the situation
Carleton University wanted to create a strong online community as a means to reconnect with its Alumni, and to encourage members to network and collaborate with each other. Challenges included ensuring an appropriate fit between all previous collateral and their Web-based marketing campaign as well as enrolling as many Alumni as possible online.

tactics
In keeping with bv02's bias towards using integrated marketing tactics to drive e-business objectives, Carleton launched its new community-based Web site - the Carleton Café. Over 80,000 alumni can now network and collaborate in a secure, database-driven online environment. Marrying traditional print advertising, public relations, brochures, premiums/incentives and event marketing with online "e-vents", bv02 and Carleton University successfully teamed up to increase alumni registration and membership, and to strengthen relationships between Alumni members and the University.

As well as password-protected entry, the Carleton Café offers a discussion forum where members can "expresso yourself", a message-board, "spotlight specials" for featured alumni and/or events, "lost and found" search capability to find long-lost classmates, online pledge forms, and a PATRON section (Putting Alumni Talent and Resources Online) to promote mentoring, student recruiting, and co-op placements, among other things. In addition, the Carleton Café offers Alumni an online job board complete with rÈsumÈ posting, job searches and e-business cards. The project was successfully developed in Cold Fusion with an Access database.

results
Within two months of its launch, the campaign produced more than 350,000 hits and 4,500 individual user sessions, drawing visitors from across the globe including Asia, Africa, the United States, Australia, United Kingdom and the Caribbean - more than doubling the university's expectations for results. In addition, the Carleton Café competed successfully amongst university Web sites, winning a Silver award, beating rival sites from across North America, including those fielded by several Ivy League institutions.

In response to Carleton's objective to create and sustain a strong alumni community, bv02 developed a digital marketing strategy and campaign. Marrying traditional print advertising, public relations, brochures, incentives and event marketing with online "e-vents", bv02 and Carleton encouraged alumni to reconnect with the university and visit the Carleton Café. Within two months of its launch, the campaign produced over