Unifrog HE Summit 2024: connecting with students amid a challenging HE landscape

Last month, we brought together over 60 of the leading marketing and student recruitment professionals from the HE sector for an afternoon of knowledge exchange and networking at our annual Unifrog HE Summit. Attendees gained valuable insights from 12 expert speakers and panellists, who shared trends from the 2024 recruitment cycle, strategies for connecting with schools and students, and approaches for both institution-wide and subject-specific promotion.

Event Chair Melanie Fowler (De Montfort University) opened the afternoon by stressing the importance of combining the efforts of HE marketing, recruitment, and data professionals to tackle student recruitment challenges. Noting industry-wide worries like financial sustainability, shifting political tides, and a volatile student market, Mel highlighted that data-driven marketing and collaboration are essential for navigating the increasingly uncertain HE landscape.

What does the data say?

Mark Corver, co-founder of dataHE, kicked off the afternoon with a deep dive into the numbers. Despite university remaining the most popular post-school pathway according to our survey of 21,000+ Unifrog students, applications are declining, and fewer students are achieving their 'first choice'. This trend, driven by financial pressures, has resulted in a significantly higher number of unplaced 18-year-olds than back in 2020. 

The session emphasised that universities must adopt strategic, data-based responses to combat these issues. For instance, they could commit to awarding more offers and firm choice places to create a positive feedback loop that inspires future applications. 

Ultimately, Mark stated that collaboration and shared insights, like those shared throughout the HE Summit, are crucial for navigating these challenges.

Insights from Unifrog teachers

Our panel of teachers from Unifrog schools, alongside Michael Spierin from IntoUniversity, echoed the importance of positive feedback and the value in allowing students to picture themselves at university. Discussing widening access, the panel agreed on the importance of removing barriers and ensuring all students, regardless of background, have the opportunity to benefit from higher education. 

Our panellists addressed the stigma often attached to access opportunities and came up with two key considerations for universities when trying to widen the reach of their access opportunities. Firstly, early intervention with younger students is key to remove negative connotations attached with access programmes. Secondly, universities must use insights to tailor their recruitment efforts in order to reach the right students. To achieve this, the panel concluded that collaborative effort between universities and schools from an early stage is essential for helping students see the opportunities available to them at the right time and in the right light.

From award-winning city wide campaigns…

The value of collaboration was made clear by Jess Stott (University of Sheffield) and Belle Fletcher (Sheffield Hallam University), who shared their award-winning campaign, ‘Sheffield: Your University City’. Their multi-channel marketing approach showcased Sheffield, helping young people picture themselves studying in the city. The campaign significantly increased applications and awareness for both institutions, with its success attributed to effective collaboration and data-driven decision-making. 

Top tips from the session included remaining open to change and experimentation, using your data to hone in on what students want, and remaining open and transparent with your successes and failures to get the most out of your collaborative efforts. The campaign's success demonstrated the power of a multi-institutional marketing strategy that leverages each institution's unique strengths!

… to nailing subject-specific marketing 

To help us understand how to balance this university-wide marketing approach with a more specialised subject-specific strategy, Becca Coster (University of Essex), Jason Waters (Norwich University of the Arts), and Natasha Bell (De Montfort University) shared case studies from their institutions on our subject-specific marketing panel.

Becca highlighted the importance of quality over quantity, with the University of Essex using data and expertise from recruitment, marketing, and data insights teams to streamline their portfolio. By expanding into markets with strong demand, Essex saw a significant increase in applications and acceptances. Jason emphasised the value of qualitative data as well as more typical quantitative data in marketing Norwich University of the Arts’ new Esports courses, using personal experiences to build a buzz around the subject. Finally, Natasha stressed the need for thorough planning and collaboration, using data insights to understand student needs and reach young people effectively. The session underscored the necessity of leveraging data and collaboration to inform recruitment strategies and enhance overall success.

Some key takeaways

Rounding off the day with her closing remarks, event Chair Melanie Fowler pulled together the themes that emerged from the day, leaving us with three key takeaways going into the 2025 cycle.

1. Understand the data you have to effectively inform your strategy
2. Optimise team collaborative working between marketing, insights, and recruitment
3. Balance your university’s brand identity with course-specific promotion

How can Unifrog help? 

The HE Summit made it clear that data insights are invaluable in effective student recruitment and marketing. Unifrog’s Insights tool helps institutions drill down into your data, both institution-wide and subject-specific. Your insights dashboard allows you to take informed action in geotargeting, outreach, resource allocation, and course portfolio planning. By using this data to inform your strategy, as well as carrying out targeted matching campaigns and participating in subject-specific Unifrog events, universities can better navigate the changing tides of HE recruitment. 

To get the most out of your Unifrog partnership or find out about getting involved, contact our HE partnerships team.

Unifrog HE Summit 2025

The Unifrog HE Summit will be returning in 2025! Head over to our Eventbrite to secure your ticket!