For those launching a new scholarship, finding the right scholarship management solution can be daunting. In 2017, Talking Rain set out to start their own program and like many others didn’t know where to turn. They wanted to find a solution that was simple to use and would put their vision at the forefront, so they decided to enlist Kaleidoscope.
Overview
Talking Rain is a beverage company that is known for Sparkling Ice®, a bold-flavored, lightly-carbonated sparkling water. Talking Rain was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Preston, Washington.
Challenge
In 2010, the company decided to make a major organizational shift. At that time, Talking Rain started to build a strong marketing, sales, and manufacturing team to focus on Sparkling Ice®, which was quickly growing in popularity. Talking Rain continuously works to grow its Sparkling Ice® business through innovative marketing tactics. One of their primary tactics being the launch of their first scholarship program, the Flavorful Futures Scholarship.
Talking Rain wanted to build a closer connection to their consumer base in thousands of high schools. Therefore, Talking Rain decided to connect with their consumers in a way that helped them advance their education: scholarships. The team had ideas regarding what this scholarship program might entail, however, no one on their team had scholarship management experience. After some initial research, they found a few possible solutions, but they didn’t provide a complete solution or they were expensive and cost just as much as the scholarship itself.
“Giving back is a part of our company’s DNA,” said Nina Morrison, VP of Public Relations at Talking Rain. “Since 1987, we have partnered with a number of cause-related organizations. For this reason, we’re very excited to partner with Kaleidoscope to connect tomorrow’s leaders with the educational opportunities they deserve.”
Solution
After some research, the Talking Rain marketing team connected with Kaleidoscope because the software solution could design, administer, and host the scholarship, while managing the funding disbursements. The ability to do all of this through a single affordable solution was a no-brainer.
The implementation process was quick and easy, finishing in just a few weeks. Once implemented, Talking Rain set forth to give a total of $25,000 in scholarship funding. Talking Rain announced their inaugural Flavorful Futures Scholars on May 9, 2018.
Results
During their first scholarship season, Talking Rain received over 3,000 applicants from 45 states and gave out five $5,000 scholarships. Winners were selected based on creativity, vision, and communication of their future.
With Kaleidoscope, they were able to customize their entire scholarship program to their colors and branding – allowing their applicants to engage with their brand throughout the entire process.
“We couldn’t imagine what the process would have looked like without Kaleidoscope. Their team eliminated any possible stress that could come with over 3,000 applicants, allowing us to focus on our company’s goals and finding the best possible winners,” commented Tina Schacht, Senior Integrated Marketing Manager at Talking Rain.
Update
Since the close of their first incredibly successful scholarship season, the popularity of the Talking Rain scholarship program remains high and they continue to receive tens of thousands of applications! From their initial 3,000 applicants they have now grown to have 20,000 applicants year-over-year!
Talking Rain has awarded more than $75,000 and launched additional programs on the Kaleidoscope marketplace.
Interested in launching your scholarship program with Kaleidoscope? Schedule a demo, let’s get started!
