Global Collaboration Drives Results for University’s Student Recruitment

Written by Julie Exner, Fahlgren Mortine

A leading public research university wanted to expand its enrollment by attracting more international applicants, especially as the pool of high school graduates in its feeder markets continues to shrink.

Since in-person visits—a staple for domestic recruiting—weren’t practical across multiple of countries, the university turned to digital advertising. The strategy paired:

• Paid social (Meta) to build awareness.

• Paid search (Google) to drive inquiries, applications and enrollment deposits.

Global Reach, Local Insight

Fifteen target countries across five continents were selected based on the university’s competitive intelligence. To ensure messages resonated, Fahlgren Mortine partnered with our IPREX partner agencies —trusted experts with cultural fluency. Local partners in countries like Brazil, Turkey, the GCC, and partners’ contacts in Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Ghana and beyond helped adapt wording and tone so campaigns connected authentically and avoided missteps. Partners also enhanced the campaign with additional search terms and messages uniquely relevant to their countries.

Measurable Impact

With a $250,000 budget, the six-month campaign delivered:

• 38 million impressions, reaching more than 256,000 unique users.

• 23,500+ form submissions through paid search.

• 95% of enrollment deposits from international students traced directly to the campaign.

The Result

The initiative not only grew the university’s international applicant pool but did so cost-effectively. The blend of global digital reach and local cultural expertise proved to be the difference between simply advertising abroad and truly connecting with future students.