115%
Increased Engaged Households29%
Boosted "Apply" Intent67%
"Registration" Segment GrowthThe Goal
The university’s primary objective was to increase online student enrollment by reaching and converting potential students outside their designated market area (DMA). They aimed to raise awareness, generate qualified traffic, and ultimately, drive more applications from adult learners seeking flexible, remote education options.
The Challenge
A higher education university, a private institution with a strong academic reputation, faced a modern dilemma: how to grow enrollment beyond its immediate geographic market. Despite offering robust online degree programs, many prospective students — particularly adult learners — remained unaware they could attend from anywhere. Compounding this was the fierce competition from other online-first universities.
The Results
The results from the first quarter demonstrated just how powerful targeted digital engagement can be. Engaged Household Audience Growth increased +115% and Returning Website Traffic tripled. The university saw lift across all Journey Segments:
- “Get Started” segment: +81%
- “Registration” segment: +67%
- “Program Exploration”: +44%
- “Apply” clicks: +29%
This surge in meaningful interactions has continued to fuel steady application growth and momentum toward their enrollment goals.
HOW WE GOT THERE
fullthrottle.ai® Tactics Used
This campaign focused on breaking through geographic limitations by emphasizing that prospective students could attend from anywhere. By clearly and consistently messaging the flexibility of the university’s online programs, the initiative helped dispel assumptions about location-based enrollment, leading to significant increases in engagement and application intent.
Audience Generation
Anonymous website traffic was transformed into verified households using patented identity resolution. This unlocked entirely new, high-intent audiences outside the university’s traditional market — making it possible to scale reach without sacrificing relevance or compliance.
Journey Segments
Customer behavior was transformed into actionable insight using verified, household-level signals. By mapping engagement across key journey stages — like “Get Started,” “Register,” and “Apply” — Journey Segments brought clarity to performance across channels and devices. With the integrated Audience Planner, marketers could visualize impact, measure ROAS, and optimize in real time.
SmartMail
AI-powered direct mail delivered timely, personalized messaging straight to prospective students’ homes. Each piece was dynamically optimized based on real-time engagement signals, ensuring prospects received the right message at the right moment.
Display Advertising
Display campaigns reinforced messaging across devices and platforms, creating sustained awareness beyond the university’s DMA. With real-time audience signals fueling the strategy, ads stayed in front of prospects throughout their decision journey — boosting recall, engagement, and action.
Ready to Reach Beyond Your DMA?
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