Georgia Southern University Case Study
Brand to Elevate Enrollment
The Challenge.
With new leadership at the helm, Georgia Southern University needed a comprehensive strategic partner to lift their brand and reputation to match the caliber of the research and offerings they provide, meeting the growing industry in their region. After previous brand exercises did not recognize their true voice and direction, Georgia Southern partnered with Carnegie to execute an inspirational, authentic brand elevation that permeated throughout a website redesign, digital marketing campaigns, and comprehensive Student Search communications to elevate their reputation, grow enrollment, and gain footholds in their secondary and tertiary markets.
The Strategy.
Carnegie’s partnership began with consensus-building brand strategy workshops and research-driven decision-making to determine Georgia Southern’s authentic brand personality and opportunities to increase reputational standing. With overwhelming support across internal stakeholders, the Georgia Southern brand was ready to be integrated into Slate, featured on the University’s website, and launched through an expansive digital marketing campaign. In Georgia Southern’s Slate instance, Carnegie executed segmented Student Search communications campaigns across multiple audiences, utilizing Georgia Southern’s unique personality and Carnegie’s proprietary Audience Segmentation (Darts) to create pinpointed communication strategies for each psychographic segment, or “dart.” In tandem, Carnegie developed a full website redesign, ensuring a compelling expression of Georgia Southern’s elevated and authentic brand as the through point.
The Results.
With their authentic brand interwoven at each point in the funnel, Georgia Southern saw a record breaking inquiry volume for entry terms 2025 and 2026 in secondary and tertiary markets, gaining awareness and footholds in those markets. Georgia Southern has continued to see increases in all areas of the enrollment funnel, with a 205% lift in first-year inquiries, a 26% increase in applications, and a 12% increase in deposits. Eighty-six percent of those deposits were generated by Carnegie efforts, contributing to an 8% increase in beginning first-year enrollments, the highest recorded beginning first-year enrollments since the University consolidated its campuses. Carnegie is proud to serve as a trusted ongoing partner across our full suite of services.
26%
Increase in applications
12%
Increase in deposits, with 86% of those deposits from Carnegie efforts
8%
Increase in first-year enrollment
Website Redesign.
Georgia Southern's website redesign was grounded in extensive research and brand positioning. The revitalized homepage prioritizes showcasing Georgia Southern's story through compelling visuals and language that resonate with prospective students. While renowned as a regional research powerhouse and a valuable business partner, Georgia Southern's website failed to reflect this impact. The redesigned top-level Research landing page now emphasizes impact with readily accessible figures, scannable impact areas, and intuitive resource navigation.
Audience-segmented Communications.
Slate communications campaigns are custom-built to align with the unique motivations of each audience segment (“dart”), driving impactful results for Georgia Southern.
”Carnegie’s strategic approach to brand elevation and enrollment marketing has been nothing short of transformative for Georgia Southern University. Their expertise in research-driven brand development, coupled with cutting-edge digital marketing and a seamless Slate integration, has helped us redefine our reputation and extend our reach in key markets. The results speak for themselves—remarkable growth in inquiries, applications, and deposits, particularly in secondary and tertiary markets where we were looking to expand, and a palpable pride among all faculty, students, and staff in our institution’s refined brand and reputation. Carnegie’s partnership has been instrumental in positioning Georgia Southern as a leading institution in our region, and we are thrilled with the impact of their work.” Dr. Alejandra Sosa Pieroni
Executive Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Student Success
Georgia Southern University
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