Case Studies in Success
Stephens Solutions works across many industry categories and campaign budgets. Whether it is a retail store or a regional university, we bring our team to work for you and the results you need, while making sure you don't spend a penny more than you have to in order to accomplish your goals! Here are a few stories that will give you an idea of how we use different tools at our disposal:
University Recruitment
Introduction:
OKWU (Oklahoma Wesleyan University) was facing a critical challenge - declining enrollment and brand confusion, which resulted in inefficiencies and low ROI. Recognizing the need for a transformative approach, OKWU partnered with Stephens Media Group (SMG) as their agency of record.
Objectives:
OKWU had clear objectives in mind: to increase enrollment, streamline the sales cycle for their graduate degree programs, and compete effectively with larger universities in the market.
Media Strategy:
SMG devised a comprehensive media strategy to drive OKWU's success:
- Radio Advertising: Through high-frequency radio commercials, OKWU's message reached a vast audience, resulting in a significant 29% increase in website traffic.
- Paid Search Optimization: SMG optimized the paid search campaigns, eliminating inefficiencies and reducing opaque management fees. The result was improved campaign efficiency, lower costs, and increased search wins.
- Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising: With strategic DOOH placements in OKWU's home market, the university maintained top-of-mind awareness during the critical application window, leading to a 26% lift in applicants.
- Paid Social Media Advertising: Leveraging the power of social media, SMG created engaging Facebook ads that resonated with academic candidates, fostering conversations and driving online conversions.
Integrated Marketing Approach:
SMG deployed an integrated and end-to-end strategy, ensuring OKWU's message impactfully reached key markets, and targeted ideal applicants across the nation while driving eligible candidates through the student acquisition journey.
By leveraging audience segmentation and deploying diverse touchpoints, both online and offline, OKWU's story resonated with its target audience who then took action.
SMG's strategic measures, including impactful brand awareness, optimized search campaigns, and retargeting efforts, drove significant lift and delivered cost efficiencies, resulting in a remarkable 67% reduction in the cost per new student acquisition.
Conclusion:
The partnership between OKWU and SMG was transformative and responsive to the unique needs of the university and the changing ecosystem of higher education. With a holistic media strategy that combined radio advertising, paid search optimization, DOOH placements, and paid social media campaigns, OKWU experienced new success. The enrollment numbers increased, the sales cycle streamlined, and OKWU became more competitive in a competitive market. Not only did SMG help OKWU achieve its goals, but also decreased cost-per-acquisition by 65%, increased overall media delivery by 20% and increased qualified applicants by 46% ensuring a more efficient and effective student acquisition process.
A Family Owned Nationwide Franchisor
Introduction:
Stephens Media Group partnered with The Human Bean, a thriving family-owned coffee franchise with over 145 locations across the country.
Our challenge to allocate the marketing fund equitably and effectively among franchise owners, while also driving overall brand lift and revenue for The Human Bean.
Objectives:
Our goals were to ensure fair distribution of the marketing fund among franchise owners while delivering a positive, measurable ROI.
Strategy:
To achieve these objectives, we proposed leveraging mobile conquesting technology, allowing us to serve targeted impressions and measure visits at each location. SMG activated the strategy by deploying seasonal offers within the convenience zone of franchise locations, enticing customers to visit nearby stores. By utilizing visitation attribution, and POS data, we would be able to accurately determine the return on investment.
Implementation:
We executed the digital advertising campaign using mobile conquesting technology, accurately reaching potential customers within each franchise's target area and by behavioral categories that aligned with their ideal customer. Strategically timed seasonal offers were highlighted to capture customer attention and drive foot traffic to The Human Bean locations. Over an initial six-week period, SMG tracked approximately 13,000 visitors, showcasing the effectiveness and ROAS of our targeted approach.
Results:
The Human Bean achieved an impressive average return on ad spend (ROAS) of 5x, delivering significant revenue gains and notably, the campaign consistently displayed efficiency in performance, leading to an upward trajectory of returns over time.
A comprehensive brand lift study demonstrated a steady increase in The Human Bean's market share as the investment progressed with a 1% market acquisition increase after 3 months.
