Background

Initiative, a leading media agency with an office based in San Diego, secured the Grand Canyon University (GCU) account thanks to a strong local presence and advanced data capabilities. GCU, a private Christian university based in Phoenix, offers both online and in-person degree programs. With increasing competition from both traditional and online universities, GCU sought to raise awareness, drive applications, and increase admissions in new markets beyond its Arizona home base.

Challenge

GCU faced several growth objectives:

• Raise Brand Awareness: Amplify visibility of both on-campus and online university offerings to a wider national audience.

• Increase Applications and Admissions: Attract new applicants and convert them into enrolled students, reversing any stagnation in pipeline growth.

• Identify Growth Markets: Use data to pinpoint U.S. regions with untapped potential for student recruitment and craft targeted media plans for those locales.

Solution & Approach

A data-driven, phased engagement leveraging Initiative’s newly formed analytics LABS division:

Phase 1: Data Integration & Market Profiling

• Integrated GCU application and enrollment data.

• Developed a profile of likely GCU students by analyzing existing applicant and student records.

• Overlaid this profile with demographic, psychographic, and market-level education data to identify untapped, high-potential markets beyond Arizona.

Phase 2: Market Prioritization & Pilot Testing

• Identified Pittsburgh, Boston, and the Wisconsin/Illinois corridor as top test regions—none within GCU’s home state.

• Designed simple, geo-targeted media campaigns tailored to each pilot market to drive web visits and applications.

Phase 3: Data-Driven Expansion & Iteration

• Launched the first pilot in Pittsburgh, monitoring web activity, applications, and enrollment closely.

• Upon early success, expanded campaigns to Boston and then the Midwest corridor, with similar strategies.

• Iteratively refined audience profiling and market list. Developed a ranked Top 20 list of prospect geographies, deploying higher budgets to the top 5 and a digital-focused approach for the next 5.

Phase 4: Scaling and Physical Growth Alignment

• In response to increased demand, GCU made strategic investments in campus infrastructure—building new housing and educational facilities to support the rising student population.

Insights and Results

• Proof of Concept: All new pilot markets saw increased web visits, application volume, and eventual enrollment following targeted media launches.

• Scalable Success: Refined targeting produced a measurable lift, justifying further market expansion and investment.

• Real-World Impact: GCU’s admissions pipeline grew robustly enough to trigger physical campus expansion—an unmistakable indicator of campaign effectiveness.

• Model Validation: The successes validated Initiative LABS’ data-centric approach, making GCU a template client for future test-and-learn growth initiatives.

Conclusion

Initiative’s partnership with Grand Canyon University demonstrates the power of data-driven market expansion in higher education. By integrating advanced analytics with targeted media investment, GCU successfully grew its applicant pool and admissions pipeline far beyond its traditional Arizona base. This case sets a precedent for other educational institutions seeking cost-efficient, scalable growth—and underscores the importance of rigorous market testing and agile adaptation in enrollment marketing.