Syracuse University
A brand new advertising channel that tripled enrollment in key programs.
200%
Increase in annual enrollments for key programs, from a single initiative
1st
Federal agency partnership secured, an industry first
3
Media channels: paid search, Meta, streaming TV
National
Military base network activated
The Challenge
Syracuse University needed to grow enrollment among military-affiliated students. We were brought in as the growth partner alongside a consulting firm restructuring how the university's offering was built and positioned for that audience.
The audience was real and reachable, but the conventional playbook for reaching it was saturated and underperforming.
The Approach
Instead of adding more spend to channels everyone else was already using, we went looking for access no one else had.
We built relationships and negotiated placements in environments where military-affiliated prospects actually spend their time, then layered conventional digital media underneath to scale reach and capture demand.
The Work
- 01Negotiated and executed a first-of-its-kind partnership with a federal agency, creating an entirely new advertising channel
- 02Negotiated advertising placements and event presence directly with military bases
- 03Built the strategy for how the university approached and prioritized base relationships, and managed those relationships on their behalf
- 04Ran paid search, Meta, and streaming TV campaigns to expand reach
Results
- 200% increase in annual student enrollments for key programs from the federal partnership alone
- A repeatable, proprietary channel the university's competitors could not access
- A structured base relationship program with clear ownership and priorities
Need something done that no one in your industry has ever pulled off?
We didn't win here by buying more ads. We invented a channel that didn't exist, negotiated our way into it, and made it the single biggest driver of growth. If the obvious playbook has stopped working for you, that's usually where we start.
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