The Question

How can Sheffield Hallam’s communications with prospective students make an impact early in their decision making and stand out against competitors?​

The Approach

An online forum with Year 13 prospective students to test the University and competitor communications, and uncover the key principles of success. Analysis was overlayed with semiotic theory to identify codes and symbols which resonated with prospective students in university communications.​

We recruited to a criteria which ensured participants would be free from bias and had a range of exposure to competitor universities, including a combination of the University considerers and non-considerers.​

By using a forum with a variety of activities such as journal tasks, we were able to capture the communications received in the moment and uncover participant’s instantaneous and unprompted thoughts. Collage and picture tasks also meant we could get a sense of participant’s lifestyle and wider contextual influences, such as what interests them generally and what means of communication/sources of information they access frequently. ​

The Impact

A thorough analysis with semiotic theory, conclusions and recommendations for the University's email strategy. Insights from our client and competitor email tests collated to provide an ’email toolkit’, covering key principles for email design.​