Cara Oldenhuis
In 2013, Temple University in Philadelphia faced an dwindling admissions crisis. Higher Education, especially in Philly is a competitive industry. With over 75 degree-offering institutions in the area, Temple had become lost in the crowd. Most college advertising essentially promoted the typical, utopian experience. Temple, an inner city school, looked quite different compared to other schools in the area.
Research told Temple that the inner city look was bad for admissions, but instead of trying to create a fake utopian experience, Temple focused on the things that made the area and the school unique. Research found that these people had a strong sense of pride in the school and their own achievements so a social media campaign was launched, with staff, students and alumni asked to use the hashtag ‘#TempleMade’ to tag social content.
Temple then took this curated content to create paid media experience, with TV running on regional networks and during large events such as movies aimed at teenagers. Radio ads also played on Spotify and Pandora.
By curating earned media to create owned media and then place ads on local paid media, Temple University was able to increase enrollment by 18 percent.
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