Saint Louis U. Boosts Brand with CTV Campaign

Celebrating expertise with creative digital campaign

In 2023, Saint Louis University’s (SLU) School for Professional Studies (SPS) celebrated its 60th anniversary. This offered a unique opportunity to highlight the school’s six decades of leadership and innovation in adult and online education — an area most schools have only recently entered. SLU partnered with Collegis to develop an integrated creative and digital campaign to bring this new messaging to market.

Challenge: Highlighting expertise in adult and online education

SLU has a storied history and expertise in online and adult education — a key advantage for aspiring adult learners. Collegis was challenged with bringing this message to market in an impactful way, which was achieved through an awareness media campaign centered on newly produced brand video content.

Solution: Authentic video storytelling and strategic media placement

The videos amplify the authentic voices of real SLU students, showcasing diverse narratives about educational experiences and outcomes. Going beyond campus, the production captured moments at students’ homes and workplaces. These personal glimpses help viewers identify with the subjects and build trust in the brand, illustrating SLU’s understanding of adult learners’ wants and needs.

Collegis then developed a paid media strategy that included connected TV (CTV) and cross-device video to maximize impact through multiple touchpoints. The campaign’s primary objective was driving awareness, which was measured by video completion rate, brand lift, and brand search impact.

Example campaign video

Results: Increased brand awareness and conversions

The 60th anniversary campaign was successful in raising awareness of SLU’s School for Professional Studies. The data supports that the awareness media contributed significantly to both brand health and revenue goals. The results were as follows:

287% return on ad spend for the campaign

5.9 million CTV and cross-device video impressions throughout Missouri and Illinois

89% video completion rate

10.7% lift in brand awareness, 3.5% ad recall lift, and 4.2% lift in consideration

541% increase in brand PPC spend while reducing cost per conversion by 44%

1,050% increase in brand PPC conversions YoY

About Saint Louis University

Institution Type:
Catholic, Jesuit institution

Location:
St. Louis, Missouri

Student Enrollment:
13,500

Services:

• Unique campaign and brand messaging
• Video planning, production, and editing
• Creative direction and execution
• Paid media strategy and implementation
• Performance metrics for all assets

Key Results:

• 10.7% lift in brand awareness
• 1,050% increase in PPC brand conversions
• 287% return on ad spend