Gene Begin, Managing Director, CP Education

Colleges, universities, and education organizations have a world of opportunity leveraging their advocates and turning them into influencers.

Utilizing the loyalty loop of a consumer decision journey can be one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies in any organization, let alone education. Advocacy drives awareness and influence and while this can happen within a variety of channels, advocacy is most prominent within social media. Social sharing is the online adaptation of the most successful marketing strategy in the history of humankind – word of mouth. 

Just think about how often you gather recommendations from your family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances, whether online or in person. That advocacy absolutely shapes your decision-making. 

Educational organizations should be taking advantage of this with their built-in community of advocates – employees, current students, board members, alumni, and even admitted students. This network is full of individuals with influence in multiple industries and audience segments. 

But in today’s creator economy, advocacy marketing for many organizations is not enough. Individuals within our networks have seen influencer marketing become part of the norm with their social feeds and they now understand how to take advantage of and monetize that sphere of influence. Even my pre-teens understand there are ways to monetize social content as they have seen their older cousin be successful in doing so in her career. Do not hesitate to budget and pay for advocacy and content creation. It should be an essential part of your integrated marketing strategy.

And remember, while our advocate networks in education are large and primed to be tapped into for influence, size doesn’t always matter when it comes to an individual’s network. Some of the most effective spheres of influence can be smaller, yet very committed and engaged. Community engagement really can be about the quality and not the quantity when it comes to activating a network. 

Influencer marketing truly harnesses the power and the authenticity of the human voice to impact brand perception and brand engagement. But identifying your target audience and evaluating the influencer’s following as a match is crucial. 

I recently moderated an influencer marketing panel at the eduWeb Summit in Portland, Maine. Below is a copy of that panel’s presentation, and if you want a partner on your influencer efforts, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our Influencer Marketing team helps activate the right influencers for your organization to build strategies that foster trust and leverage the strength of the human connection.

Nick Maumus, Assistant Media Planner

Sustainability is a buzzword in every industry, and it will only become more prominent as the climate crisis continues to grow. But when “carbon emissions” is mentioned in conversation; we default to thinking about the energy sector, big oil companies, and that dreaded Honda Civic revving its engine every early morning. What we forget is the prevalent and material impact caused by the digital world, and more specifically, advertising and media.

Firstly, carbon emissions in digital advertising are very real and have a much more prevalent impact than most of us realize. For context; 1M impressions creates 1 metric ton of CO2e (One passenger on a round-trip flight from Boston to London), and Google serves about 30 billion on an average day! 

Scope 1, 2, and 3: Categorizing Carbon Emissions

In terms of how we identify and categorize these carbon emissions; there is the Scope framework, which is divided into three categories.

• Scope 1 includes direct emissions from the business such as buildings, facilities, and company vehicles. 
• Scope 2 is related to energy consumption primarily demanded from the power grid to fuel activities, included in but not limited to those covered in Scope 1. It also encompasses utilities and power sources produced by entities other than the one using the energy.
• Scope 3, which accounts for approximately 90% of carbon emissions, originates from a business’s supply chain.

When we think of this in the context of media, the supply chain is not necessarily raw materials or manufactured inputs as might be the case for a computer chip manufacturer. For brands and agencies, the supply chain is most evident in the programmatic marketplace, where each publisher has multiple bid requests for every ad slot, and buyers are bidding on it all.

Additionally, every transaction and exchange of data that occurs on the programmatic supply chain releases a variable amount of carbon emissions; the larger and less efficient the supply chain, the more carbon is emitted. Publishers often duplicate ad bids for the same slot on overlapping DSPs and direct partnerships, leading to unnecessary and wasted transactions.

Measuring Media Emissions

Media emission measurement partners, such as Scope3, have entered the space to analyze programmatic publishers and raise awareness of their environmental impact. They provide a comparative ranking of the publisher’s total carbon footprint, their programmatic supply chain, and how their footprint breaks out among ad selection; media distribution; and creative delivery. 

