University of Mary: Media
The Challenge
Having four distinct core audiences can result in a splintered approach to engagement, but idfive knows that, with a little faith, it doesn’t have to. Having helped the University of Mary with design and content strategy before, we knew that Mary’s value proposition resonated differently depending on the motivation of each prospective student. Our challenge was to find a way to integrate Mary’s Catholic identity and values into promoting state-of-the-art online health science, nursing, and business degrees. Too complicated? We think not.
The Strategy
At idfive, we see complicated as a gold mine of opportunity. By using media strategically, location-specific, multi-channel media campaigns can resonate with different audience segments, meet them where they are, and help them find their calling. For some, the connection is their proximity to the Bismarck campus, their educational needs, and their relationship with the Catholic faith. For others, the priority is the degree or professional credentials and the convenience of the online platforms. We designed a campaign that engaged both audiences through social media to build awareness, followed by an aggressive search campaign to drive inquiries and RFIs. To ensure continuity and maximize the impact of paid media, idfive also supported the university’s You Were Made for More campaign, crafting messaging tailored not only to specific programs but also to individual personas, with custom landing pages to track traffic data and ROI.
The Results
By June 2024, Mary’s media click-through rates (CTRs) were consistently outperforming industry benchmarks: paid search at 8.55% CTR (5.46%); programmatic display campaigns saw 21M clicks at a blended 0.58% CTR (0.20%); and social media placements such as LinkedIn at 0.77% CTR, significantly above the 0.30% industry benchmark. Mobile devices drove the most users to the landing pages, indicating that ads reached users wherever it was convenient for them.
Continued success over the longstanding collaboration between idfive and the University of Mary has led to the development of an additional campaign launching Mary’s rebranded MBA program. With a well-defined audience and increased awareness, idfive and Mary are now positioned to pivot their strategy towards building specific campaigns for each program. Our partnership is proving that idfive and Mary were made for more.
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