How Edinburgh Napier University increased its consideration among prospective students by 59%

Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) faced a significant challenge within Edinburgh's competitive academic landscape. Despite its established history, ENU struggled with brand recognition.

As a university in Scotland, where education is free for local students. ENU needed to attract students from England, Wales, and abroad, who would contribute financially. To overcome these challenges and enhance its standing, ENU partnered with agency Modern Citizens.

The Challenge

ENU's primary challenge was to elevate its brand perception locally and internationally. Despite offering high-quality education and having numerous success stories, ENU was struggling to compete with its local competition, especially in comparison to the University of Edinburgh.

The university needed a fresh, innovative approach to reposition itself as a top choice for prospective students - particularly among those coming from outside of Scotland... The conventional marketing approaches prevalent in the higher education sector were not effective for ENU, making it essential to break away from these norms and create a campaign that was both authentic and compelling.

Modern Citizens was tasked with this challenge, aiming to redefine ENU's identity and communicate it effectively.

The Solution

To tackle the challenge of elevating ENU's brand perception, Modern Citizens devised a strategy that blended innovative creative design with a strategic, digitally led campaign.

Central to this solution was the transformation of ENU's existing logo - specifically, its distinctive triangle - into a dynamic "spotlight" symbol. This spotlight became a versatile brand element, symbolising the university's emphasis on highlighting the achievements of its students, alumni, and staff.

The flexible nature of this spotlight allowed it to be adapted across various media channels, ensuring a cohesive and recognisable brand identity that stood out in the crowded higher education market.

Recognising that ENU's target audience primarily consumes digital media, the campaign was designed to be digitally led.

The hero assets of the campaign included a 30-second film and shorter 10-second cutdowns, which were featured prominently on YouTube, Quantcast, and Blis digital banners. These digital elements were critical in reaching the bullseye audience where they were most likely to engage - online.

In addition to the digital push, the campaign was bolstered by support on ENU's owned channels, including its website and TikTok. The use of TikTok allowed the university to tap into current trends and engage with potential students in a relatable and contemporary manner.

To complement the digital strategy, the campaign also included a significant out-of-home (OOH) presence throughout Edinburgh and Glasgow. This OOH component was crucial in ensuring the campaign had a broad reach, particularly within the local context of Edinburgh, where the university's reputation was most directly challenged.

The visuals used in both the videos and OOH materials consistently depicted Napier people - students, alumni, and staff

- engaged in extraordinary activities that contribute to the vibrancy of the city.

The Results:

The 'Must Be Napier' campaign had a profound impact on ENU's brand perception and engagement. The campaign's strong OOH presence across Edinburgh ensured visibility and emphasised ENU's distinctiveness. The use of real students, staff, and alumni added authenticity, making the university more relatable and appealing to prospective students.

Key outcomes:

• The campaign exceeded its impression target by 79%, providing significant free media value.
• All campaign activities resulted in a Cost Per Mille (CPM) that was 45% lower than planned, at £5.16.
• YouTube sentiment analysis showed an 11.1% absolute lift in brand perception, compared to a benchmark of 4.3%.
• A Blis study indicated a 59% uplift in consideration to apply to ENU, with increased association to "inclusivity".
  "innovation", and "practicality".
• Search analysis revealed that search traffic for ENU increased by 813% year-on-year (YoY) during the campaign period, reaching 4 times the volume of searches for the University of Edinburgh.
• Over 30.1 million impressions - up 40% on digital channels compared to the last year.
• Clicks were up 44%, with an overall increase in CTR too.
  Geoff Day, Director of Marketing and External Relations at Edinburgh Napier University, said: "The 'Must Be Napier' campaign showcases the strength of bold creativity and a digitally led strategy.

Geoff Day, Director of Marketing and External Relations at Edinburgh Napier University, said: "The 'Must Be Napier' campaign showcases the strength of bold creativity and a digitally led strategy.

"By highlighting Edinburgh Napier University's extraordinary achievements and celebrating its remarkable staff, students, and alumni, we have transformed our brand presence, achieved outstanding results, and established Edinburgh Napier University as the home for innovation, real-world impact and true difference makers".

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Case study features in Performance Marketing World