Could we bring in more applicants to the University of West Florida after a period of nationwide decline in higher education enrollment?
Like many universities all over the globe, UWF was not immune from the decreases in enrollment from all student types as uncertainties from the COVID-19 pandemic continued. While seasonal recruitment campaigns are standard for UWF, idgroup saw an opportunity to revamp the University’s messaging and segment student audiences in order to connect better with the various types of students that attend UWF—not just first-time college students.
Our goal was to generate interest in the University of West Florida’s academic offerings for every student type: First time in College, Transfer, International, and Graduate Students. The theme of the campaign was “University for You” which focused on the unique benefits that UWF provides for different types of students. We recommended a mixed media approach to not only target the university’s audience directly but also redirect preexisting visitors to conversion pages on the website. We adapted ads and creatives to each intended audience, which appeared on relative sites that matched search keywords as students searched for education options.
The University of West Florida Spring 2022 Recruitment campaign brought 883 individuals to the application page and 168 of them submitted their applications, a 195% increase from the previous spring.
We experienced excellent view-through rates for campaign videos, and generated click-through-rates well above industry averages. This campaign was an excellent example of how creative and compelling messaging matched with a targeted, high-quality digital strategy can translate to real engagement from target audiences, and ultimately, conversions for intended actions both on and offline.
Paid Search, Display and Digital Ads, Custom Photography, Social Media Content
