $400K–$500K marketing proposal to recruit students; 75 new students would cover a $450K campaign

Doctor Heller and the strategy and engagement team presented an RFP summary and an "RISD is the 1" awareness campaign aimed at recruitment, retention and recovery amid a changing enrollment marketplace that now includes increased competition, charters, private schools and educational savings accounts. Staff said seven firms responded to the RFP and that a typical first‑year investment fell in the $400,000–$500,000 range, with about half going to creative/production and the rest to paid media and targeted placements.

Staff provided an illustrative ROI: a $450,000 investment would need roughly 75 new students (based on local per‑student allotment assumptions) to break even. Doctor Heller noted the district's prior soft launch of open enrollment produced just over 200 students using only word‑of‑mouth and existing channels, and said the campaign could be run a la carte (targeted digital buys) or full‑scale depending on board direction. "If we were to look at a $450,000 investment ... we would need to recruit 75 new students to break even on that investment," staff said.

Trustees discussed priorities (pre‑K recruitment, retention of current families, recovery of families who left post‑pandemic), targeting strategies (geofencing, digital retargeting), measurement and alternative lower‑cost packages, and the potential to phase a campaign to test ROI before larger investments. Staff noted current local marketing spend is roughly $35,000–$40,000 annually and that paid, targeted advertising brings wider reach than organic social channels.