Top B-school Tepper Partners with Top Interactive Agency to Offer Prospective MBAs a Reality Check

Tepper School of Business Taps Ripple Effects Interactive for first-of-its-kind “reality check” online marketing campaign.

Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) September 26, 2006 -- The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University advocates a fresh dose of reality for prospective MBAs. And strategic web partner Ripple Effects Interactive serves up this “reality check” in the form of an integrated online marketing campaign -- the first of its kind in the B-school arena -- that utilizes video-enhanced online advertising and a campaign microsite. The innovative and integrated use of digital media differentiates this campaign from traditional B-school marketing, reflecting Tepper’s reputation as a pioneer in technology and business.

Digital marketing agency Ripple Effects Interactive is proud to announce the launch of www.MBARealityCheck.com as the hub of this truly unique marketing campaign for its client, the Tepper School of Business.

From September through January, the height of MBA application season, the MBARealityCheck.com microsite will reveal a new take on the traditional decision-making process for prospective MBA students. While flash animation, podcasts and videos enrich the online experience, the site supports a campaign unfolding over five months, presenting a succession of five “reality checks.” These reality checks challenge MBA prospects to consider the long-term significance of their B-school decision, focusing on five strategic themes: career impact, confidence to succeed, ways of thinking, community and legacy.

Regional print ads are running along with paid search and video-enhanced online banner advertising placed on geo-targeted, national and international networks like MBAZone.com, BusinessWeek.com, USNews.com and the Dow Jones network. The new content-rich MBARealityCheck.com microsite offers podcasts, video interviews with students and alumni, student blogs, open discussion boards, pertinent articles and research and convenient opportunities to download a Tepper brochure and apply online. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of the variety of factors that impact a B-school decision, and reach prospective students where they’re most likely to research B-schools -- the web.

“We often see many of the right students focus on the wrong things when considering MBA programs. This campaign is a candid way to encourage applicants to consider a more complete perspective about what meets their academic and career needs,” said Deb Magness, executive director of marketing and communications for the Tepper School of Business. “We know more applicants use the web to research B-schools today than ever before, which is why we’re excited to have creative online marketing as an integral part of this campaign.”

Adding a digital media element to the campaign, Ripple Effects Interactive identified several influential blogs and online publications likely to share an interest in MBARealityCheck.com and also placed a teaser video on sites like YouTube.com, Video.Google.com and Video.Yahoo.com to help generate buzz about MBARealityCheck.com.

“We jumped at the opportunity to enhance the already solid Tepper brand through inventive online strategies,” said Paul Magnani, CEO and president of Ripple Effects Interactive. “The digital element of a higher education campaign is typically the most measurable, with the broadest reach, which is why we’ve expanded our web and online marketing expertise into Web 2.0 tactics, enabling us to add significant value for clients like Tepper who like to explore new tools and technologies, and enabling them to become web marketing pioneers in their industry. We’re proud to serve as Tepper’s interactive partner since the summer of 2002 and to be a part of their online marketing success.”

Ripple Effects Interactive was also recently selected to manage online strategy and a complete redesign of Carnegie Mellon University’s flagship undergraduate website (http://www.cmu.edu) which will be unveiled this January, and has designed and currently manages the Tepper website (http://www.tepper.cmu.edu) and both the CMU Biotechnology and CMU CyLab (http://www.cylab.cmu.edu) websites.

Visitors can expect relevant content updates throughout the campaign, in addition to a new reality check theme to roll out each month on MBARealityCheck.com.

About Ripple Effects Interactive
Founded in 1997 by interactive marketing veterans, Ripple Effects Interactive (www.RippleEffectsInteractive.com) is a national digital marketing agency ranked among the nation’s Top 25 independent interactive firms by Advertising Age. With offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Ripple Effects offers a full range of services, including strategic communications planning, website design, email marketing, online and search marketing, user experience testing, content management solutions and web application development for a prestigious client roster of higher education, tourism and travel, consumer and lifestyle and cultural and non-profit organizations. For more information, a client list and portfolio of work, please visit www.RippleEffectsInteractive.com.

About the Tepper School of Business
Founded in 1949, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University (www.tepper.cmu.edu) is a pioneer in the field of management science and analytical decision making. The school’s notable contributions to the intellectual community include six Nobel laureates and a consistent presence in the top tier of global business school rankings. The Wall Street Journal recently ranked the Tepper School as the third-best business school in the United States and the world.

CONTACT:
Natalie DiPasquale
Online Relations Manager
Ripple Effects Interactive
412.683.3700 x302
Mobile 412.370.1460

SOURCE:   Ripple Effects Interactive

Related links:
www.RippleEffectsInteractive.com
www.MBARealityCheck.com
www.tepper.cmu.edu

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