Prior to the pandemic, like most county colleges in the area, Union College enrollment was declining. It was a perfect storm: population trends, the economy and the ongoing stigma felt by most 2-year colleges, despite their proven excellence. To maintain a watchful eye on budget, Union College’s approach to marketing was centered around key enrollment periods. However, as a result, there was little consistent brand building throughout the year.
Through extensive research and many student interviews, SGW was able to create a higher education marketing strategy for Union College. We uncovered that some of the college’s faculty were mentioned over and over again as the #1 differentiating factor of the school. In addition, 96.5% of graduates reported that they accomplished their primary objective by attending Union College.
SGW recommended a marketing campaign designed to strike an emotional chord with the audience.
In order to identify possible areas for improvement, SGW reviewed the user journey from initial response to enrollment. Once identified, SGW worked closely with Union College’s recruitment office to correct areas where the student journey stalled on the way to enrollment. As we augmented the process, the number of enrollment completions increased significantly.
“You really delivered on the reason we hired you, and then some. You positioned our brand in a way that is relevant.”
— Dr. Demond H., Union College of Union County, NJ
