LKYSPP’s previous student recruitment campaigns tended to result in low event sign ups and poor quality leads. To rectify this we decided that a fresh approach was needed and we divided this step into two distinct phases.

Phase 1 – Boosted selected posts on Meta & LinkedIn

As LKYSPP was organising a series of masterclasses and info sessions in several countries, we developed a strategy to maximise attendance at these events and generate leads.

We got started by fine-tuning the audience settings for posts boosted on Meta and LinkedIn to ensure that LKYSPP message was getting through to the right people. This meant targeting individuals based on their academic interests, professional backgrounds, and affiliations, ensuring they were aligned with LKYSPP’s core values and programs.

Visuals for the school’s student recruitment campaign, note the prominent faculty members

Visuals for the school’s student recruitment campaign, note the prominent faculty members

Visuals for the school’s student recruitment campaign, note the prominent faculty members

Along the way, our team also worked closely with LKYSPP’s recruitment team and provided regular updates to ensure that the campaigns were in accordance with LKYSPP’s requirements.

Besides ensuring laser focused targeting, the Brew team also redesigned the visuals used for LKYSPP’s student recruitment campaign.

By prominently featuring profile pictures of LKYSPP’s esteemed senior faculty, we aimed to harness their recognized expertise and academic stature, reinforcing the sessions’ credibility and drawing in attendees.

Phase 2 — Ran recruitment ads on Meta and LinkedIn

In phase 2, our team designed and ran dedicated recruitment ads for LKYSPP on Meta and LinkedIn. The messaging and visuals used for the ads were meticulously crafted around these three narratives: aspirational, best in Asia, and financial aid.

In addition, we made sure to use actual images from around campus and actual members of the student body. This approach emphasised our commitment to authenticity and sincerity, ensuring prospective students receive a genuine glimpse of the LKYSPP experience.

Set 1: Aspirational – We wanted to speak directly to our audience’s ambition and potential. Thus, our ads painted a picture of empowerment, appealing to the prospects’ innate desire for self-improvement. Additionally, the visuals and copy conveyed the idea that by joining LKYSPP, students would be equipping themselves with the necessary tools to address global challenges, harnessing their knowledge and skills for greater good.

Visuals used for LKYSPP’s ads with an aspirational tone, note the copy and visuals

Visuals used for LKYSPP’s ads with an aspirational tone, note the copy and visuals

Visuals used for LKYSPP’s ads with an aspirational tone, note the copy and visuals

Set 2: Best in Asia – Emphasising LKYSPP’s credentials, the ads showcased the elite status of both NUS and LKYSPP in academics. The visuals and copy we used are intended to give viewers an idea of campus life at LKYSPP and the school’s diverse student body.

Visuals used for LKYSPP’s ads with a focus on how the school is the best in Asia, note the copy and visual

Visuals used for LKYSPP’s ads with a focus on how the school is the best in Asia, note the copy and visual

Visuals used for LKYSPP’s ads with a focus on how the school is the best in Asia, note the copy and visual

Set 3: Financial Aid – Recognizing the financial constraints many potential students face, our ads directly addressed the availability of financial aid at LKYSPP. Through clear messaging, we encouraged prospects to explore the various scholarships on offer. Particular emphasis was given to targeted scholarships, ensuring that specific groups of our audience were made aware of opportunities tailored just for them.

Phase 3 — Created a specialised landing page for ads

In conjunction with running ads on Meta and LinkedIn, our team also crafted a specialised landing page where readers are directed to after clicking on LKYSPP’s ads. This allows us to direct traffic to a carefully curated space where the school can communicate its value proposition clearly and efficiently.

During the design stage, the Brew team also optimised the landing page’s UX/UX to ensure a more intuitive and engaging experience for users. Taking this step would improve user retention, reduce bounce rates, and also improve LKYSPP’s overall reputation.

Once the landing page was live, we also performed A/B testing to continuously optimise and refine the page’s content and design elements. This would allow us and LKYSPP to continually improve on the user experience and conversion rates.

