“Fuel is an integral part of our business; they are a truly client focused partner who are virtually impossible to replicate.”
Sue Gunn – Marketing Manager, Waiariki Institute of Technology
Waiariki was way off course with their staff and student recruitment strategies. Their incumbent agency had not taken the time to fully understand them or their customers. As a result, their messages and overall position had little credibility and their messaging was way out of touch with their audience.
Over a period of five years, Fuel has made some fundamental changes to the brand positioning including implementing a straightforward, frank brand personality and a brand voice with which Waiariki’s story could be believably told.
We also took a fresh look at Waiariki’s media options and recommended a more strategic approach. For example, senior level job ads (which had previously run in numerous publications including local newspapers) were restricted to the metropolitan dailies, the National Business Review and national and international academic journals.
Local and regional newspaper advertising was still used, but almost exclusively to promote courses.
We developed a quarterly mini newspaper insert, Waiariki Today, which kept the community up to date on new courses, staff appointments, building and other projects, and the successes of Waiariki students and alumni.
We also distributed the newsletter to local Work & Income and Ministry of Social Development Offices to capture job seekers who may not have considered furthering their education as a step towards developing their career.
To complement and reinforce Waiariki's press and direct marketing, our creative team developed outdoor and online campaigns.
We also re-designed Waiariki’s signage and promotional material to reflect the fresh, forward-thinking new look.
An ongoing PR campaign also ensured that significant developments at Waiariki were positively reported in both local and national media.
Waiariki and Fuel have achieved more than 20% compounding student growth over the past five years.
This period has also delivered a dramatic improvement in Waiariki’s reputation within the community, and their perception as a quality education provider.
This has been accomplished through strong media partnerships, consistent messages, innovative ideas and creative thinking, solid plans and – most of all - a true agency client partnership.
