Higher Ed Marketing Déjà Vu

If you’ve been in higher ed marketing long enough, you’ve seen the cycle: a new channel emerges, skepticism reigns, budgets stay locked in traditional tactics, and by the time universities finally catch on, they’re playing catch-up.

We saw it with digital marketing in the early 2010s. At first, schools hesitated. Would prospective students really respond to Facebook ads? Did SEO even matter for enrollment? Was retargeting too intrusive? Fast forward a decade, and digital marketing isn’t just part of the mix—it’s the foundation of modern recruitment.

Now, we’re watching history repeat itself with Performance TV.

Performance TV: The Digital Marketing of the 2020s

Streaming television (Connected TV/OTT) is no longer a niche platform. It’s where students, parents, and adult learners are spending their time. But just like in the early days of digital marketing, many universities are slow to act. Some still see TV as a brand-awareness play, not realizing that Performance TV is data-driven, targeted, and measurable—just like the digital marketing tactics they rely on today.

Here’s the reality:

• You can serve ads directly to prospective students based on real audience data.
• You can track website visits, applications, and even enrollments driven by your streaming campaigns.
• You can optimize in real time—just like digital ads, but on the big screen.

Universities that are leaning in now—embracing streaming TV as a strategic part of their enrollment marketing—are already seeing results. Schools that wait? They’ll be scrambling to catch up in a few years, just like they did with digital.

Case Study: NEIU’s “Hail Mary” Enrollment Success

Last summer, Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) was in a difficult position—nowhere close to hitting its fall 2024 enrollment goals. With time running out, they turned to AmbioEdu for a last-ditch marketing push to secure even a slight boost in students and tuition revenue.

The strategy? A multi-channel, multicultural campaign using:

• Performance TV(Connected TV)
• CTV Retargeting
• Snapchat & TikTok campaigns(running an optimized version of their commercials)

AmbioEdu optimized NEIU’s commercials and ran both English and Spanish versions to better reach prospective students and their families in the Chicagoland area.

The result? Not only did NEIU hit its enrollment goal—it exceeded it by 4.2%, something that hadn’t happened in 15 years.

This was a win-win strategy for everyone. By integrating Performance TV with other digital channels and ensuring cultural relevance in their messaging, NEIU reached students where they were, delivered a compelling message, and turned an almost-lost enrollment cycle into a major victory.

Higher Ed: Will they keep waiting around?

The magic question is: Will universities finally break the cycle and get ahead of the curve?

Higher ed faces more competition, skepticism, and enrollment challenges than ever before. Clinging to the same old strategies and waiting for “proof” while others take the lead isn’t a winning formula. The schools that test, adapt, and innovate now will be the ones shaping the future of enrollment. If you’re ready to get ahead of the curve, we should talk!