Leadership Exchange - Spring 2008

THE SHADOW ADVANTAGE

How Shadow benefits the student

Free school supplies

It’s an extra eight dollars in their pocket. It’s one less trip to the bookstore. It’s something they can all use. It’s that simple.

Access to school information

As a vehicle that accompanies them to all their classes throughout the semester, students can readily consult their notebook for all the important information you, as an institution, would like them to know. When’s the class drop deadline? Where’s the computer lab? It’s all in the notebook.

Value-added content

We partner with others who also want to make the students’ lives a little bit easier. The notebook provides them with valuable student discounts, information, and offerings.

How Shadow benefits the school

School Spirit

Shadow works with the school to make sure the notebook appears to be an institution-based initiative and the students genuinely appreciate the gesture. The branded colors and logo of the notebook also put a little pride into everybody’s hands all semester long.

Dissemination of information

Shadow reserves 8 pages of content at the beginning of each book to be customized by the school. There’s a lot of information we know you want the students to have access to; and we provide a top notch vehicle to deliver it.

Cost savings

As we’ve learned from past school relationships, the information included in our notebook is generally quite costly for the school to not only prepare but produce and deliver to the hands of every student. Shadow is more than happy to cover these costs for you and include the information in our notebook that is carried with every student all semester long.

SHADOW IN ACTION

Hear from the Students

Hear from the School Administration

I think it’s great that your company wants to actually GIVE to students. We spend so much giving to the school, financially and in terms of effort, that it’s nice to get a perk every now and then that has absolutely no strings attached. Thank you! – Stacey Mosley, Sophmore

The notebooks are a great idea, and our school gave it to us the first day so we received the notebooks just in time. This is truly a great free item. – Nancy Fru, Freshman

Thank you! This is the coolest project ever!!! I greatly appreciate the fact that you guys are giving back to other students, because of the experiences you had. No joke, I was in a scramble to try to buy notebooks this quarter at Northwestern. I didn’t want to pay a gagillion dollars at Norris. It’s sad when you have to choose between food and notebooks! Ahh. So, thanks for being so generous and thoughtful. You guys are my heroes! And it’s just not about the notebooks, it’s the whole concept that’s absolutely wonderful! – Jasime Wiggins, Junior It’s great and I appreciate that it’s something that’s actually useful. – Terrance Lee, Junior

Our students were really amazed! They couldn’t believe that they were getting something so great, and useful for free! Every time we passed out a book, we’d hear, ‘Wow, you just saved me a ton of cash! These are like $10 bucks in the Bookstore!” or... “Whoa, that is SO cool!” And lots of unsolicited thank yous. Students genuinely appreciate it when someone does something nice and unexpected for them. From an administrative standpoint, the notebooks proved to be a great vehicle for the Student Affairs division to get the word out to students about who we are, and what services we provide. The beauty of a project like this, is that we are able to put our resources out to the entire students body, in a format that they will use and keep around. Unlike at Orientation when their heads are swimming with information, and they are likely to file away resource material, our students carry these notebooks with them all semester. It was nice to be able to do something for students without really having to resort to either the carrot or the stick – they just got to enjoy, and we got our message out.

People were amazed by the quality of the product, and some of the details. Several students commented on how they appreciated the little touches, like having a space to list the Professor’s number, office hours and e-mail at the heading of each section. The tabs make finding each classes notes easy to find, and the paper is of good quality, so that notes don’t bleed through. It’s one solid notebook!

The students appreciate the quality and subtlety of the ads. They are clear, and effective, but not in your face, or over the top. The ads are from vendors that students will actually use. Travel, finance, entertainment, a really good mix. The guys at ABS are great to work with. Responsive to concerns and accommodating to the guidelines and needs of the institutions. The beginning of any academic period is hectic enough, so it was a comfort to know that we had hands on attention.

The students who went to the web site really felt comforted by what they read and saw about the company. It is nice to know that graduates who have made it, haven’t forgotten what it’s like to be in school, and have created a product that works for today’s student.