An additional KPI was an impressive 1% click-through rate (CTR), which is 13 times the national average for a brand awareness display campaign, further highlighting its success.
Lessons Learned:
One key takeaway is the power of granular targeting. By reaching potential customers near each franchise location, we not only elevated The Human Bean's brand equity but also supported individual store growth concluding in a viable, productive strategy for both store owner and corporate brand.
Conclusion:
- This case study exemplifies the successful deployment of mobile conquesting technology in digital advertising.
- Through equitable fund allocation and targeted strategies, SMG delivered strong results for The Human Bean, including a 5x ROAS and consistent performance improvements.
- The brand lift study further validated the campaign's impact, showcasing incremental market share growth.
- Additionally, the campaign's exceptional 1% CTR, 13 times higher than the national average for a brand awareness display campaign, demonstrates its effectiveness in driving brand visibility.
As our collaboration continues, the campaign continues to drive in-store sales, reinforcing its value for The Human Bean and its franchisees.
ASANTE HOSPITAL ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
Introduction:
The Asante Medical Group, a hospital system that supports the main medical needs of the Southern Oregon population, uses a large event for it's fundraising efforts.
Stephens Media Group was chosen as their main media partner with the objective of driving donor action.
Objectives:
The primary goal was to raise funds for the Asante Medical Group through a large scale local event. The funds raised in 2022 amounted to an impressive $2.2 million, which was utilized to expand services within NICU, cardiology, oncology, and update facilities.
Strategy:
The strategy employed was a Mobile Conquesting ad campaign that combined location-based, demographic, and behavioral targeting to reach potential event attendees.
Display and video ads were delivered to the mobile devices of business owners and their passionate customers, effectively engaging the target audience.
Implementation:
The Mobile Conquesting ad campaign involved an investment of 300,000 impressions to maximize reach. The budget allocated for the campaign was robust, ensuring heavily influential messaging to highly targeted audiences.
Business owners were the ideal donor candidate based on the structure of the event, so specific small and medium local businesses were identified and then captured in real-time using geo-fencing, including locations throughout the state of Oregon, and even neighboring states.
After users left the geo-fenced locations, the identified potential donors were re-targeted outside of the initial capture, maintaining engagement and increasing the likelihood of donor action.
Results:
The Asante event campaign successfully raised $2.2 million in 2022, contributing to the expansion of vital services and facility updates within the Asante Medical Group.
The Mobile Conquesting ad campaign delivered targeted impressions to business owners, creating awareness and generating donor action and increased participation by 110% over prior year. The campaign's precision targeting and retargeting efforts, and impactful video creative, ensured maximum impact, engagement, participation and overall ROI.
Conclusion:
The Asante fundraising campaign, executed through Mobile Conquesting technology, achieved exceptional results in raising funds for the Asante Medical Group. By combining location-based, demographic, and behavioral targeting, while leveraging video Stephens Solutions effectively engaged small business owners and drove donor action. The $2.2 million raised in 2022 showcases the impact of the campaign in expanding vital medical services and updating facilities. As the core marketing and media partner for the Asante fundraiser event, Stephens Media Group played a crucial role in driving the success of the fundraising initiative.
CHRISTIAN CARE AT YMCA
Introduction:
Regional YMCA branches were facing a significant challenge - brand confusion and low revenue associated with new program offerings. Many community members associated YMCA solely with pool facilities and gyms, unaware of the wide range of wellness programs, daycare, preschool, nutritionist services, and other offerings. To address this issue, the YMCA partnered with Stephens Media Group (SMG) to develop a strategic digital marketing campaign.
Objectives:
The YMCA had clear objectives: to overcome brand limitations, increase awareness of their diverse programs and services, particularly their childcare programs with Christian values, and drive enrollment numbers.They sought to leverage strategic digital marketing investments, an area in which they had no prior experience.
Media Tactics:
SMG executed a targeted approach to reach and engage the YMCA's target audience:
- Hyper Targeted Lead Generation Social Media Campaigns: Using detailed audience segmentation, SMG designed social media campaigns that specifically reached families with children in specific age and interest groups.
