When someone’s a Trojan, they’re a Trojan for life. They bleed cardinal and gold. They are active, educated and often affluent – open to the opportunities and benefits presented by the USC Alumni Association.
And there are a lot of them, too. USC has more than 335,000 living alumni, with some 13,000 new USC graduates joining the fold each year. All are members of the USCAA, since membership is free and automatic. And although about half of these alumni are concentrated in Southern California, many thousands live across the country and around the world. The USCAA’s network of alumni clubs stretches from Washington State to Florida, across the oceans to Europe and Asia, and south to Latin America – more than 70 clubs in all. As the USCAA’s tagline makes clear, the Trojan Family is indeed lifelong and worldwide.
Lifelong, worldwide and diverse. In addition to alumni clubs, the USCAA’s affiliated organizations include alumnae (women’s) support groups and multicultural and generational alumni communities. In other words, no matter who your target audience is, the USCAA has the capability and structure to reach them.
Hear from some of our current partners about what led them to connect with the Trojan Family, what their goals are, how well we are meeting those goals, and how satisfied they are with their USC Alumni Association partnership.
Shea Mortgage
Shea Mortgage is a full-service mortgage banker, offering residential purchase and refinance mortgage loans. We are a member of the JF Shea family of companies that has been in business since 1881.
What “sold” you on partnering with the USC Alumni Association?
The Shea family has long-standing ties with USC and its network of alumni. As we considered our options to expand our business, we were particularly drawn to the USC Alumni Association because of the strong and lasting ties the alumni have with the university. The professionalism, leadership and cooperation of the people we’ve worked with at the USCAA have been critical to the ongoing success of our partnership.
What plan was created to address the goals of your partnership campaign?
Our campaign was primarily driven by direct mail, which has accounted for the majority of the success we’ve had with the partnership. This success was supplemented by email campaigns and other options to increase our visibility, including the USCAA’s monthly newsletters, links on its website, and alumni benefit listings.
Do you have any campaign result metrics that we can share?
Generally, our USCAA borrowers are the most qualified borrowers in our entire book of business, including purchasers of new Shea Homes. This is especially significant, considering that our Shea Homes buyers are already in the top 5 to 10 percent of borrowers nationally. Our direct mail response rates with the USCAA are average, but of those respondents who do call Shea Mortgage, there is a very strong tie that has resulted in this partnership.
What is your level of satisfaction with your USCAA business partnership?
We are highly satisfied with our USCAA partnership. It has served to supplement our credibility with all of our business partners and will serve as a continued catalyst for growth as we move forward.
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Liberty Mutual Insurance has been helping people live safer, more secure lives for nearly 100 years, including 40 years specializing in the auto and home affinity market. Today we partner with eight out of every 10 alumni associations that offer personal lines insurance programs.
What “sold” you on partnering with the USC Alumni Association?
We value the high-quality communication channels and marketing opportunities made available to us through this partnership, and we appreciate the dedication and service delivered by the USC Alumni Association staff.
What plan was created to address the goals of your partnership campaign?
The USC Alumni Association staff meets with dedicated members of the Liberty Mutual team to develop an annual communication plan to meet our mutual program goals.
What is your level of satisfaction with your USCAA business partnership?
Liberty Mutual has been extremely satisfied working with the USC Alumni Association over the years; we look forward to a continued partnership for many years to come!
ScholarShare
The ScholarShare College Savings Plan offers families a smart, simple, flexible, and tax-advantaged way to save for college.
What “sold” you on partnering with the USC Alumni Association?
We found that the alumni we could reach included individuals who fit our target audience. It is one of our goals to increase brand awareness for the plan and reach a wide, engaged audience, including parents and grandparents who greatly value education not only for themselves but for their families as well.
What plan was created to address the goals of your partnership campaign?
The campaign created included online, print and on-site components aimed at bringing awareness of ScholarShare to the wide USC alumni audience. The online piece consisted of inclusion on the USCAA member benefits webpage, in monthly e-newsletters, and in direct emails to members. The print component consisted of inclusion in two USC publications. The on-site piece provided ScholarShare with the opportunity to participate in a number of USC events by hosting a resource/informational booth, distributing branded program materials, having on-site signage, and speaking directly with USC alumni.
Have expectations for your campaign been met?
Our expectations have been met. We feel that many USC alumni have taken the opportunity to review information about the plan and have explored options to begin saving for their family’s college education.
What is your level of satisfaction with your USCAA business partnership?
ScholarShare is satisfied with the USCAA business partnership, and we would consider continuing the partnership to reach the USCAA’s wide audience.
