Advertising

The Life Impact Campaign

"Our graduates make an impact on the world. Life Impact."

In 2003 the University of Adelaide launched the first brand advertising campaign of its 130-year history. The Life Impact campaign was designed to communicate the benefits of the higher education experience it offered.

Life Impact on Campus was launched in May 2006, building on the success of Life Impact.

The Life Impact strategy

The University of Adelaide, established in 1874, has traditionally relied upon its reputation and tradition as a means of attracting and retaining its students and research funding. The protection of the University of Adelaide’s prestigious sandstone reputation was a key factor in any marketing strategy. With the deregulation of Australia’s higher education sector and the proliferation of global competition, the University of Adelaide was encouraged by its stakeholders to reinforce its brand and its attributes though an advertising campaign. Specifically, the University was encouraged to:

• market itself within the community
• identify a unique position
• remain in touch with major stakeholder needs
• demonstrate how it is modern and innovative
• show how it is proactive with business, schools and the community.

Market research was undertaken in the late nineties, 2001 and 2003 to determine the community’s perception of the University. This research then informed the development of a University brand story. An advertising campaign was then developed that would communicate the brand story.

The Life Impact campaign was based upon real people and their stories, highlighting the outcomes for students and for the community. The campaign demonstrated the significant impact our graduates have on the life of the community and how the University has had an impact on their lives. By using multiple graduates for the campaign it highlighted that it was normal for University of Adelaide graduates to succeed.

The Tagline

The University tagline ‘Life Impact’ was developed with the aim to communicate a brand story for the University of Adelaide being about life impact: having a life-long impact on students and through them and their research an impact on the life of the community.

This phrase was specifically used because ‘Life’ refers to an inquisitive mind and broad skills that serves students throughout their lives, while ‘Impact’ refers to relevance and is outcome focussed. ‘Life Impact’ implies positive life outcomes for the student as well as the community (through benefits of research and economic benefits).

By taking this position it was believed that the advertising campaign would inspire prospective students to choose higher education as well as to choose the University of Adelaide. While other Australian universities used job outcomes to attract students, the University of Adelaide told the stories of its graduates and how their degrees assisted them in not only getting a job, but to make an impact on the world. This was executed without sacrificing career outcomes with advertisements incorporating words such as, “The University of Adelaide’s high-calibre graduates have skills that go beyond the workplace. The University’s graduates make an impact on the world. Life Impact.”

The Success of the Campaign

The campaign was highly successful with independent market research confirming the achievement of key communications objectives. The campaign delivered awareness and an understanding of important brand attributes whilst simultaneously achieving high ad likeability scores. Internal measures have also confirmed the success of the campaign.

In 2004, the Life Impact Brand Advertising campaign won an Australian Marketing Institute National Award for Marketing Excellence in the category of Branding for South Australia.

Life Impact on Campus

Life Impact on Campus is designed to make Life Impact even more relevant to a younger audience and to help people understand what campus life is actually like from the perspective of the students.

Bachelor of Media students have been commissioned to make 12 films of students, researchers and lecturers on campus to describe what life impact means to them. These films have been made available on a website allowing people to view them and provide feedback. This viral marketing campaign will allow the films to be evaluated to determine which should be made into broadcast television advertisements.