- Integrated Lead Generation Capture: By implementing lead generation techniques, SMG captured valuable contact information from interested individuals, enabling follow-up and conversion tracking.
- Impactful Messaging and Visual Assets: SMG crafted compelling messaging and utilized visually appealing assets showcasing the YMCA's Christian value curriculum, hands-on learning, and diverse experiences children can have at their facilities.
Campaign Results:
The YMCA's investment in strategic digital marketing yielded remarkable outcomes:
- Increased Enrollment and Accelerated Growth: Within three months, the campaign consistently delivered a 5x return on advertising spend, surpassing the slow organic traction the YMCA had experienced prior to their marketing investment.
- Expanded Awareness of Programs and Services: Through targeted messaging and engaging visuals, the YMCA successfully communicated the breadth of their offerings beyond the common perception of pool facilities and gyms measure with likes, shares, and lift in enrollment.
- Showcasing Christian Values: By highlighting the YMCA's childcare programs with Christian values, more community members became aware of this unique aspect, leading to increased interest and enrollment.
Conclusion:
The partnership between the YMCA and SMG transformed their digital marketing efforts and addressed brand confusion.By implementing hyper targeted lead generation social media campaigns, the YMCA effectively reached families with children, showcasing the diversity of their programs and services. The campaign's success resulted in increased enrollment numbers, accelerated growth, and expanded awareness of the YMCA's offerings. Through impactful messaging and visual assets, the YMCA effectively illustrated their commitment to Christian values, hands-on learning, and fostering a nurturing community.
A CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY DRIVES APPLICATIONS
Introduction:
Oral Roberts University (ORU), a Christian university based in Tulsa, faced a critical challenge just 10 weeks before the next school cycle. Their application numbers were significantly below target, necessitating a swift solution. They turned to Stephens Media Group (SMG) for their expertise in digital marketing.
Solution:
- Hyper-targeted strategy focused on students within a two-hour driving radius of the university campus.
- Targeted students with faith-based values and those who had shown interest but deferred or did not complete their application in full.
- Utilized social mirror technology to extend the reach of organic social media posts.
- Leveraged TikTok to engage young audiences through impactful video content.
Results:
- Generated 10,000 visits to the ORU website, indicating increased online traffic and interest.
- Website engagement increased by 68%, demonstrating a strong connection with the target audience.
- Significant growth in application starts and completions, reflecting the campaign's effectiveness.
- Surpassed enrollment goals within the first four weeks, exceeding expectations.
Synopsis:
Oral Roberts University (ORU), a Christian university in Tulsa, found themselves facing a pressing challenge just 10 weeks before the start of the next school cycle. Their application numbers were significantly behind schedule, and they needed a solution to bridge the gap quickly. To address this urgent situation, they turned to the expertise of Stephens Media Group (SMG).
Recognizing the importance of time, ORU and SMG devised a hyper-targeted strategy that focused on engaging potential applicants within a two-hour driving radius of the campus. They honed in on students who shared faith-based values and those who had previously expressed interest but deferred their applications. This targeted approach maximized the chances of success.
To amplify their message and capture the attention of the desired audience, SMG employed an innovative technique called social mirror. By leveraging organic social media posts beyond their original platforms, they increased their reach across a wide array of online publishers. This strategic approach ensured that potential applicants encountered the faith-based opportunities that ORU had to offer consistently and frequently.
Recognizing the influence of TikTok among young audiences, SMG tapped into this popular platform to connect with prospective students. Through compelling video content, they conveyed the essence of ORU's faith-based education and the transformative experiences it provided. This medium allowed them to engage and inspire action, creating a sense of urgency among potential applicants.
The impact of this strategic digital marketing campaign was remarkable. ORU witnessed a significant surge in website traffic, with 10,000 visits recorded. Notably, engagement on the website skyrocketed by 68%, indicating a strong resonance with the targeted audience. More importantly, the campaign generated a substantial increase in application starts and completions. ORU witnessed a wave of enthusiastic applicants moving through the application process and committing to their educational journey.
Within a mere four weeks, ORU achieved what seemed like an insurmountable task—they not only closed the enrollment gap but also surpassed their enrollment goals. The strategic digital marketing initiatives orchestrated by SMG proved to be the catalyst for this remarkable success.
