Luis Casas

With enrollment numbers in the College of Business Administration climbing impressively, Luis Casas, director of marketing and recruiting, continues to find inventive and effective ways to raise awareness about the college’s unique programs. He also zeroes in on the traits a potential student would need to consider attending Florida International University.

“Even though the university has the premier business school in South Florida, there are still people with the perception that other local options are ‘safer’ or more socially acceptable,” he said. “To consider us, people have to be more independent in their thinking.”

To attract such prospects, Casas designed a multi-part branding campaign called Uncommon Thinkers.

“Its underlying message is: If you are an independent thinker and if you do your research, you will conclude that the best investment and best business decision is to come to the university.”
—Luis Casas, director of Marketing and Recruiting

“Its underlying message is: If you are an independent thinker and if you do your research, you will conclude that the best investment and best business decision is to come to the university,” he said.

Campaign has compelling short- and long-term features.

Uncommon Thinkers created widespread visibility for the business school over a two-month period this spring. Eye-catching posters on buses and in bus shelters, a billboard on I-95, sticky notes in The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, traffic reports on the radio, and pens from which an optical illusion banner unfurls have driven people to www.uncommonthinkers.com, a microsite created especially for the campaign.

The site—which has drawn about 1,500 visitors since its launch—combines brain teasers; mini-features about business leaders who embody uncommon thinking, such as the founders of Amazon and Starbucks; and a quick, visually-exciting test to help a visitor identify his or her own personality type—from visionary to revolutionary to creative to risk taker to different. It’s easy to encourage others to join in and to network.

Beyond the mental stretching that www.uncommonthinkers.com encourages, there’s a solid marketing component. People can click on links to learn more about the college’s programs, read profiles of an array of uncommon thinkers affiliated with the business school, and even sign up for information sessions.

New site forms part of international outreach.

Casas expects the site to help as the college looks beyond the South Florida market for qualified prospects.

“We have solid support from the local community because we offer so many of our graduate degree programs in the evenings and on weekends and in various locations in the region, enabling working professionals to take advantage of them,” he said. “We’ll continue to develop that important South Florida market. At the same time, we want to be recognized as one of the premier business schools in the world and www.uncommonthinkers.com can help to spread the word.”

Casas invites readers to stop by www.uncommonthinkers.com, take the test, and meet some of the business school’s uncommon thinkers.

“We have numerous examples of uncommon thinkers among our faculty, alumni, current students, and staff, and we want to let everyone know that we have an environment that fosters, promotes, and celebrates uncommon thinking,” he said.