Education New Zealand (ENZ) needed to find a way to ensure sustainable long-term growth for international education – New Zealand’s fourth largest export. They needed to shift their strategic focus from volume to value and attract students choosing New Zealand primarily for education, particularly in the higher-value school and tertiary sectors.

There was a major challenge: New Zealand had a serious education quality perception issue. Students simply did not see New Zealand as being in the same league as the US, UK, Canada and Australia. And with budget limitations, ENZ needed a smart solution to engage, capture and convert a discerning, global audience.

ENZ had to do more than just drive clicks or database sign-ups. They had to reposition what a New Zealand education stood for and redefine what a high-quality education means in today’s world. It’s not about grades, ivy-covered towers or heritage – it’s about how a country’s education system, its teachers and an open, democratic society can give you the soft skills to thrive in the future.

The ENZ brand essence, “Think New”, paved the way. They developed a multi-layered global direct response campaign across digital marketing and social channels, capturing high-value students in their database and carrying out a lead-nurturing programme through EDMs.

The results were outstanding. ENZ engaged over 16 million highly-qualified prospects – more than three times their monthly target. Even better, they drew them into their conversion engine and captured over 34,926 database sign-ups, a 65% increase over the previous months. The digital direct response campaign delivered an ROI of over 10:1.