Challenge: Turning Summer Drift Into Sustained Excitement
DePaul University wanted to maintain excitement and connection with incoming students throughout the summer, a critical time when enthusiasm can fade and melt away. The goal was to create an influential, memorable, and tangible way for students to picture themselves living and making memories in Chicago: relaxing by Lake Michigan, hanging out on the quad, and discovering all that city life at DePaul has to offer.
At the same time, DePaul faced a strategic constraint. Not every student could receive the same level of outreach, so the university needed a way to prioritize resources and tailor engagement based on each student’s likelihood to enroll. The campaign also had to work in tandem with existing anti-melt efforts, including email outreach and coordinated messaging from campus partners.
Solution: Segmented, Seasonal Mailings that Made It Feel Real
To keep the DePaul spirit alive all summer, the university partnered with Magellan to produce three customized mailings, each designed to build excitement and connection while aligning with the segmentation strategy:
- Bluetooth Speaker Package. Featured a waterproof Bluetooth speaker and an insert card with the message: “Heard you’re headed to DePaul … we like the sound of that!” This premium item was reserved for standout students identified as “Superstars.”
- Beach Towel Package. Included a soft beach towel tucked inside a large cooler tote with a “Sending Summer Vibes” card. This package invited students to imagine relaxing by Lake Michigan or spending time on campus.
- Summer Kit Package. Contained a pouch filled with sunscreen, aloe, lip balm, and sunglasses, all packaged in a cooler tote with messaging that encouraged students to “soak up the best of summer” while looking ahead to DePaul.
Every item was custom imprinted, with insert cards designed to reinforce the seasonal theme and emotional connection. Multiple mail drops were coordinated throughout the summer, ensuring each package arrived on time, thoughtfully assembled, and ready to make an impression.
To extend the campaign’s reach, the gifts were also teased through a promoted Instagram post by a DePaul student influencer, showcasing the items in use along Lake Michigan and bringing the experience to life in a digital space.
Outcome: Lower Melt, Stronger Connection, and Data in Action
The campaign delivered measurable results. DePaul’s average freshman melt rate was 19.92 percent, but students who received an anti-melt gift showed significantly lower melt rates:
- Bluetooth Speaker recipients: 8.7 percent
- Beach Towel recipients: 9.3 percent
- Summer Kit recipients: 18.8 percent
This represents a decrease in melt ranging from 1.1 to 10.2 percentage points below DePaul’s average, validating both the segmentation strategy and the impact of tangible, well-timed engagement.
Beyond the data, the qualitative response was equally powerful. Admissions staff felt energized by their ability to deliver meaningful, personalized touchpoints. Students responded with enthusiasm, including one who shared with a faculty member that receiving the cooler bag made them realize DePaul truly cared. The student still uses the bag for grocery shopping, turning a single moment into an ongoing reminder of connection.
The campaign also demonstrated the value of putting data into action. By aligning melt analysis with budget and creative execution, DePaul was able to deliver the right message to the right students at the right time, all while reinforcing its commitment to treating students as individuals.
As Megan Hoinkes, Associate Director of Creative and Content Strategy, shared:
“We’re so happy with the success of last year’s beachy anti-melt initiative. Utilizing the segmentation was a huge win budgetarily and was a great exercise in putting our data to work for us. But more importantly, it allowed us to bring our anti-melt outreach outside of students’ inboxes in a way that captured student interest and got them excited to join us in the fall.”
By combining physical touchpoints with digital amplification and data-driven segmentation, DePaul created a summer campaign that not only reduced melt, but helped incoming students feel seen, valued, and excited for what’s ahead.
