Marketing Efforts
Districtwide Marketing Efforts to Increase Enrollment
The Los Rios colleges' marketing team is constantly updating and evolving our marketing efforts to increase access to our colleges.
We are focused on growing enrollment at all four colleges and creating a public face for our institutions that reflects our commitment to student success, equity, and inclusion. No longer does the old marketing "playbook" – flyers, posters, and the like – work by itself, and so we are responding to the changing times by expanding our reach in new and creative ways.
We are prioritizing the Los Rios' commitment to providing a student-focused experience for anyone seeking educational opportunities in our region despite the ever-changing environment.
Our strategy is to position Los Rios and its four colleges as the path "for everyone's future" to break down the real and perceived barriers to entry and create a sense of community when many need it most. To ensure an impactful campaign, our advertising is translated for cultural competency in both English and Spanish, and for some platforms, other languages as well. Advertising platforms we use include social media, email, direct mail, gas station screens, movie theaters, connected tv, billboards, television and radio.
This approach shows our communities that Los Rios is for every student – the working mom, the young activist, the recently unemployed, the anxious teenager, the historically underrepresented. We have solutions for everyone; therefore, the Los Rios colleges are for everyone and their future.
Marketing Campaign Examples
See examples of campaigns we are actively working on in partnership with 3fold Communications.
Annual 2026-2027 Marketing Campaign
Building on the successful launch of "This is Your Moment," Los Rios is continuing the campaign in 2026-2027, putting students front and center to share how the Los Rios colleges helped them to meet their moment.
"This is Your Moment" speaks directly to prospective students at a critical point of decision-making: when the desire to move forward meets the realities of work, family, finances, and everyday life. Rather than waiting for the "perfect" time to pursue an education, the campaign encourages students to recognize the opportunity in front of them and take the next step.
In addition to featuring the faces of students from each of the four colleges on outdoor, social media, and digital executions, the campaign utilizes students to help deliver its message via video. Seven students were recruited to record video content and share their own experiences balancing school with work, family, and other personal obligations. Distributed across social media, their stories highlight how affordable tuition, flexible online and in-person classes, and a range of programs and pathways allowed them to fit college into their lives and keep moving toward their goals.
By hearing directly from students who have faced many of the same questions, pressures, and competing priorities they may be experiencing, prospective students can more easily see themselves at Los Rios. Each story becomes both proof of what is possible and an invitation to take the next step in achieving their educational and career goals.
Recent Past Campaign Examples
2025-2026 – Annual Marketing Campaign
In 2025-2026, we began the year promoting fall enrollment with our established "Be Both. Be All Three." campaign, celebrating the many roles our students hold and reinforcing that Los Rios Community Colleges supports them in balancing it all.
For spring, we evolved the effort with the launch of "This is Your Moment," shifting our focus to a critical point of decision-making - when ambition meets hesitation. This fully integrated campaign moves from identity-based messaging to a more action-oriented approach, encouraging prospective students to recognize that the right time to pursue their education is now.
Rooted in the insight that many prospective students are balancing work, family, and financial pressures, the campaign emphasizes immediacy, empowerment, and real-life momentum. "This is Your Moment" puts students at the center and meets them where they are with real support for real challenges.
Our media strategy continues to leverage a comprehensive mix of digital, social, traditional, and experiential channels to maximize reach and engagement. The campaign ran in eight languages, ensuring culturally relevant messaging across diverse communities. Digital channels remained the primary driver of website traffic, while social platforms played a critical role in engagement and consideration. Traditional and out-of-home placements, including expanded billboard and transit advertising, significantly increased overall awareness and visibility across the region.
At its core, "This is Your Moment" reinforces a powerful and timely message: there is no perfect time to start - only the moment you choose to move forward. This campaign is designed to help students see that moment clearly and take action with confidence.
Results
Fall "Be Both. Be all Three." Campaign Highlights
- 5.6 million impressions
- 43,000 website visitors
- 48,000 clicks, 223,000 social media engagements, and 3.2 million video views
Spring "This is Your Moment" Campaign Highlights
- 15.9 million impressions
- 43,000 website visitors
- 46,000+ clicks, 223,000+ social engagements, and 3 million+ video views
2024-2025 – Annual Marketing Campaign
Summary
For the 2024-2025 campaign, Los Rios used an integrated marketing strategy combining grassroots outreach, trusted community messengers, strategic partnerships, and traditional, digital, social, and out-of-home advertising.
The campaign addressed common barriers to higher education, including first-generation enrollment challenges and transportation, through community workshops, local partnerships, multilingual outreach, and digital storytelling. Prospective students received resources and support to help them complete registration and enrollment through manageable milestones.
Results
Los Rios' Fall 2024 campaign achieved significant growth and engagement compared with the previous year. Refined audience targeting and a shift from awareness to website traffic more than doubled impressions, generating over 9.6 million impressions and bringing more than 67,000 users to the Los Rios website.
