Fairfield School of Business (FSB) asked us to support student recruitment for their September 2021 intake in Croydon — their first reopening after 18 months of the pandemic. The challenge: engage the local community, raise awareness of FSB’s values and offering, and fill courses quickly.

We started with a stakeholder workshop to distil objectives, define audience demographics and tone of voice, and audit past activity. From there, we delivered a mixed campaign combining direct and digital marketing. On the ground, we ran a high-street stall supported with exhibition collateral and flyers linked to a lead-capture landing page. Online, we launched targeted paid and organic social activity, harnessing Facebook’s lookalike audience functionality alongside PR and content around FSB’s new university affiliations.

The creative message — “Let’s get back to business” — reflected both the courses on offer and the chance for local people to re-start education after lockdown. The four-week campaign filled two classes, while the workshop and persona mapping provided FSB with valuable insights for future recruitment drives.