On September 17, 2018, the University of Rhode Island launched its fall recruitment marketing and advertising campaign.
The campaign features traditional television, and out-of-home billboards, with a completely refreshed digital ad campaign and new digital video, search and social media ad campaign in order to reach our target audiences at every touch point; tv, in the car, on mobile, desktop, connected tv (Apple TV, Roku, etc.), social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), NBC Universal portfolio of digital products, contextual and behavioral pages and on Google search.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of the admission campaign creative and media plan is to engage prospective students and their parents or influencers and inform them of our academic success at the University of Rhode Island and drive them to apply to the school with the intent to enroll. The secondary objective is to build pride with alumni in the primary markets.
STRATEGY: By showcasing various creative through an integrated media plan we will show prospective students and their parents or influencers why the University of Rhode Island is the right school for them, a great value and a pathway to a successful career. The campaign will enhance admission efforts in targeted markets.
TARGET AUDIENCES: High school juniors and seniors, mothers, fathers, and influencers of juniors and seniors in high school.
PRIMARY MARKETS: Greater New York City, Northern New Jersey, Southern New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware, Northern Virginia, Rhode Island, and Chicago. (New markets from 2017 shown in bold font.)
CREATIVE: All creative below was distributed in all primary markets listed above. (Except Rhode Island. The RI buy had different creative for a slightly different message; drive in-state pride, showcase opportunity and show why URI is the best higher education institution in the state. See RI creative at the bottom of this page.)
TIMING: The campaign ran from September 17, 2018, through November 18, 2018.
Television / Digital Video:
The television and digital video spots feature completely new creative that aligns with the admission Viewbook messaging and our broader brand statement – “Study in a small, beautiful place with some of the biggest thinkers in the world.” Visuals feature faculty and student interaction, campus life, technology and innovation, global opportunities, athletics, and our coastal shoreline. A mix of :15 and :30-second spots were developed with a music-only (no voice-over) version for the entire campaign. Each digital video links to a dedicated, interactive landing page where the user can “Explore” (links to admissions page) or “Apply Now” (links to the University of Rhode Island common app page). (:30 shown)
Television Media: Targeted morning broadcast TV in all markets and cable placements in the New York market with cable overflow viewing in Connecticut and New Jersey.
Digital Video Media: Included non-skippable placement throughout NBCUniversal properties across desktop, mobile, connected TV and video on demand (VOD). It also included outstream video which is served in contextually relevant environments; outlets included, business/finance, entertainment, food and drink, news, sports, science/tech, travel, lifestyle, education, and music.
More on Video: View the :15 and :30 at the following links.
:15 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkGG7cnAuXE
:30 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk342mEb6J0
Out of Home / Billboard:
The billboard features our Endeavor Research Vessel which visually represents our big thinking, our location and copy that supports the many opportunities you’ll have at URI on a global level.
Landing page for all digital assets (only branded shown.)
The landing page for all digital assets included a unique url and landing page featuring a moving image header and copy specific to each campaign. Below is an example of the branded landing page. All other campaign landing pages associated with this recruitment campaign may be found here: Branded, Harrington, CELS, Health Collaborative, Engineering, Student Life .
Digital Display Ads:
Digital display ads are served to our target audiences through contextual, behavioral and interest level browsing patterns. The billboard features our Endeavor Research Vessel which visually represents our big thinking, our location and copy that supports the many opportunities you’ll have at URI on a global level. branded landing page. (9 versions created, three shown)
Digital Social Ads: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube
The social campaign is by far the most complex. The basics are below.
Six themes*:
- General URI Branded
- Harrington School
- Engineering
- CELS
- Health Collaborative
- Student Life
- Spirit
*Featured program themes were identified by the admission and enrollment management offices as opportunities for growth. Student Life and Spirit were two campaigns that focused on campus life but we tested different images in each for a/b testing on creative triggers for our audience.
Creative media for Facebook and Instagram:
Static ad: One image with post copy and call to action link to an associated landing page.
Video ad: digital video branded creative with copy and call to action button.
Landing page link: Each social ad links to associated theme page (Branded, Harrington, CELS, Health Collaborative, Engineering, Student Life).
FACEBOOK CREATIVE FOR DESKTOP AND MOBILE: (only branded creative shown: static, video)
INSTAGRAM CREATIVE FOR DESKTOP AND MOBILE: (only branded creative shown: stories, feed, video)
TWITTER CREATIVE FOR DESKTOP AND MOBILE: (creative from all campaigns shown: static, video)
2019 Rhode Island Recruitment Campaign (March)
The Rhode Island Recruitment campaign was an add on to the 2018 recruitment campaign, which extended the promotion of URI in Rhode Island during the month of March 2019. The goal of the :30 spot was to support the enrollment of students in Rhode Island. The spot, shown below, ran from March 1 – March 31. Due to the limited budget, a minimal amount of digital video was purchased. There was no social media presence.
Please contact Heather Colby, Assistant Director, Brand Marketing and Advertising, with questions. 401-874-7892 or hcolby@uri.edu.