'It's time to reset': turning 2020's upheaval into enrolment growth

The world had stopped: travel bans, event cancellations, job losses and business closures, with non-school leavers hit hardest. In its first campaign since winning the tender, The Garden had to put SCU at the forefront of consideration for people contemplating study from July 2020, and position the university as the safe, dependable choice in the most uncertain market in memory.

The campaign theme acknowledged the uncertainty and offered a way to take back control: the world as you know it might have stopped, but your education doesn’t have to. It targeted non-school leavers aged 20-40 in Coffs Harbour, the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers, with particular focus on people looking to retrain after losing work, backed by video assets, a landing page, EDM communication and social advertising built in partnership with SCU.

Messaging paired the ‘reset’ positioning with SCU’s strengths: high graduate salaries, 5-star student support and supported pathways with guaranteed entry. Google Search generated high-intent audiences, historic enquiry data built lookalike prospecting on Facebook, and high-intent visitors were dynamically retargeted across social. The first phase drove registrations for virtual information sessions, an entirely new concept for SCU, before shifting to one-on-one consultations with expert student advisers.

Applications grew 42.86% year on year, more than double the original target, with offers up 42.76%, conversions up 63.22% and total EFTSL growth of 41.10% in 2020. Social audiences converted at 27.22%, and the landing page drew 25,066 unique views at an 11% bounce rate. Even the press took notice, with the Campus Morning Mail praising a recruitment campaign that keeps it real.