Enterprise PhD

UniSA’s enterprising research degrees

 The challenge

UniSA was forecasting a reduction in research degree student funding stemming from upcoming changes to the Commonwealth government research training funding model. The model prioritised commencements and completions, all of which were being impacted due to some of the most volatile health and economic headwinds brought on by COVID19, a halt in international student arrivals, and a long-term National trend of decline in domestic student applications.

Combined these factors further impacted research degree applications and completions, and it was expected that these had the ability to impact the University in the long term through the University’s capability to deliver research outputs and therefore revenue targets, and even the status of UniSA in global rankings and reputation.

In response to this challenge, the university launched the Enterprising PhD and Masters by Research – a project-based research degrees model that was aimed at transforming the perception of a research degree through a partnered or co-designed industry project model with an established topic, packaged with a fee-waiver and scholarship.

This called for a repositioning of UniSA’s research degrees in market through an integrated marketing and communications approach that included a new campaign in the Unstoppable 1.0 messaging, a redevelopment of the website, a new nurture campaign, a review of the enquiry process and significant internal communications to current students and staff.

The solution

New messaging

To capture the enterprising nature of UniSA’s new project-based research degrees a new messaging framework was developed, led by the key drivers of undertaking a research degree ‘Advance your unstoppable career with an Enterprise PhD’.

The messaging built on UniSA’s framework of Careers, Quality and Connections, and was developed further by our agency Fuller Communications.

A new integrated campaign

To amplify the new messaging a new integrated campaign was developed to launch the product in market.

Working as the marketing lead in 2021 and 2022, I was directly responsible for:

• Marketing and Communications Strategic Planning: Developing the overarching integrated Marketing and Communications Plan, identifying targets by audience segmentation, growth opportunities, and a consolidated University wide recruitment strategy across the marketing funnel. As a part of this activity, I led a business case to increase the research degrees advertising spend to achieve targets.

• Briefing and Strategy: Leading the campaign briefing with our creative and media buying agencies.

The result

 The new enterprising PhD and Masters by Research was launched in 2021 with a new suite of campaign materials, a new website and a suite of external and internal communications activities.

As of 2022, we are on track to reach our stretch target and are bucking the trend in research degree commencements across the sector.