An Institution’s Creative Communication Plan Sparks a 138% Surge in Connections Message Opens

CHALLENGE

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with an undergraduate class of over 8,000 students. They’re empowered by the Jesuit value of "cura personalis," meaning they’re committed to fostering a caring and supportive atmosphere for each individual student.

Marquette University’s enrollment strategy team is led by Lindsay Barbeau, director of Enrollment Strategy and Recruitment Systems. During the 2023–24 cycle, Barbeau and her team took on the challenge of expanding into growth markets where Marquette had less recognition. They aimed to increase awareness in regions with many Jesuit high schools and states with substantial Marquette alumni networks. Following staffing changes, they sought simple, efficient strategies to boost awareness.

SOLUTION

Barbeau and A.J. MacDonald, an admissions counselor at Marquette, launched a "Meet Your Counselor" Connections™ communication plan. It featured personalized messages from specific counselors to students based on a student’s geographic location. With their "care for the whole person" ethos in mind, they opted for personalized messages to students rather than the more generic Connections messages they’d sent the year prior. By receiving personalized communications, students could “put a face to a name” and know their on-campus contact.

Barbeau and MacDonald first tested the communication plan in Arizona, Washington, and Colorado and, after its successful launch, they expanded into emerging markets in the South—starting with North Carolina and ultimately growing the communication plan to include 11 states.

In addition to Connections, the team at Marquette utilized Search features to maximize their reach. They employed Segment Analysis Service™ to better define their market strategy and identify the most convertible student groups. They also set up Interest in My College standing orders to quickly engage hand raisers.

RESULTS

Barbeau and MacDonald came to see Connections as a fantastic resource for breaking into new markets. After some initial setup they were able to set their communication plan on autopilot and achieve remarkable results.

• Marquette experienced a 138% year-over-year increase in Connections message opens from students in cohorts 2026 and 2027 combined.
• Additionally, they had a 58% increase in profile or RFI clicks within BigFuture® School during this same time frame among the same cohorts. 

“Connections has been helpful in [our] endeavor to grow and focus on select geographic markets.” –A.J. MacDonald, Admissions Counselor, Marketing Communications Team, Marquette University

Thanks to the Connections platform and other enrollment solutions such as Search, Marquette's enrollment team managed to boost awareness in new areas and reach students they hadn't connected with before.