Another valuable resource is a study conducted by Fifty-Five titled The Carbon Footprint of Media Campaigns. This public study examines the carbon emissions generated by a one-month mock omnichannel media campaign. The fascinating part of this study is how they were able to analyze the emissions from the four digital channels they chose to include. In their findings, they discovered that 323 Tons of CO2e were released over the course of one-month. However, if advertisers take sustainable digital advertising best practices into account, they can bring that total down on average 32% to 218T. 

Sustainability and Advertising: A Win-Win Partnership

Every impact, whether large or small, makes a difference in the climate issue. It is important that we spread awareness and resources to educate ourselves, and our industry, on the ways we can each drive change. In the context of programmatic supply chains, MFA (Made for Advertising) sites and ad-cluttered platforms are much less environmentally friendly—and on top of that, advertisers typically avoid these sites anyway. 

So, an incentive makes itself clear; a more efficient campaign is a cleaner campaign, and a cleaner campaign is a more effective campaign. All in all, understanding areas of improvement while maintaining the integrity of our campaigns can lead to bottom line improvements and notable environmental impacts. Next time you are in planning or see an innovative media placement, I invite you to explore the associated carbon journey and how you might be able to include sustainable digital advertising practices into your value chain. 

Grace Alimo, Paid Social Media Specialist

The world of social media is always changing. It is reshaping how we connect, how we share information, and how businesses engage with their audiences. These platforms are innovating faster than ever, driven by new ways users behave, technological advancements, and ever-intensifying competition for user attention (or “advertiser attention” depending on your angle). Keeping up with these endless platform changes isn’t just important; it’s absolutely vital to make sure your social media strategy remains modern, highly adaptable, and high-performing.

Here is how the recent updates on Meta, Reddit, and Snapchat will shake up how you advertise:

Meta Expands Ad Placements with Threads

Meta has officially launched Threads as a new ad placement for all global advertisers, released just three months after initial testing phases. This development enables advertisers to leverage Meta’s ecosystem more effectively, allowing them to seamlessly extend existing campaign creatives and target users directly in their Threads feeds. The strategic value here is multifaceted: it presents a prime opportunity to capture an audience that might be more active on Threads compared to other Meta properties, and potentially achieve more favorable CPMs as this new inventory matures and competition for placements develops. 

While the integration is simple with a new placement section in Ads Manager, optimizing performance on Threads requires a new approach. Threads has a large and engaged user base of over 130 million monthly users, primarily consisting of young adults between 18 and 34, with a notable skew towards male users. This audience offers strong cross-platform potential, with a significant portion also being active on Facebook (70%) and Instagram (51%). Creative content must be adapted to authentically resonate within Threads’ predominantly text-based and conversation-focused environment. 

Advertisers are observing that initial ad performance on Threads often aligns with upper-funnel objectives, such as reach and engagement. Advertisers can utilize Meta’s Advantage+ platform for automated optimization, with Threads now being a default inclusion for new campaigns. Advertisers who may be worried about Brand Safety and maintaining a manual approach may want to add this to their list of things to check on before launching new campaigns. 

Reddit Rolls Out Smarter Optimization Tools

Reddit, a platform often recognized for its unique, community-driven audience and high user engagement, is enhancing its Ad Manager with the introduction of new automated optimization insights and an “Optimization Score.” These in-stream recommendations are designed to empower advertisers to maximize their ad spend and improve campaign performance. The system leverages systematic analysis of Reddit’s ad response data and content interactions, providing guidance directly within the advertiser’s dashboard. 

A core component of this update is the “Optimization Score,” which assesses an account’s adherence to Reddit’s best practices. For accounts scoring below an 80-point threshold, the platform will proactively highlight specific areas for improvement, offering tailored tips to refine ad setups. This initiative not only aims to streamline the optimization process but also helps advertisers more effectively engage Reddit’s product-savvy audience, capitalizing on the platform’s growing role in user purchase decisions and recommendations.

Snapchat Bolsters Advertising with AI-Powered Updates

Snapchat is making changes in Artificial Intelligence to significantly improve its advertising capabilities. Key introductions include advanced AI-powered budgeting and bidding options that are designed to automate campaign optimization and enhance efficiency. These tools empower advertisers to set specific target costs-per-action, with Snap’s intelligent system then dynamically allocating spend to the top-performing ad sets within a campaign. This shift towards AI-driven optimization promises to streamline campaign management, reduce manual intervention, and improve overall performance outcomes using Snap’s deep understanding of user behavior and ad response. 

