Chittagong Independent University
Category: Branding / Digital Marketing
Apps: Illustrator / Facebook
Services: Brand Repositioning / Social Media Marketing
Website: ciu.edu.bd
Chittagong Independent University (CIU) was founded in 1999 as a campus of Independent University Bangladesh (IUB) but became a separate university in 2013.
The repositioning of CIU faced obstacles as it failed to show changes in its attitude and activities. To establish a new brand image, we decided to focus on Just Noticeable Difference factors and use digital and modern channels to promote CIU’s five different schools.
01. The Challenge
We had to find a way to overcome the challenges faced by CIU and develop a successful marketing strategy.
- Separate from its founding institution CIU faced challenges when trying to reposition itself as a new university separate from its founding institution, IUB.
- Activities that accompanied the repositioning CIU had difficulty in showing the change in attitude and activities that accompanied the repositioning.
- Challenge of preserving the enriched IUBian culture CIU had to overcome the challenge of preserving the enriched IUBian cultural background while also creating a new brand image.
- Competition from other private universities CIU faced tough competition from other private universities in the area with similar services.
- Differentiate itself with USP CIU had to find a way to differentiate itself and create a unique selling proposition.
- The CIU Open Day Campaign CIU had to find a way to increase student enrollment rates through both digital and onsite activities.
02. The Solution
Marketing Strategy: In order to reposition CIU and establish a new brand image, we at CIU focused on a marketing strategy that utilized both digital and traditional marketing channels. This included a strong emphasis on social media engagement, as well as targeted advertising through platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. By using these channels, we were able to reach a wider audience of potential students and increase brand awareness.
Unique selling proposition (USP): As CIU’s range of services doesn’t drastically differ from its competitors, we differentiated CIU by providing a unique company story that stands out against competitors in a certain way. We realized that a large group of people wanted to enter a private university to achieve a good degree in business communication and administration. Because they have a vague idea that holding a BBA will get them a job with a smart salary. In addition to that, in most countries of the world, a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business from a business school is regarded as prestigious among the people. Thus, we decided to position CIU as “The Best Business School” in Chittagong. So rather than creating a lot of ads and expanding the promotional budget on various offering courses, we emphasized only one factor: CIU – “The Best Business School”.
Social Media Engagement: We leveraged social media platforms to increase engagement with the target audience. By creating and sharing compelling content on various social media channels, we were able to increase CIU’s online visibility and drive traffic to the website.
In 2018, we leveraged the popularity of animated video and 360 Facebook posts to create a video animation promoting CIU for the university’s social media marketing campaign. The target group for CIU belonged to the upper and middle upper class, with those in the upper income class coming from English medium colleges and primarily using Instagram, while those in the upper medium income class used Facebook. To reach this target audience, we ran ads on both platforms, including Google Search Console ads and Google Display Image ads to further increase the campaign’s reach.
CIU Open Day Campaign: One of the most successful components of the marketing strategy was the “CIU Open Day Campaign,” which was designed to increase student enrollment rates. The campaign ran both digitally and onsite, with the university offering admission fee waivers for on-the-spot admissions. To further entice potential students, we also collaborated to arrange movie shows, business talks, and cultural activities on this day. By doing so, we were able to provide a well-rounded experience that showcased the university’s strengths and unique offerings.
03. The Result
The success of the marketing strategy can be seen in the significant increase in student enrollment rates at CIU. Through the CIU Open Day Campaign alone, the university saw a drastic increase in admissions, with a large percentage of students enrolling on the spot. The human-centered design and neuro-marketing strategies utilized in the campaign proved to be effective in connecting with potential students and conveying the university’s message.
In addition, the social media engagement and targeted advertising efforts resulted in increased brand awareness and a wider reach for the university. This allowed CIU to connect with a larger audience of potential students and showcase the unique advantages of attending the university.
Overall: The marketing campaign was successful in repositioning CIU and establishing a new brand image. By focusing on just noticeable differences, creating a unique selling proposition, utilizing human-centered design and neuro-marketing strategies, and emphasizing social media engagement and targeted advertising, we were able to connect with potential students and convey the message that CIU is more than just a business school – it’s a way of life.
