Building on past success, we helped NSU look again to the future.
The Challenge
After developing a highly successful brand campaign around “We See the Future in You” our role as Agency of Record for Norfolk State expanded once again. In just four years, the image of the University had been elevated. Applications and enrollment continue to increase (after an initial increase of 250% in the first year) and NSU has seen a steady improvement in attracting qualified students. Now the University reached out for our help to build awareness and create excitement for targeted programs of study, like Drama & Theatre and Cybersecurity. Fuseideas headed to Norfolk ready to evolve the NSU brand and take it to the next level of success.
The Insight
Over generations, NSU has transformed the lives of students who have gone on to careers in business, law, medicine, teaching, social work, communications, health care, engineering and other rewarding fields. Our research told us the perception of a school’s brand was important and students needed to feel a sense of identity and pride when they wear “the Green and Gold.”
The Solution
In order to evolve the brand imagery and create stronger, more personal identification, it was decided to use real students in the messaging. The students would be featured, front and center, in traditional print, OOH and on digital and social platforms. Their photographic images would be portrayed in present time as well as in the future. Revealing their future careers, coupled with the theme line We See the Future in You, was inspiring, eye-catching and because real students were shown, this added to the authentic, testimonial nature of the message.
The evolution of the NSU brand is on-going and metrics have not yet become available. However reception of the new work has been extremely positive, and the students loved seeing themselves and their friends portrayed as “stars.” We certainly see the future in them.
The Results
The brand campaign drove a 24.7% YoY increase in site traffic, generating a 54.7% YoY increase in applications, leading to a 110.7% YoY increase in enrollment.