Snapchat’s popular “Sponsored Snaps” are receiving important updates as well, including new call-to-action options, a transition to auction-based delivery to open up more direct engagement, and even collaborations with creator handles. This focus on AI integration underscores Snapchat’s commitment to providing advertisers with smarter, effective, and scalable solutions.

Collectively, these updates underscore a strong industry trend toward more integrated, AI-automated, and data-driven advertising solutions. Adapting your social media strategies to proactively leverage these new placements, optimization tools, and AI-powered capabilities will be essential for unlocking new performance opportunities and maintaining a competitive edge in the dynamically evolving social media landscape.

Gene Begin, Managing Director, CP Education

Three days with colleagues and industry peers at a higher education marketing conference always does two things: confirms challenges are similar no matter the institution and motivates and invigorates marketers to meet those challenges head on. This year’s eduWeb in Portland, Maine was no different. 

AI tips aside (I mean what conference doesn’t cover AI in 2025), three themes I gleaned from the keynotes and session discussions I attended were that institutions needed to prioritize brand clarity, incorporate the strategic use of influencer marketing (insert obvious bias here), and make smart investments in paid media.

Achieving Brand Clarity

Two keynotes focused on brand: “How Brand Clarity Affects Enrollment” with ADV Market Research & Consulting and Bates College and “Does Your Brand Even Matter?” by Ethan Braden, CMCO at Texas A&M.  Both highlighted how understanding your institution’s brand narrative is paramount for reputation, reach and enrollment success. ADV’s research survey of 3500 prospective students exhibited how a brand story is essentially the compelling reason your institution exists and how important it is for a prospective student to see themselves as part of it.

A new Gallup poll shows that confidence in U.S. higher education is actually on the rise, with much thanks deservedly being given upon higher ed marketers. While Braden acknowledged that differentiation in the sector can be challenging due to similar principles, a collaborative industry, and inward-looking influence, colleges and universities have increasingly continued to market the value of higher education in recent years. 

Though industry brand-building has been instrumental, colleges and universities must focus on building their individual brands to see their own success. Ethan shared that to build a memorable brand, an institution should focus on five key principles:

Great brands are built on great insights.

Great brands stand for something and for someone.

Great brands offer outcomes, not features.

Great brands evoke feelings, not just facts.

Great brands tell great stories.

The goal is to enchant your audience, rousing and attracting ecstatic admiration and demand.

The Power of Paid Media Investment

In the research done by ADV Market Research & Consulting, it indicated a strong correlation between ad spend and brand clarity. The schools with the higher paid media investment were more likely to have a brand that resonated with prospective audiences. And as Texas A&M CMCO Ethan Braden reminded us, even the most popular brands in the world need to invest in  media. In 1986, in a speech to his board, Steve Jobs said, “Every brand needs investment and caring.” Nearly 40 years later, all of his remarks, including “It’s a very noisy world”, are extremely relatable to the present day.

In paid media, data can reveal clear pathways to success. That certainly holds true to your own campaigns and historical performance. But industry performance can also help provide some direction. Creative Communications Associates (CCA) led a great session with lessons learned from more than 50 higher ed media campaigns they led in recent years. 

Their top 10 insights from their campaigns were:

Meta was the platform driving most conversions; 98% of conversions were parents.

Sponsored content boosts awareness.

November had the highest number of conversions for undergrad programs; 25% more than the second highest month, December.
– Graduate campaigns’ highest month was January and March was the second highest month; January conversions were 21% more than March.

The best performing ads had graphical treatments and/or campus visuals; the sea of sameness of photos with smiling faces did not perform well.

Traditional media boosted search volume by 20-50%, depending on the channels used; the top performing channel was TV, followed by radio, outdoor and print.

Static images drove more conversions than carousel and video formats; videos drove the most engagement.

