Situation: The University of Mary Washington has a long and storied reputation, but in Virginia's highly-competitive higher education market, they were struggling to stand out.
Solution: Mindpower’s work began with a deep research dive to gauge existing institutional awareness, inform brand development, and support key stakeholder buy-in. The big takeaway? Overall brand awareness was surprisingly low. There was a need to reintroduce the University to a larger audience and a new generation of prospects by making a case for an education that matters – to showcase UMW as a place where people and programs dig for a deeper understanding and push for actions that make major ripples. The matter brand platform celebrates everything the institution stands for: a commitment to the causes and streams of inquiry that make a meaningful difference.
Results: The awareness and recruitment campaigns generated over 60 million impressions resulting in a 48% year-over-year increase in website users, and first-year acceptance numbers are up compared to the prior year. To top it off, the travel piece, e-brochure, offer packet, brand video, and viewbook nabbed two “gold” and three “silver” EduADAWARDS.
What we did: Research, brand analysis and strategy, creative platform development, concept testing, website development, advertising campaigns, landing page development, new enrollment materials, social media development, new brand guidelines and training, and new photography and videography.