Carlson School of Management Master of Marketing Program
Attracting Gen Z to the business community through creative and native outreach.
About.
The Carlson School of Management is the leading undergraduate and graduate education and research institute in the Twin Cities. Driven to expand their opportunities and resources to reach new learners, the School introduced a new graduate degree, the Master of Marketing Program, to launch in the fall of 2021.
Our Challenge.
The Carlson School didn’t want to create ‘just another business program.’ Their goal was to reach a new target; bright and innovative Gen Z individuals outside of the pre-existing business community. The challenge was not only locating this audience, but also catching their attention in an already saturated media market.
The Campaign.
By shifting away from the Carlson School’s strong current business community to a completely separate target, significant research was required to determine how to balance their trusted brand voice with new forms of communication. Backpack conducted a thorough social media and competitor analysis audit to gain insights about the sector. Utilizing these insights, an in depth tailored social campaign and media plan was developed to meet their intended audience on the platforms they resided and establish an authentic connection.
Backed by such research, analysis, and copywriting brainstorm sessions, findings were cumulated into two campaigns for posts on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. To best reach the target on platforms, a mix of still graphics and moving GIFs were used to grab the audience’s attention.
The Impact.
Backpack provided the Carlson School with a fresh way to engage with younger prospective students while remaining true to their established brand voice. The campaign introduced new social platforms to the Carlson School’s dialogue, as well as a Gen Z-centered way to utilize their existing ones. The sharp text and bold design allowed the Carlson School to prove to this new audience that their Master of Marketing program is not ‘just another business program,’ and could be a place for them to thrive.