Meta’s top targeting tactic was Advantage+; it provided a 20-30% boost in overall performance, including conversions (30% higher) and costs (CPC was 20% less and CPA was 10% less).

For graduate campaigns, LinkedIn was the highest performing platform.
– Conversation ad leads are more likely to apply than not; send the conversation ads from a person rather than the institution.

TikTok drove most traffic to the website when included in the media mix; Meta was second and display was third.

Incentives work; people will give information if receiving something (infographic, guide, thought leadership content, etc).

Embracing Influencer Marketing

While two sessions spoke directly about influencer marketing (our Incorporating Influencer Marketing in Your Media Strategy panel and Maximizing Influencer Marketing by Maya Demishkevich), multiple speakers and attendees also spoke about its growing impact on their campuses and in prospective student recruitment.

In the college search process, prospective students are increasingly looking for authentic voices. In the research from ADV Market Research & Consulting, social media content not directly managed by the college, such as posts from current students, ambassadors, and influencers, were more highly desired than branded social media content. 

The emphasis in content should be on the student experience, tailored to specific student affinities. Be sure to use influencers of all kinds, ensuring you’re representing underrepresented groups, students from non-traditional backgrounds and programs that may not have the strongest marketing budget. And think of activating staff, faculty and external audiences such as college counselors to showcase different perspectives and relate to families and guardians who may be exploring the institution.

We all can have anxious feelings around these types of big life changes and this is one of the biggest purchase decisions for any family. Authenticity can be more important than ever to limit that anxiety. And an insider perspective for those who don’t have access to visit firsthand can go a long way in making prospective audiences more comfortable throughout the college search process. As the ADV team shared, people connect with and respond to stories, much more than data points. By leveraging the authentic voices and stories of those who are experiencing or have experienced your institution firsthand, you can create powerful narratives that resonate deeply with future students.

Enda Gallen, Senior UX/UI Designer

Time is running out. On 28 June 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) becomes enforceable across the EU, bringing with it strict accessibility standards for digital services and products. If your business isn’t compliant, you’re not just risking legal penalties. You’re missing out on a rapidly growing market, damaging your reputation, and falling behind more forward-thinking competitors.

Accessibility is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It’s a business-critical requirement – and the brands that act now will be the ones that thrive.

What Is the European Accessibility Act?

The EAA is an EU directive designed to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to everyday digital products and services – from banking apps to e-commerce platforms, e-books to transport ticketing systems.

First passed in 2019, enforcement begins 28 June 2025, with full compliance for legacy services required by 2030. Crucially, any updates to existing platforms after June 2025 must meet the new standards immediately.

If you offer digital services in the EU and you’re not a micro-enterprise (under 10 staff and €2M turnover), this applies to you. That includes:

• Marketing agencies managing digital properties
• Brands with consumer-facing websites or apps
• Providers of online services like banking, e-commerce, or streaming
• Distributors and importers of electronic goods

Why It Matters: Business Risk and Opportunity

For marketing leaders, brand owners, and digital teams, the EAA represents more than a compliance checkbox – it’s a strategic turning point. Here’s why:

1. Legal Exposure

Non-compliance in Ireland can result in fines of up to €60,000, imprisonment, and personal liability for company directors. Irish regulators are mandated to enforce these rules with teeth.

2. Missed Market Reach

Over 85 million people in Europe live with a disability – a massive market segment. Ignoring accessibility means excluding a sizable and loyal audience with growing buying power. Additionally, SEO benefits of accessible design push you higher in the competitive search space.

3. Brand Reputation

Consumers and partners are paying attention. Demonstrating accessibility sends a clear message about your brand’s values. Falling short risks alienating audiences – and being publicly called out.

4. Innovation and Efficiency

Accessibility drives better design. Think voice interfaces, screen readers, or captioned content – features born from accessible design that now benefit everyone.

5. Competitive Advantage

While many businesses scramble at the last minute, those who act now gain the edge. You’ll launch faster, iterate better, and scale with confidence – all while meeting your compliance obligations.

