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Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
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Texas A&M University Case Study
Texas A&M University and the Aggies are a fearless front. A community standing side by side in solidarity. Steeped in history, tradition, pride, and reverence, yet compelled to discover the unknown and solve for the grand global challenges of our time. In 2015, Texas A&M was readying to launch one of the boldest comprehensive campaigns in the history of public higher education. At $4 billion, it would break precedent as the largest ever in the state of Texas, rivaled only by the nation’s most elite public universities. But while fundraising stakes were high, research indicated that recognition of Texas A&M was comparatively low. 160over90 saw a tremendous opportunity to concurrently raise funds and raise national reputation.
We developed a singular, cohesive brand voice for the institution, centered on the idea of fearlessness. For more than 140 years, fueled by its land, sea, and space-grant heritage, Texas A&M has been fearlessly transforming lives and charting change. And we brought the fearless brand platform to life through a combination of large-scale advertisements, earned media, innovative digital touchpoints, and experiential marketing.
On the fundraising front—to match the big, bold, very ambitious nature of the $4 billion goal—we produced a highly memorable three-day campaign launch event complete with a presidential press conference; high-end donor event with celebrity entertainers Earth, Wind & Fire; and record-setting card stunt. The launch moment demonstrated how Texas A&M is leaving an indelible mark on the world, beginning in the great state of Texas.
From there, we strategically broadened our reach. We launched a DC Metro Station Domination, earning an audience with Aggies on the Hill, commuters coming in and out of the capital, and key research funders. We supported Texas A&M as they took an international stage at SXSW’s Interactive Week, showcasing the University’s position as a tier-one research institution and global change-maker with panel discussions and virtual reality experiences. And we produced a ‘viral’ anthem video that authentically captures the institutional ethos of Texas A&M—to live lives of meaning and impact.
- Raised $3.87 Billion to Date
- 195,000 Donors
- More than 50 Million Anthem Video Views
- More than 400 Million Earned Media Impressions
- On Pace to Meet The $4 Billion Goal By Fall 2020
- 459,083 Site Impressions
- 210 Million Media Impressions
- 0.46% CTR
- 20 Million Video Views
Texas A&M University
"Fearless Front"
160over90/Texas A&M Partnership Celebration
Texas State University
Texas State University
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Texas State University Brand, PR & COVID Outreach Case Study
Everything’s bigger in Texas. And as one of the largest universities in one of the largest states in the country, Texas State University (“Texas State”) has a sizable story to tell. Situated between Austin and San Antonio in what Forbes coined “America’s next great metropolis,” Texas State maintains a rigorous teaching and research community predicated on real-world application—from photothermal cancer treatment therapies and point of care diagnostics, to best-in-class forensic anthropology programs and nationally modeled school safety trainings. But however well-positioned, this relatively young institution—built to do and reticent to brag—consistently found itself in the shadows of UT Austin and Texas A&M. Pressed by strategic imperatives to increase academic reputation, earn national research university recognition, and rival its competitors for top Texas student prospects, Texas State partnered with 160over90 on a coordinated research, branding, and public relations effort.
160over90 launched qualitative and quantitative market research to understand existing perceptions and brand equity, and to establish a cohesive brand platform that would accentuate academic strengths. Findings showed that, in the absence of steady academic and research messaging from the institution, audiences had come to equate Texas State with softer traits—warm and welcoming, service-oriented, community-minded. To compete with the UT Austins and A&Ms of the world, and to dial up academic and research rigor without compromising differentiation, we broached academic quality in a more personable, approachable way.
The resulting brand highlights a community of achievers at Texas State—leaders in their own right, grounded in care and service, guided by values, and gravitating toward real- world application. And given Texas State’s student body composition—reflective of both state and national demographics—the University is cast as helping to author the future of central Texas and the wider world.
To humanize that institutional narrative, 160over90 teamed up with more than 50 researchers across campus to mine for stories and elevate individual shares of voice. We conducted formal media trainings, equipping and empowering faculty experts to drive key storylines around their specific disciplines while representing Texas State’s commitment to academic excellence, community and connectedness, and tangible impact. And we led a national media relations and social media campaign, shining a spotlight on Texas State research endeavors and curricular innovations—before and during the coronavirus pandemic.
160over90’s efforts mark the first time in Texas State history that the University’s many core stakeholders and multiple campuses (San Marcos and Round Rock) are uniting behind an overarching brand platform, vs. a tagline. Brand concept has just been completed, and seminal enrollment pieces are now being built in the new brand look and feel.
On the awareness front, in one-and-a-half years’ time, we’ve secured 75+ national mainstream media placements for Texas State researchers in The Atlantic, NPR, U.S. News & World Report, and many more, totaling roughly 4.2 billion impressions.
And we now have sights set on a forthcoming comprehensive campaign.
University of Houston
University of Houston
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University of Houston
Forever known as a commuter college or a night school, the University of Houston (UH) has slowly but surely outgrown this shell of misperception. Simultaneously, the city of Houston, itself, has continued to break new ground as one of the fastest growing and most diverse cities in America, driven by boundless opportunity and fueled by a genuine entrepreneurial spirit. Bearing no resem- blance to the typical college student body, UH is a designated HSI with the fifth most ethnically diverse student population in the United States. Like moths to a flame, students from all walks of life are attracted to everything that UH has to offer, and consider it a launchpad to achieving the American dream of self-made success.
To accomplish the goal of raising awareness and dispelling any misconceptions, 160over90 strategically leveraged this situation by creating a concept that encouraged the city of Houston to proudly claim the University, and vice versa. We began our engagement by establishing a brand narrative that is true to UH, but also distinguished the university from the other large institutions within the state of Texas. We capitalized on UH’s momentum to tell a bold and surprising story, highlighting academic achievements and other breakthroughs that appealed to audiences both near and far.
We rolled out the refreshed brand platform across graduate and undergraduate enrollment marketing and translated the brand to UH’s growing athletics program to make the most of the football team’s success. In 2017, we launched the Here, We Go campaign allowing the brand to have a major impact through advancement.
As a tier-one University located in a hotbed of intellectual and entrepreneurial growth and activity, it will soon become apparent that Houston’s namesake, the University of Houston, is truly a mecca for the driven.
Our work has helped UH meet their objectives and achieve the following results across admissions and advancement:
- Applications increased by 12% in first year alone
- Enrollment increased by 11% since 2011
- Average SAT score increased by 80 points
- Here, We Go Campaign has raised $858.4M (of $1B goal) with two years to go
- 153,892 donors have contributed to the campaign to date
- Here, We Go case statement won Silver in the 2018 Circle of Excellence Awards
- Here, We Go campaign video won Gold in the 2018 Circle of Excellence Awards