Through their collaboration with SMG, ORU achieved outstanding results in a short period. The campaign garnered increased website engagement, drove a surge in application numbers, and exceeded enrollment expectations. This success story highlights the power of targeted digital marketing in delivering tangible results for educational institutions like ORU.
In the face of a pressing challenge, ORU and SMG's partnership forged a path to success, ensuring a bright future for the university and its prospective students.
Bair Foundation Seeks New Families to Care for Children
Client:
The Bair Foundation
Challenge:
Increasing Awareness and Driving Inquiries for Foster Parenting
The Bair Foundation, a nationwide Christian foster and adoption organization, aimed to expand their reach and connect more potential foster parents with children in need. Their customer journey is long and complex and they needed to increase awareness of their services and generate a higher volume of inquiries from prospective foster families for their pipeline to provide for children in need. Stephens Media Group (SMG) was brought on board to help achieve these goals.
Solution:
Harnessing the Power of Social Mirroring and Targeted Video Advertising to find new foster families and fill the pipeline for a long nurture campaign.
Leveraged SMG's proprietary "Social Mirror" technology to extend the reach of organic social media content across various online publishers, amplifying the organization's message.
Utilized hyper-granular targeting capabilities to reach specific audiences most likely to engage with foster parenting opportunities.
Implemented disruptive video advertising through "Social Mirror OTT" on hundreds of OTT (Over-The-Top) publishers, such as Roku outlets, to reach eligible audiences for fostering.
Incorporated QR codes into the video ads, allowing viewers to easily access additional information by scanning the code.
Results:
Significant Increases in Website Traffic and Inquiries
- Achieved a substantial 223% increase in website traffic, indicating heightened interest and engagement.
- Doubled the inquiry goals, showcasing the success of the campaign in driving potential foster family leads.
- Month-over-month increases in lead form fills, consistently surpassing the required goals for new foster family inquiries.
- Received 65 scans within the first few weeks of the small test campaign, demonstrating the effectiveness of QR codes in driving engagement and information seeking.
Narrative:
The Bair Foundation, a nationwide Christian foster and adoption organization, embarked on a mission to connect more families with children in need by expanding their reach and generating a higher volume of inquiries from prospective foster parents. To accomplish this, they partnered with Stephens Media Group (SMG), a digital marketing agency specializing in strategic advertising solutions.
SMG leveraged their proprietary "Social Mirror" technology to maximize the impact of The Bair Foundation's organic social media content. By extending the reach of these authentic and trusted messages beyond social platforms, SMG ensured that potential foster families encountered the organization's mission and services across various online publishers. This hyper-granular targeting approach enabled The Bair Foundation to reach specific audiences most likely to be interested in foster parenting opportunities.
The campaign's success was evident from the results. The Bair Foundation experienced a substantial 223% increase in website traffic, indicating a heightened level of interest and engagement from the target audience. Additionally, the organization doubled their inquiry goals, reflecting the campaign's effectiveness in driving leads for potential foster families.
Building on this success, The Bair Foundation expanded their investment to other locations, leveraging the ongoing month-over-month increases in lead form fills. The campaign consistently outperformed the required goals for new foster family inquiries, showcasing the positive impact of SMG's strategic digital marketing initiatives.
To further enhance their visibility and engagement, The Bair Foundation integrated a disruptive video capability called "Social Mirror OTT" into their advertising strategy. By running organic social videos across hundreds of OTT publishers, such as Roku outlets, the organization reached highly targeted audiences eligible for fostering. The incorporation of QR codes in the video ads provided an additional layer of interactivity, allowing viewers to scan for more information easily.
The QR codes proved to be a successful addition to the campaign, with 65 scans recorded within the first few weeks of its launch. This level of engagement and interest confirmed the value of providing viewers with a seamless way to access additional information and take the next steps towards becoming foster parents.
The Bair Foundation's partnership with SMG not only increased awareness of their services but also generated a significant number of inquiries from potential foster families. The strategic use of social mirroring technology and targeted OTT video advertising.
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