Admissions Campaign Achieves Highest Enrollment in a Decade

CLIENT

North Carolina Central University – Admissions Department

OUR EXPERTISE

Marketing Campaign Development

Email Marketing & Marketing Automation

Media Planning & Buying

GOAL/OBJECTIVES

Boost student yield with personalized multi-channel engagement, targeted student segmentation, and strategic advertising and events.

33%

Yield Increase
Highest Enrollment in Over a Decade

RESULTS

Automation + Personalization = Higher Ed Admissions Growth

Through targeted strategies and automated email segmentation tailored to students' application stages, NCCU achieved record-breaking enrollment numbers. This included significant increases in submitted and completed applications, paid deposits, and enrolled students – marking it the highest influx of new enrollments in over a decade.

54%

Increase

In year-over-year completed applications

30%

Boost

In paid deposits
within 1 year

33%

Growth

In overall
yield

North Carolina Central University is ranked as a top Historically Black College or University (HBCU) that prepares students to succeed in the global marketplace through flagship programs in the sciences, education, law, business, nursing and the arts. They needed to expand their reach to ideal students to boost applications and paid deposits across programs but lacked internal capacity and processes to personalize, segment, and move campaigns forward effectively.

THE CHALLENGE

Inconsistent Communication and Gap in Resources

The NCCU Office of Undergraduate Admissions aimed to bolster enrollment numbers amidst resource constraints and a small team that caused gaps in communication.

Recognizing inconsistencies in student communications and a need for enhanced support throughout the application process, they needed strategic changes.

To bridge these gaps and foster relationships, the NCCU Brand & Marketing Office reallocated its budget to support NCCU Undergraduate Admissions. This realignment facilitated consistent outreach and provided resources for prospective students, reinforcing branding initiatives and enabling full-funnel engagement throughout their journey and transition to college.

STRATEGIC ACTIONS

Authentic Engagement Through Personalized Interactions

Recognizing the need for a personalized approach in higher education recruitment, our team devised a strategy centered on genuine, student-focused channels tailored to NCCU's ideal prospects.

Understanding the uniqueness of each student, we conducted thorough market research to identify target personas, ensuring our initiatives resonated with their preferences. Leveraging personalized touchpoints, including tailored events, we fostered connections that led to the highest admissions figures in over a decade.

Our multi-channel approach encompassed email sequences, paid advertising, organic social media, and a range of events such as webinars, Open House sessions, sports activations, Chancellor tours, and a Sneaker Ball for incoming prospective students. This comprehensive strategy catered to diverse communication and learning styles, ensuring every student had access to the resources they needed for a successful transition into NCCU.