The University of Manchester

Hello Tomorrow

How we helped the Faculty of Science and Engineering at The University of Manchester to create a disruptive campaign that changed perceptions and provided clarity around postgraduate research (PGR) entry, day-to-day activities and global impact.

Brief

The world of PGR can be confusing. People aren’t sure who can apply, what they can research or how funding works. These barriers to entry are preventing high-calibre students and industry experts from discovering world-changing breakthroughs. The University wanted to inspire this audience to develop their skills and shape the world of tomorrow. We needed to simplify the PGR offer, transform the market and change what people thought about PGR.

Solution

We workshopped the latest trends and PGR insight with faculty leaders. As the University is competing for world-leading talent from other top universities and organisations, the campaign highlighted The University of Manchester as a blue-chip institution driven to shape the world of tomorrow.

‘Hello Tomorrow’ was created to tackle misconceptions, reduce barriers to entry and excite the audience over future possibilities. It’s not easy to disrupt PGR, so we had to tell the inside story of PGR. The campaign was built on four University brand pillars that we created for the Faculty, five drivers that we collected from inspiring trends and insights and an innovative creative strategy that reflected the real lives of current PGR students.

Results

‘Hello Tomorrow’ has given the world of PGR marketing a much needed shake up.

A new, user-friendly web portal provided clarity for applicants, so they could access all the information they needed in one place. Through this portal we made the entire PGR journey far more accessible, exciting and informed.

There was now also a distinct proposition and inspiring brand identity in a hero video that showed a day in the life of three current postgraduate researchers. It encouraged current industry experts and undergraduate students to imagine what their tomorrow could look like at The University of Manchester. This was taken one step further with individual PGR ambassador videos focusing on individual stories to shed light on the real researcher experience and the impact they bring.

Our digital and faculty building communications made sure these inspiring stories reached both international and local audiences – with international applications soaring by 65% in less than 12 months and overall research applications doubling compared to the same time last year. The hero video has also had over 10,000 views across social media.

“We’re really happy with how things are going so far. Early indications are really positive, we’re 58% up on applications vs last year. Thanks again for all of your amazing work over the last six months (and the rest) – it’s been great working with you!”

– Christian Ward, The University of Manchester, Marketing and Recruitment Coordinator (Postgraduate Research)