Situation: During the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment rates rapidly increased across San Antonio. With many community members suddenly out of work, UTSA asked us to develop a campaign to attract recently unemployed individuals that might be interested in free and at-cost career-centric programming to get them back on their feet. We developed a microsite to house program-specific coursework, designed ID packages for each new program, and built a complimentary social and digital marketing campaign to reach targeted audiences. Additionally, as a separate initiative, we were tasked with developing a website to showcase the University’s Hispanic Serving Identity to elevate their profile as an exemplary leader in the space.
Strategy: Working within a tight launch time frame, we developed a microsite, program logos and ID packages, and a social and digital media program under a unique brand umbrella – Career in Focus. Our team ran parallel tracks across disciplines to develop a microsite to house the University’s new program offerings, develop and implement logos, and research target audiences best fit to consume paid social and digital ads for workforce development training. Simultaneously, our team developed a press release and organic social media posts to announce the initiative’s launch. Paired with email communication, a robust digital and social paid plan, and ongoing counsel on enrollment metrics, we executed targeted messaging across relevant channels. This effort empowered community members during times of crisis – meeting them where they were (online) and serving relevant ads to create a clear call to action.
Impact: Throughout the three-month campaign timeframe, our team generated strong awareness for the University’s new initiative, reaching unemployed and furloughed community members to offer them free and at-cost career development training. Through a robust, yet user-friendly microsite, visitors could enroll in both certificate and badge-earning courses with ease. Our launch announcement landed in targeted publications and rotated on highly visible organic social media platforms in partnership with the University’s media relations team. Further, our team’s social and digital paid program earned tens of thousands of unique visitors to the microsite. Digital and social ads garnered more than 3 million impressions, thousands of clicks to site, and more than 200k video views. Our fast action in standing up the Career in Focus site led UTSA to tap us for another critical website project—their Hispanic Serving Identity Microsite. With a tight deadline to allow the University to apply for critical grants, we were able to create the website and take it live within weeks.