Shrewsbury College is an Ofsted Outstanding further education provider based in Shropshire, offering a wide range of academic and vocational courses to school leavers, adult learners and apprentices. With a strong reputation for student success and deep community roots, the college focuses on supporting prospective students through the key moments in their educational decision-making journey. To succeed in an increasingly competitive FE landscape, Shrewsbury College needed a marketing approach that could reach both young people and the parents and carers who often influence their choices, consistently, at scale, and at the right time of year.
About the Campaign
The Shrewsbury College radio advertising campaign was designed around a blended audio approach. Working with Bauer Media, the college combined traditional broadcast radio airtime with targeted AudioXi to maintain a consistent presence across multiple listening environments throughout the academic year.
This multi-channel radio advertising strategy meant the college could deliver broad brand awareness through traditional radio while using digital audio to reach more defined audiences, including households with prospective students, during the periods that matter most.
The Brief
The primary objective of the radio advertising campaign was twofold: build sustained brand awareness for Shrewsbury College and drive attendance at high-value conversion events, particularly open days and enrolment periods. With audience decisions shaped by both students and their parents, messaging needed to reach across generational lines and deliver a clear call to action.
The challenge was to do this efficiently within a defined geographical area while maintaining strong value for money, a key requirement for any publicly funded institution.
The Message
Creative messaging was built to be warm, community-focused and action-oriented. With both students and parents in the target audience, the tone needed to balance aspiration with reassurance, speaking to young people exploring their options while also giving parents the confidence to encourage a visit to the college.
Radio’s unique ability to reach listeners in trusted, everyday moments, commuting, at home, on mobile, made it the ideal channel for delivering this kind of consistent, relationship-building message.
The Solution
Radio Advertising, delivered through Bauer Media, provided a comprehensive solution that combined the scale of traditional airtime with the intelligence of digital audio targeting. The digital audio component allowed for precise household-level targeting, ensuring that messaging reached families most likely to include a prospective student, significantly improving relevance and reducing wastage.
Campaigns were structured to coincide with key points in the recruitment calendar, from initial awareness-building in the autumn through to enrolment event promotion in the spring and summer. This always-on approach ensured Shrewsbury College remained front of mind throughout the entire decision-making cycle.
Success Measures
- Increased brand awareness: Consistent audio presence kept Shrewsbury College front of mind during critical decision-making windows throughout the academic year.
- Strong event attendance: Clear, repeated calls to action supported meaningful engagement with open days and enrolment events, directly influencing conversion.
- Precise audience targeting: Digital audio channels enabled household-level targeting, ensuring messages reached families with prospective students at the right moment.
- Excellent value for money: The blended airtime-and-digital approach delivered efficient, measurable results within the college’s marketing budget.
“Radio advertising continues to play a key role in building brand awareness for the college, while also directing prospective students, parents and carers to our key ‘find out more’ events throughout the year. The combination of airtime and digital audio channels allows us to target our messaging effectively, ensuring we reach the right audiences and achieve strong value for money.”
Mike Needham – Director of Communications, Admissions and Marketing, Shrewsbury College
Summary
The Shrewsbury College radio advertising campaign is a compelling example of how college radio advertising can drive both awareness and action in the further education sector. By combining the broad reach of traditional broadcast radio with the precision of digital audio targeting, the college successfully engaged prospective students and the parents who help shape their choices, throughout every stage of the recruitment journey.
Through ongoing collaboration with Bauer Media, this radio advertising strategy continues to deliver measurable impact, long-term brand equity, and strong return on investment for the Shrewsbury College marketing team.
Ready to Reach Your Next Cohort?
Discover how radio advertising can support your student recruitment strategy. Speak with the team at Hits Radio Advertising today.
Contact Us Today