What Compliance Actually Requires

The EAA requires that digital services are:

• Perceivable – content is accessible in multiple ways (e.g. alt text, captions)
• Operable – usable without a mouse (e.g. keyboard navigation)
• Understandable – intuitive, consistent, and readable
• Robust – compatible with assistive technologies

These principles are closely aligned with WCAG 2.2 Level AA, the international benchmark for digital accessibility. The success of each principal can be empirically verified through its success criteria, meaning the path to compliance is clear, measurable, and achievable.

The Act means your websites, mobile apps, online platforms, self-service kiosks, and customer support systems must be accessible by default, and stay that way through every product iteration. While this may seem like a major challenge, you have a partner ready to help!

Your Digital Partner in Compliance – and Beyond

At Connelly Partners, we don’t just help you avoid risk – we help you unlock opportunity.

Our team of accessibility-certified UX designers, strategists, and developers work hand-in-hand with your internal teams to ensure your digital ecosystem is compliant, accessible, and high-performing. Here’s how we deliver value:

• Accessibility Audits – Identify WCAG and EAA gaps across your digital products
• UX and UI Redesign – Create intuitive but compliant interfaces without sacrificing creativity
• Accessible Design Systems – Build scalable component libraries for consistency across channels
• Brand Accessibility Guidelines – Align accessibility with your visual identity and tone of voice
• Accessibility Compliance Monitoring and Maintenance – Ongoing support to ensure compliance, even as your products and services continue to grow and evolve

Our approach doesn’t just tick boxes. We future-proof your platforms and position your brand as a leader in accessible design.

Ready or Not – The EAA Deadline Is Approaching

With the imminent launch of the EAA, now is the time to act – don’t wait to scramble for compliance. The businesses moving today will be the ones who build trust, gain market share, and lead the next generation of digital experience.

We’re here to guide you through every step – from audit to implementation, strategy to scale.

Let’s make accessibility part of your competitive advantage.

Ready to make your business accessible to all? Talk with Connelly Partners today.

Vaunnie McDermott was appointed Managing Director of Connelly Partners’ Dublin office in 2018. She has overseen the growth of the agency to a 50 person team in Ireland and led the integration of ZOO Digital. Under her leadership, the Dublin office has become a key hub for Connelly Partners—a global agency with offices also in Boston and Vancouver.

What are your main priorities and goals in your role?

My goal is for Connelly Partners to be recognised as Ireland’s most effective advertising agency—one that delivers commercial growth for our clients through standout, strategically-led creative solutions to their business challenges. My priorities are twofold: drive strategic business growth and continue building a high-performing, future-ready team. That means continuing to invest in upskilling, particularly around emerging tech like AI, while creating an environment where talent feels supported, inspired, and empowered to do their best work.

What are your biggest challenges as a business leader?

Companies across the country are facing challenges around the speed of change – and our challenges are no different. It’s about staying agile, always finding new solutions and acknowledging that previous processes and ways of working may no longer be of value. Managing teams and driving organisational culture with hybrid working, balanced with rising costs of running a business.

What have been your highlights in business over the past year?

The past year has been a real turning point for us. We welcomed new creative leadership with Sam Moorhead and Mikey Fleming as Co-Creative Directors, joining legendary Executive Creative Director Mike Garner and digital specialist and Creative Director, Chris Preston. We have other exciting additions coming soon too. We’ve had some major new business wins, including Waterways Ireland, University of Galway, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth, and being added to the HSE agency framework. The merger with ZOO Digital has made us one of the largest independent full-service agencies in Ireland, and having the support and insights from our teams in Boston and Vancouver allows us to deliver meaningful work that resonates both locally and internationally.

Where do you want your business/brand to be this time next year?

A year from now, we hope to be operating on a bigger, more connected scale. Not just growing our team, but working smarter. We’re currently exploring a new office space that encourages creative collaboration across disciplines and makes it easier to work face-to-face with our clients. We want collaboration to be less of a scheduled event and more a part of how we work every day.

Our goal is for clients to see us not just as their agency, but as a trusted partner—someone they can count on to help them move their business forward and understands the commercial goals of their business.

Over the past few years, we’ve focused on breaking down silos between teams, offices, and even countries to deliver the best thinking, quickly. Next year, we want to keep building on that—going deeper into the industries we know best, fine-tuning how we work, and staying one step ahead so we can help brands do the same.

