Today we share with you the third post in our successful campus media campaign case study series. Achieve campus advertising success with the University Village Towson housing communication campaign as your guide.
American Campus Communities (ACC) University Village Towson offers fully furnished apartments with a wide range of amenities all within walking distance of Towson University, Maryland.
University Village Towson wanted to amplify awareness of their property in the market, lead potential renters to consider the value of their apartments, and convert interested parties to engage (i.e. complete lease applications) with the ultimate goal of optimizing occupancy. Specifically, they were looking to increase website traffic to assist in student housing occupancy and improve their “heads on beds” numbers.
We set campaign goals for all types of advertising impressions, click-through rates, and lease applications, aiming to have the campaign in place for the back-to-school season.
To maximize engagement success, we helped University Village Towson identify a specific buyer persona for their target audience, considering demographic information, what the student population is looking for when it comes to housing, and what motivates this target market to engage with advertising efforts.
Marketplace and competitor research provided valuable insights into what else was available in the market and the ways that University Village Towson outstrip their competition.
To achieve optimal results for University Village Towson’s campus media campaign, we incorporated both traditional transit campus advertising and digital geo-targeted advertising. This type of integrated campaign extends reach as each piece of the campaign amplifies the efforts of the others.
We employed traditional media in the form of posters, billboards, transit advertising, and bus shelter signage, taking advantage of the excellent bang-for-your-buck of campus out-of-home (OOH) advertising.
Using in-app mobile proximity targeting, we geofenced the Towson University campus and competing properties to get the attention of those prospects looking for apartment rental options close to campus. We included our own landing page in order to increase engagement with those that clicked on the banner image, allowing them to not only go to the website, but also to call or ask for directions directly from the page.
Placing outdoor advertising signage strategically throughout campus (in areas with high student traffic) enabled University Village Towson to build awareness and familiarity with their property brand for the duration of the school year.
Combining OOH advertising with the geo-targeted mobile tactic connected the business with students’ virtual world. This digital approach made it easy and intuitive for students to view apartment options, amenities, and rates on their ever-present mobile devices while further prompting students who engaged with the successful campaign media campaign to fill out lease applications.
By coupling a variety of OOH advertising strategies with in-app mobile proximity targeting, University Village Towson maximized exposure to their target millennial and Gen Z audience. Above-average Click Through Rates and Secondary Action Rates led to increased interest and inquiries in the property. Due to the success of this initial campaign, University Village Towson continues these efforts year after year.
+ See Successful Campus Media Campaigns: UCF's Alcohol Prevention and Health Center.
+ See Successful Campus Media Campaigns: Florida State University's College of Business.
Are you ready to create your own successful campus media campaign? See our complete guide to advertising to university students.
Here at MSS Media, Inc., we’ve been providing Education, Government, Real Estate & Lifestyle clients with succinct, optimized, and successful marketing solutions for more than 15 years. Consider MSS Media, Inc. a full-service, one-stop shop for all your Media and Public Relations needs. Your goals are our motivation. And our mission is to propel your message, further and faster, to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. If you found this blog post helpful, please share!