Multilingual messaging helped reach new audiences, with Spanish-language content consistently exceeding engagement benchmarks. Extending the duration of selected media placements also increased campaign visibility and interaction.
2023-2024 – Annual Marketing Campaign
Building upon the success of the previous year's "Be Both. Be All Three." campaign, we made the strategic decision to maintain the campaign for the 2023-2024 year. The results achieved during the campaign further solidified its effectiveness, demonstrating our commitment to continued success.
Ads and Community Outreach
Asset Examples
2022-2023 – Annual Marketing Campaign
Goals
The district's 2022-2023 annual marketing campaign encouraged students who left during the pandemic to return and invited prospective students to consider Los Rios. It focused on people balancing school with parenting, caregiving, multiple jobs, and other responsibilities.
The "Be Both. Be All Three." campaign celebrated the many identities these students held – such as parent, dreamer, activist, student, and graduate. With the message "Los Rios celebrates you," the campaign showed how Los Rios could support them as they earned a degree or credential.
Marketing Touchpoints
The campaign used multilingual, broad-reach marketing to connect with students throughout their daily lives. Marketing touchpoints included:
-
TV/Video
- Univision
- Entravision
- CrossingsTV
- ABC
- KCRA
- Magnite
- YouTube Audio
- Pandora
- Audacy
- Entravision
- KCRA
- Magnite
- YouTube
-
Digital
- YouTube
- Google Responsive Display
- Google Paid Search
- Outbrain Native
-
Social
- Snapchat
- Tik Tok
-
Audio
- Twitch
-
Traditional
- Theaters
- Coinstars
- Digital and traditional billboards
- Gas toppers
- Direct mail
- Comstock's Magazine
-
Custom Partnerships
- California Afterschool Network
- Sacramento Republic FC
- Last Supper Society "Hella Juneteenth"
-
Other
- Custom drone show
Asset Examples
Media Plans
Fall 2022
Spring 2023
Results
The following are the results from our 2022-2023 "Be Both. Be All Three." campaign:
- 50 million impressions
- 134,000 clicks
- 54,000 new users to website
- 84,000 website sessions
- 25+ unique media vendors
- 7+ language translations
- 150+ unique media placements
- $50,000 in added value
- 33% increase in YoY web traffic
- 64% increase in semester-over-semester traffic from Fall 2022 to Spring 2023
- The "See Your Future" drone show helped increase organic web traffic by 2.4% within 24-hours
- Google Paid Search saw a record-high campaign CTR of 20.6%
- Increased enrollment by 5.21%
2022 – Career Education Marketing Campaign
Summary
In 2022, Los Rios expanded the reach and frequency of its Career Education marketing to increase enrollment in priority direct-to-career programs. The campaign showed Sacramento-area audiences that Los Rios helped people build sustainable careers – not just find jobs – through flexible, efficient, and affordable education.
The "Meet Future You" campaign invited audiences to picture themselves in fulfilling careers, supporting their families and improving their economic and social mobility.
Marketing Touchpoints
The media strategy reached people considering a career change, upskilling, or reskilling through contextually relevant digital, social, and native channels. Marketing touchpoints included:
-
TV/Video
- Entravision
- Magnite
- YouTube
-
Digital
- Google Responsive Display
- Google Paid Search
- Outbrain Native
-
Social
- Snapchat
- Tik Tok
- Social influencers
-
Audio
- Audacy
- Entravision
-
Traditional
- Direct mail
-
Custom Partnerships
- Sacramento Republic FC
-
Other
- Custom drone show
Asset Examples
Media Plan
Results
- 2+ language translations
- 95 hours of video shoot production
- 3 social media influencers
- 51,373 unique page views
- 88% of page views came from the paid campaign
- 1,561% increase in page views from 2022
- Google Paid Search saw a record-high campaign CTR of 25.68%
- Increased enrollment by 5.21%
2020-2022 – For Every Future General Recruitment and Career Education Recruitment
Goals
- Increase the number of Black and Latino/a students.
- Increase the number of units students take in general.
- Encourage all students to enroll full-time.
- Remind existing students that Los Rios is there to serve them and provide sustained wraparound support.
Strategy
- Reach audiences where they are most by focusing on "and" not "or" marketing.
Tactics
- Facebook (paid and organic)
- Instagram (paid and organic)
- Snapchat (paid and organic)
- TikTok (paid and organic)
- Social media "takeovers"
- Google Responsive Display
- Google Search
- College, district, and specific campaign websites
- Direct Mail
- "Acceptance" letters to regional high school graduates
- Posters and signage
- Outbrain (Native Content)
- Multilingual marketing
- English and Spanish radio
- Digital radio (including Pandora)
- College-specific billboards and signage
- Terrestrial radio (English and Spanish)
- Event sponsorships:
- El Panteón Latino Center for Culture and Arts
- Raley's and Sacramento Kings: "Shop Like a King" and "Eat Like a King"
- Research:
- Virtual focus groups
- Virtual student interviews
Asset Examples
2022 – Handshake Platform Recruitment
Goals
- Ensure Los Rios students and alumni have access to jobs, careers, internships, and volunteer opportunities by spotlighting the Handshake platform.
