The exceptional quality of the education provided at Westminster Theological Seminary has been internationally renowned for decades. But how can classes be redesigned to enhance learning for a new generation of online students, who aren’t physically present on campus? As a long-term partner to the Seminary, we stepped up to address the challenge of marketing their new online education initiative and ultimately, bring the classroom to the students.
We developed campaign messaging that taps into the real physical and emotional value of distance learning.
We featured key student metrics and a star-based review system to communicate the real-world value of the program at a glance.
We developed an impressive brand and website that showcases the technology-forward learning experience without losing the institutional credibility of WTS.
Our market research and comprehensive industry audit revealed that the world of online education was lacking in visual consistency and thoughtful brand hierarchy. Without a standard industry playbook to start from, we looked to the equity of the strong residential WTS brand.
After reviewing an array of solutions, we recommended that the new logo clearly reference the parent brand, while ensuring the new program could be identified as online education at a glance with a more modern, tech-driven feel.
Inspired by the diverse success stories of online education graduates, we developed a marketing campaign that highlighted the important responsibilities and commitments of remote students rather than program features or benefits. From homeschooling to elder care to essential jobs, we represented a variety of meaningful life scenarios to express the real value behind this modern format of education.
Exploring the websites of peer seminaries and online education leaders offered the opportunity to discover what was working well, what could be done better, and what was commonly being offered by other programs. This helped us compile lists of musts, shoulds, and differentiators on which to build the digital strategy. By better solving users’ problems, we helped position WTS as more qualified than the competition.
We built an effective site architecture and wireframes that considered the journey for each of our audience groups. We structured the site to be simple and straightforward, with clear conversion points throughout.
User personas and audience journey maps allowed us to pose scenarios of interaction with the site, ultimately leading to a more targeted and intuitive experience for each identified audience. Initial surveys and social media feedback indicated that interest was broad, resulting in a comprehensive set of profiles that covered various levels of technical aptitude, global geographic locations, and wide-ranging age groups.
As students drill down into specific programs, detailed information on the program structure, schedule, and benefits is presented alongside compelling testimonials and star-based student reviews. When it’s time to apply, the Admissions page allows prospective students to schedule time with a counselor or get started with the innovative, interactive video-based application process.
We integrated Intercom to facilitate instant engagement between prospective students and the WTS admissions team. Intercom allows the admissions staff to receive direct notifications and to respond personally – maximizing lead generation and customer service.
