UNB Marketing Blog
Tips and tricks from your university marketers

#OnlyHere Year 3

Author: Sean Sullivan

Posted on Nov 2, 2017

Category: Web and Social Media

only-here

In September, we launched Year 3 of the #OnlyHere marketing campaign.

The goal of our campaign is to deliver qualified prospects to Student Recruitment, using a three-tiered media strategy: building awareness, driving consideration and increasing application-driving behaviours (e.g. email newsletter subscriptions).

This year, we’ve leveraged learnings and insights from Years 1 and 2 to fine-tune our media plan and maximize results — investing in the channels and tactics that performed best on each tier’s objectives.

We’re growing awareness of UNB in an increasingly competitive post-secondary space, generating interest by attracting and engaging with prospective students, and making a lasting impression.

Research

Each stage of our #OnlyHere campaign has been grounded in research.

Research and results allow us to refine our strategy and implement tactics or messaging that we know really work.

In the lead up to Year 3, we surveyed applicants, non-applicants and parents of prospective students, measuring campaign awareness and whether #OnlyHere was driving consideration and applications in our target markets. We also ran focus groups with prospective grade 11 students in our five priority markets to determine which proof points resonate most with them and if the campaign continues to appeal to and motivate prospective students. (It does!)

More than a hashtag

In Year 3 we’ll strengthen our brand and nurture its place of prominence in all university outreach and communications initiatives to enhance UNB’s visibility and reputation across the country and beyond.

Our media breakdown — including: digital, out-of-home, cinema and print — is based on our target audience and market demographics. The channels we use to engage with them in are selected based on their known behaviour and preferences.

Highlights of this year’s media strategy include:

  • Custom advertorial in the Globe & Mail during a key decision-making period of the recruitment cycle
  • Cinema ads leveraging top movie releases and targeting students and parents during the high traffic holiday season
  • Ottawa and Halifax takeovers: Bus-wraps, digital billboards, high school posters and cinema ads to make an impact and drive awareness
  • Student Life Network and Yconic targeted email blasts to promote the free first-year tuition contest to high school students across Canada

Social media

Last year’s performance is the basis for this year’s tactics, but we’re also testing out new innovations in digital media:

  • Vertical video ads for Facebook and Instagram targeting students, parents and guidance counsellors. This format has a higher ad recall than horizontal
  • 6 second bumper ads, using contextual and behaviour targeting to ensure we’re speaking to viewers that want to engage with us, will reinforce awareness near the end of the campaign
  • Full screen mobile ads target students and parents based on location history
  • Digital video to capture our audience’s attention on the channels they frequent most — using forced and skippable formats to balance guaranteed completion with user experience

Want more info? Check out the:

Or contact the Marketing Office at brand@unb.ca. We’d be happy to chat with you.