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Are you thinking about going to university, but still making your mind up about which one to go to?
Well, it’s highly likely that you’ve browsed through our course listings and uni profile pages, perhaps ordered a few prospectuses, or booked yourself on to an open day or two.
And it’s very likely that you’d have come across a lot of adverts for different universities – all trying to show you why you should choose to study with them.
Because of the importance of university’s marketing in helping students make the right decision about where to study, we’ve created a Prospective Student Engagement Award at our annual Whatuni Student Choice Awards.
This award is submission based and is judged not by review scores, like our other awards, but by our Student Advisory Board.
The board met back in March to discuss the submissions entered by the following nominated universities:
- Arden University
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- Heriot-Watt University
- Plymouth College of Art
- Southampton Solent University
- University of Birmingham
- University of Exeter
- University of Glasgow
- University of Gloucestershire
- University of Winchester
The submissions were judged over three categories:
Innovation: Was the way they engaged with the audience exciting and unique? Had they used their student voice and media channels in a unique way?
Usefulness to students: Did the submission provide students with relevant and unbiased information to aid their decision making? And was the information provided in a way that was helpful and engaging to the student?
Impact for the university: Did it successfully reach the intended audience? Did it have an impact and was it successful for the university?
And on Thursday 25th April 2019, we held a very glamorous awards ceremony where the uni they’d voted as the best was announced…
WINNER: Goldsmiths, University of London
Congratulations to Goldsmiths, who won for their campaign ‘One Goldsmiths’ – which they created to inspires, engage and empower prospective students in their higher education journey and beyond.
The campaign combined modern fonts and colour scheme and photography covering student life and study, the campus, and the local area. The marketing messages were made up of two elements: two-liners and a list of the people that make up their community – debaters, challengers, thinkers, dreamers, believers and leaders.
They also used messaging to inspire students not just to apply to Goldsmiths, but ask themselves questions like ‘Am I a dreamer, a believer or a thinker?’.
This personalisation ran through other parts of their marketing, including their audio advertising campaign over Spotify and DAX, which asked ‘how do you qualify yellow?’. The advert was embedded with a music track that was randomised to generate several thousand variations so each individual would likely hear an ad unique to them.
Our board members were seriously impressed by Goldsmiths’ campaign. Here’s just some of their feedback:
“It appeals to many students and so appeals to a large audience which will really increase their popularity.”
“Powerful, positive and vivid campaign that could inspire people to go to Goldsmiths.”
“Makes students feel part of the community of Goldsmiths from the ad to the open day and beyond.”
“Very creative and deeply thought through ads”
“Goes for everyone who has a dream (most have one)”
“Easy to read with dyslexia - not age-centric - not just for gen z, inspires 9-5 mature students etc.”
Well done to Goldsmith’s on their well-deserved win! Here's the Goldsmiths team enjoying their win: