Emporia State University
Winning in the Margins
We’re chasing a dwindling population that has more reservations about the value of higher education than any population in recent history. They’re fickle, highly selective, job motivated and conflicted about the traditional college experience.
Every college and university is trying to figure it out. From gourmet campus cuisine to flexible financing to much closer ties to industry in the hopes of luring job hungry students. Competition is stiff and the stakes are high.
With so few opportunities to truly differentiate, we have to be focused on the details. Research insights lead to messaging which is deployed through a highly curated brand activation plan.
From Insight to Impact
Emotional resonance research informed us that scholarships delivered the most impact with prospective students, not lower tuition. That insight informed messaging through every level of the marketing mix, including Paid Media where the results were clear. In the 12 months after research-based messaging was activated the rate of engagement jumped across channels, including a 31% increase in Programmatic Display and a 29% increase in Facebook (not to mention a healthy 141% increase in media-attributed leads despite a leaner budget).
Modern Tactics
In year 1 of launching a sweeping short-form video initiative to break through to Gen Z scrollers and swipers, the media buy delivered 35+ million impressions across TikTok, Reels, Snapchat and YouTube Shorts, with content customized for each platform to ensure relevance and interest.