The WashU Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS) marketing team was recently recognized for its work in launching the new school. Formerly University College, CAPS earned the prestigious Silver Excellence in Marketing Award at the 2024 University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) 33rd Annual MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success conference. The award highlights CAPS’ place as an innovator in the professional and continuing studies field and underscores the impact of two campaigns that captured attention, sparked conversations and delivered measurable results.
“It is humbling that CAPS is becoming a leader within UPCEA,” said Director of Marketing, Communications & Engagement Rachel Kraby. “The omnichannel strategy of marketing we deployed – where we put the consumer at the core of all of our efforts – is resonating with members of UPCEA both nationally and internationally. And the real credit goes to our dean for allowing us to step outside traditional higher education marketing and drive the operational shifts needed to ensure promises made in our campaigns are delivered.”
The award recognized two major CAPS marketing campaigns which helped launch the new school and establish its position in the St. Louis region.
Building Awareness from Scratch
CAPS faced a significant challenge: starting from what Kraby described as a “net negative” – even within the WashU community no one knew about the new school and its mission to help people in the St. Louis region discover programs designed to help them enter into a career, find personal enrichment, and access professional development.
This lack of awareness required creating an entirely new understanding of what CAPS represented and its role within the university and the St. Louis region.
In addition to an extensive communications plan, the marketing campaign focused on
connecting with modern learners, students who are balancing their education with other responsibilities such as a career, parenting or caregiving.
Kraby said, “The timeline was tight, so we partnered with Elasticity, a local creative agency, to develop an awareness campaign. In six months, we launched something special that created significant buzz in the St. Louis area.”
Kraby said the most important aspect of the awareness campaign was understanding CAPS’ core consumers.
“Born from a lot of research, cross-functional stakeholder insights and support from University MarComm, we came up with an anthem that produced: ‘WashU for You,'” Kraby said. “It put our end users – our prospects – at the center of our marketing.
Positioning CAPS in the Market
Positioning efforts followed, thanks to a continued partnership with Elasticity, focusing on CAPS’ flexibility and ability to meet individual needs.
“That campaign focused on the individual testimonials of our students, our graduates, our faculty and our supporters,” Armstrong said.
“A positioning campaign,” Kraby explained, “defines your place in the market and intends to differentiate you from a competitor. But unlike a traditional positioning campaign, under no circumstances will we attempt to compete with our regional education providers. Instead, we aimed to show why CAPS may be the right fit for a modern learner. The reality is, we may not be.”
Armstrong said CAPS will remain authentic and transparent in the pursuit of students but not cannibalize other institutions’ initiatives.
“This perspective really allows us to participate in truly uplifting the community,” Armstrong said, “We believe a rising tide can lift all ships.”
A wide variety of personal stories were shared during the campaign, a testament to the individualized experience each CAPS student received.
“Every single one of their stories shows the impact a CAPS education can have on members of the St. Louis region. That is the most important part of the positioning campaign because we want the viewer to be able to see themselves at our school, creating their own story.” Kraby emphasized.
Both campaigns used innovative tactics to engage potential students, such as digital backpack billboards and a mobile digital billboard truck at major St. Louis events. Partnering with Digital Intersection, a local firm that specializes in data-driven solutions, they tracked campaign performance, achieving a 57% conversion rate from leads to enrollments.
“Winning the Silver Award in our first submission reflects the team’s diligence and creativity,” Kraby quipped, “and I am not upset Harvard Division of Continuing Education won Gold – we are in prestigious company!”
Looking Ahead
This award underscores CAPS’ commitment to serving modern learners in the St. Louis region. CAPS has made significant structural, operational and technological changes from how University College operated which created the foundation for successful marketing efforts.
CAPS is setting a new standard in professional education by building a flexible, scalable and replicable educational model that other institutions can adopt.
That visionary perspective is empowering Kraby’s conviction when sharing her personal beliefs about the work she leads.
“Education drives personal and economic growth that will create a generational impact in the communities in which it is provided,” she said. “Hopefully, higher education institutions adopt the philosophy that being disruptive in continuing and professional studies will allow them to truly diversify their offerings for the modern learner.”