“We need branding and marketing,” I said when I came into the director of communications and marketing role at Rutgers University-Newark. With that focus, Rutgers University-Newark is thriving at a time when higher education institutions struggle with enrollment and a dramatically changed business environment.
New market reality. New marketing approach
Prospective students have different needs today. They are taking a unique approach to the whole process of researching their college options, deciding to apply and eventually enrolling.
We knew the traditional methods would not get us the best results. That is why I took the opportunity to transform our office into a branding and storytelling powerhouse.
Instead of relying on the usual enrollment campaigns that pushed a transactional message of “apply here” and trying to be louder than other universities, all pushing an identical message, we took a few pages out of the consumer marketing playbook. The same principles that created some of the world’s best loved brands could work here for enrollment—and more.
Starting with the brand
Rutgers University-Newark has so much more to say beyond “apply here.” We truly do offer prospective students a very special learning experience and a unique value proposition. What was the best brand story for us?
I engaged the Newark-based specialists at pleOS Agency to conduct extensive strategic branding work to create a clear differentiated brand story for Rutgers-Newark. Then together, we embarked on a marketing campaign to raise awareness of and preference for the Rutgers University-Newark brand.
We asked key brand strategy questions:
- What is the Rutgers-Newark brand?
- How is it relevantly different from other universities?
- How can Rutgers-Newark best tell its brand story?
- How can prospective students navigate a clear journey in discovering the brand—and seeing if it is a fit for them?
- ow can Rutgers-Newark connect its brand to existing engagement activities—tours, admissions advisors, the application process—to amplify their effectiveness?
To get the answers to that question, we conducted a thorough discovery process to understand the marketing landscape for the Rutgers University-Newark brand.
Defining the compelling Rutgers-Newark difference
What we uncovered through this process were three key brand themes. Those themes check the important strategic boxes in that they are:
- Different from what other universities could claim
- Relevant to our key audiences
- Credible and provably true
- Sustainable in that it will continue to be credibly different and relevant long into the future
Rutgers-Newark could tell rich brand stories around three themes that we could infuse throughout all campaigns and materials.
- Real diversity that enriches your learning experience
- A community at the heart where individuals are valued and don’t get lost in the crowd
- The campus and beyond becomes your learning community in a real and engaging way
The Rutgers-Newark brand could stand out without having to outspend the competition and could connect in deeply emotional ways far beyond the “apply here” message.
Bringing the Rutgers-Newark brand to life
We started using the brand across all kinds of campaigns for our various audiences. Driving freshman applications was and is one of them.
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We rethought our campaigns and looked at what kinds of information prospective students need at each step of the process. We then created materials to support their journey.
We created an online Google ad campaign with coordinating website landing pages that allocated spending across messaging that focuses on:
- Branding
- Admissions
- Transfers
- Events
- Programs
- Answers to frequently asked questions
The numbers tell the success story
- 2.6 million impressions at a cost per click of $0.41 through the digital campaign
- 25% of all site users came through the campaign’s landing pages
- 85% engagement on mobile, meeting prospective students through their preferred channel
- 10% click through rate by engaging powerful brand moments
Through strategic media initiatives, we have enhanced the university’s national reputation, improved its social mobility ranking (No. 5) and boosted its recognition as the best Hispanic-serving institution in America (No. 20). External funding for research surpassed $50 million dollars for the first time.
And, in the first year of the campaign in 2024, we enrolled the largest incoming class in the university’s history.
Given the success of the pilot project, Rutgers University-Newark is making marketing-focused programs the standard. We are expanding the program to use additional techniques and to continue to fine-tune the messages and activities that continue the successful momentum.
