Orange 142 helps a nationally ranked School of Public Health hone its enrollment marketing campaigns, delivering a 20% lead-to-application rate.
THE CHALLENGE
Media Investments Deliver Leads, Not Applications
In 2024, the School’s marketing team worked with an agency to design and launch digital enrollment marketing campaigns. Their efforts generated plenty of clicks and leads, but too few were converting into completed applications and enrolled students.
That’s when the enrollment marketing team began to look for another partner, one that could:
• Reach high-intent prospective students nationwide
• Improve conversion rates, not just clicks
• Turn media spend into measurable enrollment outcomes
“The team was keen to see their efforts turn into more applications. Our focus coming out of the gate was to improve lead quality, and tie media spend directly to application completion. This is where we see the greatest impact for enrollment marketing efforts.” - Wesley Rupar,
Senior Director, Business Development
Orange 142
APPROACH
Focus on Audience & Continuous Optimization
Orange 142 has considerable expertise in higher education enrollment campaigns, which is important given the nuances required to understand the audiences most likely to complete an application for a graduate-level program.
Rather than optimizing for clicks or lead volume, we deployed a range of tactics that focused on driving completed applications. To meet the school’s goals, we:
• Built custom, high-intent audience segments across paid social, programmatic, and search based on program fit and behavioral signals.
• Activated private marketplace placements with trusted national and local publishers to strengthen credibility and reach qualified prospects.
• Applied geographic bid adjustments to prioritize regions with historically stronger enrollment likelihood.
• Continuously optimized creative, targeting, and budget toward application starts and completions
Every decision aligned to one KPI: completed enrollment applications from highly qualified leads.
RESULTS
Immediate Lift in Completed Applications
• 20% of leads progressed to completed applications
• Significant improvement in lead quality
• Faster path from inquiry to enrollment
“Every enrollment marketing campaign is high stakes for the university or college. New applications are critically important for the welfare of the institution. At Orange 142, our goal is to deliver immediate and meaningful performance lift.” - Wesley Rupar,
Senior Director, Business Development
Orange 142
About Orange 142
Orange 142 is a nationwide full service digital media agency with considerable expertise in higher education enrollment marketing. Our mission is to empower higher education institutions with data-driven advertising solutions that ignite growth and foster meaningful connections throughout the rapidly changing digital landscape.
Leveraging deep expertise, we help colleges and universities effectively connect with their target audiences, captivate their attention, and thrive in the digital world. Through our innovative technologies and strategic expertise, we aim to deliver measurable results that drive your success.
Our services include strategy, creative and content development, media buying, campaign execution, reporting, and analytics.
Learn more about Orange 142’s media solutions for higher education enrollment marketing.