What new trends are emerging in your industry?

AI is constantly evolving in our industry and everyday new tools are available. The challenge/opportunity is to use AI effectively and efficiently for our clients – using human minds to prompt and curate the technology to augment our talent and get the reliable results our clients need to keep them ahead of their competitors.

What are the challenges facing the industry going forward?

One of the biggest challenges is the sheer volume of content competing for attention. In a world of constant change and content overload, brands are under enormous pressure not just to stand out—but to truly connect. Our response is to think outside of traditional advertising. It’s about understanding what motivates your audience’s behaviour and building campaigns that are culturally resonant, not just creatively clever. This is especially important to reach younger audiences. They expect brands to show up authentically, in the spaces they already occupy, with ideas that feel relevant.

This shift demands more from agencies: more agility, more integration, and a deeper understanding of both the customer journey and the world our audiences live in. It also challenges agencies and clients to move beyond the brief and become true strategic partners.

Are there any major changes that you’d like to see in your sector?

I’d like to see the reframing of the client/agency relationship so agencies are seen as a strategic investment on the P&L, not just a transactional service that costs money. Too often, the conversation still starts with cost and ends with deliverables. That mindset limits what we can achieve together. Agencies should be viewed as growth drivers, not suppliers.

Our job is to see around corners for our clients. We bring a deep understanding of consumer behaviour to the table, and when that’s combined with the client’s brand expertise, it becomes a powerful partnership. That’s where real impact is made—and where our value lies. It’s time we moved the conversation on from hourly rates, and towards measurable impact and long-term value. When we’re aligned around growth, everyone wins.

As an employer, are you finding any skill gaps in the market?

What we’re noticing isn’t so much a lack of individual skills—it’s a gap in how brands are able to keep up with the pace of change, especially when it comes to delivering consistently across the full customer journey. Too often, efforts are still fragmented—different partners for different channels, each with their own priorities. That slows things down and makes execution harder than it needs to be. That’s why, back in 2021, we set a clear goal: to simplify things. We wanted to remove the friction of working across multiple agencies, verticals, and markets. So we expanded strategically, made acquisitions, and built out new capabilities to offer everything under one roof. Now, our clients have one agency, one partner, one call.

We understand how each piece of the customer journey connects—from awareness to conversion to retention—and our teams are set up to move with that full view in mind. It’s not just about having the right skills; it’s about having them all work together seamlessly. That’s where we’ve seen the biggest difference for our clients—and it’s why we’ve built the model we have today.

How do you keep your team/staff motivated?

Culture has always been a commitment at Connelly Partners—not a buzzword. Staying aligned on values and building a strong internal identity around our mission and vision is key to keeping teams engaged. People need to know why they’re here, and why they’d choose us over another agency. That clarity and sense of purpose makes a real difference.

We also invest in initiatives that support both personal and professional growth. One example is CP Abroad, which gives team members the opportunity to work from any of our global offices. It’s been a huge motivator—broadening perspectives, deepening collaboration across hubs, and reinforcing our commitment to being a truly connected, international agency.

What is the best advice you have been given, or would give, in business?

Control what you can control…. Find a way to get back into a flow mindset where you are at your best. Focus on how you can get the job done and not be overwhelmed by the deliverables because with a clear calm mind, you will do a much better job.

Check out the full article from Business & Finance here.

There’s nothing quite like seeing a client’s hard work recognised on a major stage. We couldn’t be prouder to share that Bus Éireann swept The Changemaker 2025 awards, winning both the Marketing Initiative award and the coveted Overall Winner title for their brilliant “My best move, yours too” campaign.

The Marketing Initiative category honours those who have delivered powerful messaging that not only drives results but also resonates deeply with their audience, creating memorable and meaningful connections

How Connelly Partners Transformed Bus Éireann’s Recruitment

Connelly Partners delivered a game-changing recruitment campaign for Bus Éireann that went beyond traditional job advertising. Facing a nationwide talent shortage and urgent need for workforce diversification, the “My Best Move, Yours Too” campaign reimagined how public transport could attract and inspire career changers.

