Spotlight: Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Enrollment

As folks return from summer vacations, we wanted to take a moment to share some of the interesting work going on at W5. This case study highlights W5’s role in assisting a post-secondary education institution identify and overcome barriers to enrollment.

CLIENT ASK

A leading provider of post-secondary education was concerned their core audience was no longer reachable through traditional methods that had worked well in the past. With enrollment flat and awareness low, the client needed insight to inform next-generation marketing and communication.

APPROACH

W5 designed a custom approach leveraging both qualitative and quantitative methods to ensure representation across core audiences and emerging enrollee opportunities. W5 conducted focus group research with current students, rejecters, and high school students. The qualitative research explored awareness and perceptions, information preferences and needs, and drivers and barriers to engagement. Simultaneously, W5 conducted a quantitative online survey with key audiences focused on awareness and consideration, media behaviors, path to enrollment, perceptions of schools or programs, and advertising strategies.

RESULTS

Insights informed marketing and communications strategies and the quantitative metrics provided a benchmark for brand awareness and brand health to be tracked in future waves of research. The research provided foundational insights that broadened messaging channels, refined content strategies, and attracted both core and new audiences.