A rebrand increases enrollment and boosts school spirit.

Bethel University is a private, faith-based university in McKenzie, TN, with satellite campuses throughout the state — comprised of three colleges: Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences, and Professional Studies. They needed help building pride in their brand, while increasing awareness and boosting traditional and online enrollment.

After an in-depth brand audit, we discovered the potential to grow pride internally in addition to opportunities to create an even broader footprint for prospective students in the Middle Tennessee area in three steps:

1. We combined Bethel’s three colleges into one website. By integrating these into a united, modernized Bethel University branded website, we could put Bethel on the radar of new grads all over the state.
2. Our team completely rebuilt the Bethel identity. The visual experience Bethel had been offering online and off was outdated and did not reflect their true spirit. We selected fresh colors and fonts, redesigned their mascot, developed a modern logo, and pulled all of these new designs into really cool, new merchandise designed to inspire their true brand ambassadors — students, faculty, and alum.
3. We used data and research to select the channels and mediums that would most effectively reach prospective students.

So many universities are quick to advertise with strong directives to be the best — “lead” or “succeed.” However, Bethel’s audience consists of a lot of first-generation college students who are coming into their college experience from a different vantage point. We took an intentional approach of sending a message that told students they’d have a partner walking alongside them in those formative years of college — while they figure out who or what they want to become. The narrative centered around the line, “Become you.”

We consolidated Bethel’s 16 separate websites and developed a new, unified website centered around personalized features to drive applications and interest in the new Bethel. While the website was under construction, we created two temporary landing pages for all digital ads to direct to as part of a data capture campaign to drive enrollment by offering interested students opportunities to learn more.

A new personalization feature was added to their site navigation called, “I Am.” It allows users to self-select how they identify — prospective student, parent, etc. — and the content is customized based on that selection.

Then, we met potential students on the platforms they were already engaging with and utilized an omni-channel advertising approach, both online and off.

We saw a 30% increase in submissions on the College of Professional Studies’ Learn More page, which generated more than 300 leads for both schools. The “I Am” page where students self-identify increased in visitor traffic by 706%.

And there’s more:

“The site represents the Bethel that I know and love. It makes me a very proud alum.”

— Chris, Bethel Alum