Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU) is one of the top universities in Scotland and has an excellent track record in teaching quality and the employability of its graduates. However, as a brand it is less recognised than others in Scotland and the UK, and prospective students do not always understand the benefits of continuing their education with RGU.

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I was asked by RGU’s Head of Marketing and Communications to work with various colleagues across the university on projects to help elevate the brand. This included working with two schools within the university to develop key messages and school-level brand narratives. To do this, I conducted in-depth interviews with a number of stakeholders, including academics and students. I also did some detailed background research and analysed competitor brands. I wrote new key messages for both schools, designed for use in both external and internal communications. In addition, I wrote a new brand narrative and ‘about us’ content for each.

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I was also invited to work with the central student recruitment marketing team on email sequences to engage prospective students. This commenced with a call with key members of the team to discuss their audiences, their pain points and their goals. I went on to interview a range of students to understand the experience of being a student at RGU, and to hear more about their thought processes prior to applying. Supported by some additional background research, I went on to write a series of emails targeted at specific audience groups. The purpose was to engage young people and their caregivers, better highlight RGU’s key messages, and ultimately convert more prospective students.