Washington College had a vision to broaden their market reach, streamline their communications, and increase student enrollment. Their marketing and enrollment teams sought to unite their efforts to effectively promote Washington College in local communities as well as within three new territories they had never been before spread out across the United States.

The primary campaign objective was to increase enrollment by:

• Organizing a robust communication strategy through emails, SMS texting, and print mailings to nurture and ultimately enroll students.
• Differentiating Washington College from other similarly named institutions and small private schools.
• Employing creative digital marketing strategies to generate a higher concentration of names at the top of the funnel.

Wake Forest University’s Documentary Film Program (DFP) needed a hands-on agency to help with digital marketing optimization and transparent reporting for two of its key programs: MFA: Documentary Filmmaking and MA: Sports & Media Storytelling. Facing declining enrollment and different audience focuses, the DFP was looking for support in identifying, attracting, and engaging more right-fit students.

What happened next? Digital marketing magic, based on a collaborative, benefits-focused digital strategy and campaign that helped prospective students understand the difference between the two programs and how to select the one most aligned with their goals.

The Goal:

Inspire and motivate qualified prospective students to inquire and apply for the Wake Forest Documentary Film Program by…

• Positioning Wake Forest DFP as a support system that provides students with the resources to tell their stories through film
• Highlighting key benefits of the DFP’s alumni network and potential career outcomes
• Differentiating the two DFP programs so right-fit students can make informed decisions about the best program for their goals
  

The Challenge:

Wake Forest needed help identifying and engaging the right-fit students for its Documentary Film Program. Competing against many other well-known film school programs, the DFP also needed to communicate what made its program the best choice for students looking to share their story through film.

The Opportunity:

Most film programs teach students the creative side of filmmaking. Wake Forest teaches the entire process of filmmaking, from storyboarding and filming to pitching and production, providing students with a wider set of skills to thrive in the film industry as soon as they graduate.

Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and research opportunities, empowering their students to become whole-brain engineers. Students from the McCormick School of Engineering are equipped with the tools to pursue a wide range of careers, advanced study, and experiences after graduation.

Northwestern was looking for a strategic partner that could bring their brand and graduate programs to life. With 11 separate and distinctive programs to promote, the GMB team met with each program director to understand what makes them unique and how their different prospective student groups live in the digital space. Our plan included diving deep into target audience demographics research, discovering appropriate channels to reach each audience, and establishing budgets. Each digital marketing campaign speaks to the School of Engineering brand, while weaving in unique language that tells the story of each graduate study program. The programs were not using graphic type ads previously, and this gave a consistent look and feel across the portfolio while speaking specifically to the individual program. These programs include artificial intelligence, robotics, biomedical engineering, engineering management, design and innovation, and more.

After undergoing a brand redesign, Maryville College partnered with GMB for a digital marketing campaign to raise awareness for the College and its key programs.

For inspiration, we turned to the unique opportunities presented by Maryville’s location: the rich relationship between exploration and experience that the campus offered; the academic and professional partnerships nearby; successful student outcomes from local internships; and so much more. With these insights, we crafted digital strategy and a creative way to showcase what really separated Maryville from other institutions in its area.

The Goal: 

To raise awareness of the new Maryville College brand and its key programs, including its newly added hospitality program

The Challenge:

Establishing awareness and trust for a new brand and program that Maryville’s audience may not be familiar with

The Opportunity:

To showcase the College’s new brand identity and build awareness around its one-of-a-kind programs by launching an integrated digital marketing campaign highlighting opportunities and experiences only Maryville (and its location) can provide

American Battlefield Trust is a long-standing charitable organization dedicated to the preservation of historic battlefields. With a mission to conserve these sites and educate the public about their significance, American Battlefield Trust approached GMB to enhance its outreach efforts among K-12 educators and the students they teach by promoting three of the organization’s key initiatives:

• Field Trip Fund Grant Program: Grants for educators to facilitate field trips or offset costs for out-of-classroom experiences
• National Teacher Institute: A professional development opportunity for educators to network and enhance their teaching skills
• Additional Educational Resources: Lesson plans, content, and interactive materials focused on the Revolutionary War and Civil War

THE GOAL:

Increase awareness of American Battlefield Trust among its student audience (18 years old and under) and those educating them (primarily K-12 history teachers) by…

• Positioning American Battlefield Trust as a valuable asset  in becoming a steward of history
• Raising awareness of the educational programs and resources provided to history teachers and students
• Building an emotional connection between history, those who teach it, and those who live it

THE CHALLENGE:

The primary audiences (K-12 educators and their students) lacked awareness of the extensive resources available to them through American Battlefield Trust or how to effectively implement those resources in their classrooms or lesson plans.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

American Battlefield Trust had the opportunity to connect with its audiences on a level deeper than the extensive resources it offers. Given the relevance of understanding history in a divided world, American Battlefield Trust’s work gained new meaning and importance for educators, students, and our culture as a whole.

The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) is the leader in restorative practices education, providing teaching, training, and research in the science of relationships and community. Recently, The Institute’s team aimed to expand its footprint beyond K-12 education and human service and into higher education, organizational culture and leadership, and social and community health sectors. 

The issue? Restorative practices is an unfamiliar term and concept to the general public, making it difficult to communicate how it can benefit the community and the importance of implementing it in both personal and professional environments. 

The IIRP partnered with GMB to help resolve this disconnect with its core audiences and provide clarity with a new brand and messaging strategy. We then helped The IIRP raise awareness with a digital campaign to promote its Master of Science in Restorative Practices and graduate certificate specializations, as well as updated key parts of The Institution’s website to reflect its new brand and messaging.

THE GOAL: 

Raise awareness for The IIRP’s graduate programs and services with consistent, cohesive, and compelling messaging across all platforms that resonates with its core audiences.

THE CHALLENGE:

Educating an audience who may be looking for restorative practices programs like the ones The IIRP offers, but who may not have the terminology to search or identify them.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

As a leader in the field, The IIRP has the responsibility and opportunity to define restorative practices and the power it has to transform communities in a way that that is easily understood and valued by the average person.