Strategy
- Get the attention of students who are too busy to activate their Handshake profiles by showing them that the platform serves as a one-stop-shop.
Calling Campaign Examples
We are leveraging our new Call Center – a collaboration between the four Los Rios colleges launched during the pandemic – to reach out to students directly via text and phone.
The Call Center staff is multilingual and trained to help students get the information they need to get – and stay – enrolled.
Career Education Re-Enrollment
2,985 Outgoing Calls
Goal
- To re-enroll Career Education students who were unable to take courses because of the pandemic by issuing a notification of return of courses and offering help to them re-enroll.
Drops for Non-Payment
5,196 Outgoing Calls
Goal
- To contact students at risk of being dropped for non-payment.
Spring 2022 General Enrollment
16,398 Outgoing Calls
Goal
- To reach out to students whose priority registration dates have passed but who have not enrolled.
Spring 2022 Second 8-Week Enrollment
2,048 Outgoing Calls
Goal
- To reach out to students previously enrolled in second 8-week courses who have not yet enrolled.
CCCApply
1,030 Outgoing Calls
Goal
- To contact students who have applied through CCCApply but have not completed their application.
Community-Based Organization Outreach
It's not enough to interview students, build ads around them, and use those ads to encourage new students to enroll or current students to register for the next semester. We know that to engage our audience, we need to authentically connect one-on-one with them and their influencers.
To do this, we form important alliances with community-based organizations (CBOs) working locally to repair disparities and bridge the information gap.
Sacramento Republic Football Club
Los Rios is excited to announce our partnership with the Sacramento Republic Football Club (FC), Sacramento's hometown soccer team. Our objectives are to partner with the Republic to grow our enrollment, be where our communities are, and increase the success rates for our region's underserved populations. To see our partnership in action, be sure to attend one of their 18 home matches and playoff season games, or tune into Fox40 News, ESPN+, and ESPN2. Examples of advertising include presenting sponsorship placements, in-stadium signage, fan zone activations, broadcast features, social media content, and more.
California Afterschool Network
California Afterschool Network (CAN) is a CBO whose mission is to provide professionals, advocates, and community members the tools and resources necessary to build high-quality, out-of-school time programs in California. CAN is hosting a flagship event on June 14 through 17 for the state's afterschool programs and will be largely attended by coordinators and program directors. This is an opportunity to get in front of people who serve hard-to-reach students and their parents that utilize afterschool programs.
Latino Center for Arts & Culture
Los Rios engaged in the Latino Center for Arts & Culture's Día de Los Muertos "El Panteón de Sacramento 2021" event on October 28 through 30, 2021. The centuries-old tradition of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) was celebrated this year on the grounds of the Latino Center of Art and Culture. The annual LCAC event, El Panteón de Sacramento, featured the recreation of a candlelit Mexican cemetery and chapel accompanied by live performances from The Lico Music Academy, a 24-piece music group from Los Angeles.
Los Rios was a premier sponsor of the event, earning public praise for its Los Rios Promise program. Additionally, a local artist commissioned an "ofrenda alter" on behalf of Los Rios to raise the profile of public education and community access. Attendees who were spoken to on behalf of Los Rios included Councilmember Eric Guerra and General Consulate of Mexico Lilliana Ferrer.
Raley's and the Sacramento Kings: Eat Like a King
Eat Like a King is an annual Sacramento Kings event where the Kings invite nonprofits to fill a table of ten (10) with people from the community who use that nonprofit service (for example, Boys and Girls Club, WEAVE, and YMCA) to have a hosted holiday meal by the Sacramento Kings and an opportunity to meet and greet with the players. This event was held on December 6, 2021, and Los Rios sponsored by providing materials on the Los Rios Promise and utilizing co-branding opportunities for public awareness.
Raleys and Sacramento Kings: Shop Like a King
Shop Like a King is an opportunity to directly impact socioeconomically disadvantaged Sacramento families. The holiday season brings a heightened awareness to those with and those without and Raleys and the Sacramento Kings seek to close that gap. The event's intention is to bring hope to families without it and to lift the burden of food insecurity for families. This event was held on Thursday, December 16, 2021, and Los Rios included material about the Los Rios Promise within each grocery bag of food provided to selected families.
Our marketing team is pursuing additional community activations, including partnerships with:
- Pivot Sacramento
- Harrison Barnes Foundation
- Sierra Health Foundation
Always "On"
We never know when new students are considering starting their educational journey at Los Rios, so our campaign is "always on." This means marketing exists throughout our region during the entire calendar year and investments deepen during peak enrollment periods.
We are also leveraging outreach efforts underway at our colleges to focus on key initiatives like parent and community outreach and awareness and more.