Northumberland College - Online, personal, direct: a recipe for success in the drive to achieve outstanding results in the competitive world of further education.

The Approach

In a crowded and competitive market place with a combination of FE colleges, schools and private training providers all vying against each other to secure new students, we needed to devise a campaign that would stand out to school leavers looking to make their next step.

FutureMe sought to encourage prospective students to think about their future career aspirations, but have some fun in the process. We created an interactive microsite where applicants could see their future self by creating a character based on their own features and preferred career, and order home delivery of a personalised mini prospectus.

This approach treats each member of the audience as an individual, helping them to find their own FutureMe.

The website was signposted by a mix of outdoor advertising and direct marketing to schools, while the prospectus featured a selection of FutureMe characters representing the different training options and was backed by mini brochures for each curriculum area detailing the course offer.

The Results

FutureMe received superb feedback from students, staff, schools and independent advisors from Connexions. It created a real buzz, with even college staff creating their own characters on the microsite and putting
them up in classrooms.

During the campaign, the College saw a 20% increase in course enquiries from the previous year and enrolments were up by 9% - a significant achievement.