Finally, we used Google Tag Manager to monitor how visitors interacted with LKYSPP’s landing page. This would help us track user behaviour which makes it easier for us to make adjustments.Using Google Tag Manager, allowed us to get a clearer picture of what our visitors liked and adjusted our page to better fit their needs.

Overall, LKYSPP’s team observed an uptick in event sign-ups along with a notable increase in the quality of attendees and leads. In addition, at least 60% of sign ups for the school’s masterclass and info sessions were attributed exclusively to social media posts boosted on Meta.

As a reputable institution for postgraduate studies, it is important that LKYSPP’s social media posts reflect this. To that end, we ensured that each post and its accompanying visual resonated with the school’s academic excellence, research depth, and thought leadership in the fields of geopolitics and international policies.

For example, in the post below, we created a series of visuals highlighting life in Singapore to complement the post which discussed how race relations in Singapore have evolved over the years.

We created a carousel post for an article by LKYSPP’s team on race relations in Singapore

We created a carousel post for an article by LKYSPP’s team on race relations in Singapore

We created a carousel post for an article by LKYSPP’s team on race relations in Singapore

Given the sensitive nature of the topic, it was essential that our visuals were respectful, culturally accurate, and inclusive, ensuring they represented the diversity and harmony of Singapore’s multi-ethnic society without perpetuating any stereotypes or biases.

As a thought leader in the geopolitics and public policy space, followers of LKYSPP’s social media accounts expect quality thought leadership content from the school. Brew collaborated with LKYSPP to curate and select articles that would strongly resonate with readers.

Take the following pieces for example where we created social media posts featuring articles from the school’s dean professor Danny Quah.

Thought leadership pieces from LKYSPP’s professor Danny Quah a widely respected figure in the public policy field

Thought leadership pieces from LKYSPP’s professor Danny Quah a widely respected figure in the public policy field

When choosing the articles to be featured, we also took into account factors like the relevance of the content and visual style of the post.

For instance, the post below combines a topic of interest for most Singaporeans i.e. rising costs of living together with striking visuals to draw readers in.

Carousel post for a report by LKYSPP on income standards in Singapore

Carousel post for a report by LKYSPP on income standards in Singapore

Carousel post for a report by LKYSPP on income standards in Singapore

To further strengthen LKYSPP’s online presence and improve credibility, we also made it a point to feature achievements by the school’s faculty. Consider the case of the book launch event by LKYSPP’s professor Vinod Thomas for example. Rather than merely announcing the event, we produced an accompanying video that touched on specific themes in the professor’s book.

This approach not only provides potential readers with a teaser of the content but also positions LKYSPP as an institution that goes the extra mile to engage and educate its audience

As part of our wider strategy, we also featured LKYSPP’s alumni in our posts. These alumni stories would serve as testimonials of the quality of education provided by the school and its position as a top institution for public policy.

Simultaneously, featuring alumni stories serves to humanise the institution, bridging the gap between abstract academic achievements and real-world outcomes.

Alumni stories that we created for LKYSPP, note the use of striking portrait pictures and a quote from the alumnus

Alumni stories that we created for LKYSPP, note the use of striking portrait pictures and a quote from the alumnus

Alumni stories that we created for LKYSPP, note the use of striking portrait pictures and a quote from the alumnus

By highlighting alumni successes, challenges faced, and their contributions to the global discourse, we paint a picture of the LKYSPP education experience as one that goes beyond the classroom and extends into impactful, lifelong careers.

With a significant number of LKYSPP’s alumni progressing to prominent positions in both the private and public sectors, neglecting to feature their stories would be a significant missed opportunity.

• Overall, with Brew’s intervention, LKYSPP was able to enjoy an increase in impressions and engagement rates across all of its social media platforms.
• At the same time, by enhancing LKYSPP’s student recruitment campaign, we helped the school significantly improve attendance at events while bringing in higher-quality leads for sign ups.