"Discover What Matters" wasn't a tagline — it was a strategic argument. Aurora University had something most institutions couldn't claim: they were hyper focused on helping their students' find fulfillment and success after college.
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Key Impact$200M Revenue Generated • 48% Application Increase • 28% Undergraduate Growth • 74K+ Organic Video Views • No Paid Media
The Unique Challenge
• Aurora University needed a primary recruitment campaign platform capable of differentiating the institution in a crowded higher education market against larger, better-funded competitors
• Prospective students and families couldn't articulate what made Aurora University distinct, resulting in stagnant application volume and declining competitive position among peer institutions
• The institution's principal recruitment piece — the viewbook — had become generic and transactional, failing to create the emotional connection required to drive enrollment decisions
• Required a campaign with the range and flexibility to work across every recruitment touchpoint simultaneously: direct mail, digital advertising, website, social media, email, and campus visits
The Strategic Solution
• Developed "Discover What Matters" as the campaign platform — a positioning that leveraged Aurora's genuine strength: the close-knit, high-touch nature of the student experience — and differentiated it from larger institutions' mass-market approach
• Conceived and directed an authentic storytelling approach built around real student narratives, conducting an extensive search process to identify students with compelling stories aligned to the enrollment team's strategic priorities and demographic goals
• Directed the complete viewbook redesign as the campaign's anchor piece — reimagining the format, visual system, and editorial approach to connect directly with high school seniors at a personal level
• Proactively extended the campaign platform across digital channels, presenting the enrollment team with an integrated strategy that included a video series, social content, email campaigns, and a digital landing page — all approved on first presentation
• Directed a multi-student video series from concept through production, creating authentic portrait films that became the program's primary recruitment tool and social proof mechanism
Measurable Impact
• Generated an estimated $200M in additional tuition revenue through enrollment growth driven by the campaign platform in the first three years
• Achieved a 48% increase in undergraduate applications, demonstrating the campaign's effectiveness in driving awareness and consideration among target prospective students
• Delivered 28% undergraduate enrollment growth and 15% graduate enrollment growth, proving the creative platform converted interest into enrollment decisions
• Produced a video series that generated 74K+ organic views with zero paid media investment — authentic student storytelling creating earned reach at scale
• Campaign platform became the foundation for Aurora University's recruitment marketing strategy across multiple enrollment cycles, demonstrating longevity and strategic durability
Key Leadership Competencies
• Campaign platform development creating a strategic creative idea with the flexibility to anchor an integrated, multi-channel recruitment strategy
• Authentic storytelling direction pioneering a narrative-driven, student-first approach that replaced institutional messaging with human-centered content
• Integrated channel strategy proactively extending a print-anchored campaign across digital, video, social, and email — connecting touchpoints into a coherent brand experience
• Video production direction concepting and directing a multi-subject documentary-style video series that became the program's most effective recruitment asset
• Stakeholder management and executive influence securing buy-in for a bold creative direction and proactive channel expansion across a complex institutional stakeholder environment
