An Authentic Brand Boosts Enrollment

+700%

YoY increase in inquiries for entry terms 2025 and 2026 in secondary and tertiary markets

+39%

increase in applications over two years

Georgia Southern centered their enrollment journey around a revitalized brand—and saw inquiries, applications, and enrollment soar.

When a brand connects, students take action.

Georgia Southern University needed to achieve new enrollment growth goals, and they knew that long-term success would depend on the strength of their brand identity. With new leadership driving a renewed vision for the institution’s future, the university was ready to evolve its story to reflect who Georgia Southern is today and where it’s headed next.

Our uniquely data-driven and student-centered approach helped rally stakeholders around a unified vision: When we focus on authentically connecting to students’ dreams and ambitions, we inspire them to apply, enroll, and succeed.

The Challenge

As the only four-year institution in its region, Georgia Southern held a distinctive position with deep community roots. But as the university evolved, its brand no longer reflected its ambitions—or the students it sought to reach. When new leadership arrived with bold goals for enrollment growth, it became clear that the path forward required both a stronger brand and a more modern enrollment strategy to attract and engage students.

With a passionate community of stakeholders offering diverse perspectives, Georgia Southern needed a partner who could unite the campus around a shared vision—and bring that revitalized brand to life across every enrollment touchpoint to drive meaningful, measurable results.

Our Approach

Our partnership began with consensus-building brand strategy workshops and research-driven decision-making to determine Georgia Southern’s authentic brand personality and uncover opportunities to align the school’s reputation with its present value and future ambitions.

With consensus on a refreshed brand, our next step was to turn that momentum into measurable enrollment growth. With a clear story to tell, we connected brand and enrollment through a fully integrated approach—uniting strategy, technology, data, and storytelling. Carnegie’s team embedded Georgia Southern’s new brand voice across every key student touchpoint, from digital campaigns to Slate communications, ensuring consistency, clarity, and impact at every stage of the funnel.

What Worked

Our proprietary Audience Segmentation (Darts) enabled pinpointed Slate communications driven by psychographic personas insights.
AI-powered predictive analytics (EnGauge Scores) informed recruitment priorities and outreach strategies, helping Georgia Southern focus resources where impact was greatest.
GS’s Slate instance was optimized for Student Search, delivering personalization at scale, streamlined workflows, and real-time data.

Slate CRM consultation and training equipped staff for long-term success.
A full website redesign ensured a compelling expression of Georgia Southern’s elevated brand and friction-free conversion opportunities.
Multi-platform digital campaigns expanded GS’s reach in key markets, driving awareness and accelerating inquiry growth.

The Results

With their authentic brand interwoven throughout the enrollment journey, 2025 marked the largest first-year class in the institution’s history. GS also saw a 700% year-over-year increase in inquiries for entry terms 2025 and 2026 in secondary and tertiary markets, demonstrating increased awareness and strong footholds to build on in those targeted markets. Increases in net deposits and enrollment suggest not only more awareness but stronger connections to students likely to enroll. Leading indicators suggest a clear pattern of increased interest in Georgia Southern’s undergraduate programs: search impressions for relevant long-tail terms are up 38% year-over-year.

+700%

YoY increase in inquiries for entry terms 2025 and 2026 in secondary and tertiary markets

+205%

lift in first-year inquiries

+39%

increase in applications over two years

+30%

increase in net deposits over two years

+16.76%

increase in first-year enrollments

+5%

increase in overall enrollment

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