CSU Pueblo has a ten-year goal to reimagine higher education across the Southwest United States and increase both awareness of, and enrollment at, the school. The university offers quality education over an impressive range of subjects through multiple modes of learning to thousands of students, from a range of backgrounds, across all ages.
The problem? Choosing where to attend school is hugely personal and when a school is for everyone it can be hard to see yourself in the crowd.
To say that the student body and the school itself are diverse would be an understatement. To try and gain insight into ‘typical’ student life, we took a deep dive into the vast variety of different psychographics and demographics represented to create a robust set of personas reflecting the school’s range of pupils.
After getting a better understanding of their motivations and backgrounds, we spoke to as many students and alumni as we could to hear what they had to say. As we continued our conversations about their experiences one thing became clear: everyone’s life had changed thanks to their education at CSU Pueblo. Once that realization dawned on us, the approach became obvious: let the students tell their own stories.
We leveraged all our research and knowledge of the higher education landscape and collected stories to create a brand awareness campaign for the school. You can check out the landing page here.
When the pandemic hit, we adapted by ensuring that the campaign had ample focus on life at CSU Pueblo beyond the typical ‘on-campus’ experience that had to be put on hold. As the campaign came together, we created broadcast spots and radio, OOH and print, campus signage, and swag. But most importantly, we created a chance for people to tell their stories. Stories that in turn could affect future students.
We heard stories of community coming together for each other, of eye-opening experiences that shifted perceptions, and of hands-on learning that directly affected futures. When all the stories came together it was clear that CSU Pueblo isn’t just a school, it’s a place of transformation. A place that doesn’t just change minds, attitudes, and beliefs — it changes lives.
Interested in seeing your school or educational institution being brought to life in a campaign? Check out our other work in the category and reach out here.
Full Personas Created
Students & Faculty Interviewed
of Connections Sparked