Old Dominion University Overcomes Enrollment Challenges and Stops Summer Melt in it’s Tracks

In summer 2024, Old Dominion University (ODU) risked missing fall enrollment targets due to summer melt. To address this, ODU partnered with AmbioEdu for a targeted CTV/OTT ad campaign, aimed at 12,500 accepted students and 15,000 rising seniors. The ads provided information and encouraged students to picture themselves at ODU, with additional retargeting to boost engagement and conversions.

The Challenge

As the summer of 2024 approached, Old Dominion University (ODU) faced a critical challenge: they were in danger of missing their fall enrollment targets. Compounding this issue was the looming threat of summer melt, where accepted students might not follow through with their plans to enroll. ODU needed a fast and effective solution to engage both accepted students and prospective applicants to stabilize their numbers and ensure a strong incoming class. In addition, ODU looked for a way to reach and engage rising seniors during the summer months.

The Solution

ODU turned to AmbioEdu for a strategic digital and streaming marketing solution designed to target two key audiences:

1. 12,500 accepted but not-deposited students
2. 15,000 rising seniors

AmbioEdu crafted a highly targeted CTV/OTT ad campaign, running two different ads tailored to each group:

1. “Learn More” CTA: Aimed at providing additional information to accepted students and prospective applicants.
2. “Find Your Home Today” CTA: Encouraged both groups to envision themselves as part of the ODU community, driving them to take action.

In addition to these ads, AmbioEdu implemented Display and CTV retargeting, ensuring that anyone exposed to the CTV/OTT ads saw additional follow-up messaging, reinforcing the CTAs and encouraging conversion.

Creative Development

When the campaign began, ODU did not have a :30 commercial ready to go. AmbioEdu stepped in and swiftly developed the necessary creative assets. By leveraging existing visuals, student-generated recordings, and other available materials, Ambio created two distinct variations of the commercial. These ads aligned perfectly with ODU’s messaging and branding, allowing the university to engage their target audiences quickly without sacrificing quality. This flexible, fast-turnaround approach ensured the campaign stayed on schedule and maintained high standards of creativity.

Impactful Results

The results were transformative. In just three months, ODU saw a significant boost in engagement and enrollment outcomes:

• Nearly 600 new applications and deposits were directly attributed to the campaign.
• An additional 600 new inquiries and event registrations were driven by the targeted ads.

ODU went from being on the brink of missing their enrollment numbers to stopping summer melt in its tracks. By the end of August, the university, initially concerned about their numbers, ended the campaign feeling thrilled with the outcome.

Conclusion

By leveraging AmbioEdu’s advanced CTV/OTT advertising and retargeting strategies, ODU was able to turn a potentially challenging summer into a success story. The collaboration not only secured their fall class but also strengthened their pipeline for future enrollment cycles.

For universities facing similar enrollment challenges, Old Dominion University’s success story with AmbioEdu serves as a powerful example of how a targeted, streamingl-first approach can deliver outstanding results.