A new school of thought.
Client
/
University Client
Situation
Higher education is at a turning point.
For many Americans, college used to be a given. The natural next step after high school if you wanted a decent job. But with rising costs and a changing economy, today’s students are questioning the value of a degree.
Enter our client: a Midwest university that wanted to increase enrollment. They’d been offering online and hybrid programs long before their peers. But a recent brand health study revealed some weaknesses. While awareness was high, perception and consideration were flagging—especially when it came to online learning. We needed to reach younger audiences and make the case for our client.
Metrics
Approach
Wins without losses.
We needed to change perception among younger students. Teens who wouldn’t be applying to college for a few years. But we couldn’t abandon our core audience: students actively on the college search. So we dug into the syndicated research, identifying the best channels for both.
In the same way, we needed to focus on mid-funnel tactics that influence perception. But we couldn’t lose sight of the top-funnel tactics that keep awareness high. So as we shifted more budget toward mid-funnel tactics, we did a comprehensive cost analysis on top-funnel ones. Then we reprioritized, maximizing reach while minimizing cost.
Results
More learners learning.
So how’d we do? Year over year, we scored better metrics across the board. Awareness levels stayed high, while perception rose. As did students’ likelihood to inquire (+12%), apply (+6%), and name our client as their first choice for college (+16%).
The university’s pool of prospective students grew by 6%, and their enrollment numbers by 12%. We also generated more interest in their key programs: business (+13%) and nursing (+6%).