The Challenge

Bus Éireann confronted a dual problem: scaling their workforce while addressing significant gender imbalance in operational roles. Traditional recruitment methods weren’t delivering the volume or diversity needed, particularly among women who didn’t see themselves reflected in the industry.

The Solution

Rather than generic job ads, Connelly Partners centered the campaign on authentic employee stories, real drivers who had changed careers and found purpose, stability, and joy in public transport. This emotional storytelling approach reframed bus driving from a routine job into a fulfilling, future proof career path.

The campaign strategically deployed across multiple channels including VOD, digital audio, Meta, TikTok, and media partnerships, using data driven targeting to reach career changers and underrepresented groups.

Results

The campaign delivered exceptional outcomes: a 5x increase in applications, female driver representation rising to 11.2%, and 25% of trainee drivers now being women.

Beyond numbers, the campaign shifted perceptions, challenged stereotypes, and created lasting emotional connections between the brand and its people, proving that purpose driven marketing delivers measurable business impact.

This win reinforces something we’re passionate about: great marketing isn’t just about clever creative or smart strategy in isolation. It’s about bringing both together in service of something bigger, creating work that matters to real people and drives real change.

Have a look at the work below:

Nick Cronk, Co-Managing Director, CP West

The world’s premier tech conference is an overwhelming experience which requires athletic footwear and a well-organized calendar. Packed with talks, workshops, seminars, networking and social events, some 17,000 attendees gathered to ingest as much as they could on all things tech, digital and web.

The event is huge for the city of Vancouver, validating its already burgeoning tech scene and drawing thousands of visitors from across the globe. Here are my key takeaways from a dizzying few days:

1) No One Has a Clue About AI
Quite simply, I didn’t hear or speak to one person who has figured it out yet. We’re firmly in the infancy phase of discovery, and will be for some time. While there is (rightly) much hype around the possibilities of what it can do, we’re spinning in a world of trials and tests, with existing applications and uses remaining rudimental. The infinite incantations of where and how it manifests in your marketing world is paralyzing, so much so that actual implementation is slow. There’s no doubt, however, that if you can navigate this chaos, identify that sweet spot and take a leap into some unknowns, the net result and benefit will be huge. Attempting to do that as a side project or initiative means you’re going to come up short. It needs serious commitment, dedicated resource and courage to avoid the pitfalls of the discovery cycle.

2) The Agentic Age Cometh
This is going to fundamentally challenge the way we think of the customer journey, marketing funnel and experience within a frighteningly short space of time. While they might not yet be able to take out the trash, we’re increasingly familiarizing ourselves with the capabilities of AI agents to make other menial tasks a thing of the past. From booking flights or hotel rooms, to your weekly supermarket shop, the days of how consumers interact with brands, especially in the purchase stage, are about to experience a drastic change, comparable to the arrival of the internet. Brian Yamada sums up the opportunity well when speaking about Bionic Brands, where the marketers who win will find ways to increase relevance and personalization at scale. This isn’t just about making the future even more frictionless, it’s actually about using technology to make it more human.

3) ROI Is Dangerous
Marketers are increasingly falling into a trap where they chase efficiency and optimize for the incremental, says Joey Camire. It makes us myopic, he adds, leading us to do the same activity over and over again to maintain the status quo. Outcomes can be explained, good or bad. But in doing so, other critical metrics fall to the wayside: lessening differentiation, thwarting innovation, worsening customer experiences, and making it near impossible to drive significant growth. This isn’t to say that taking un-calculated risks is the solution, but instead a reminder to challenge ourselves as marketers to pursue opportunities outside of the ordinary. A timely reminder too, given the latest report from WARC (June ‘25), which explores Why Marketing Needs A New Measurement Mindset, and outlines how to embrace real-world nuances to help marketers make confident decisions. 

As we grapple with the AI revolution and re-evaluate our measurement mindsets, one thing is clear: the future of marketing demands not just adaptation, but bold imagination. What’s your next brave leap? Let’s talk.

Gene Begin, Managing Director, Connelly Partners Education
Erin Mullaney, Media Director
Kim Mazejka, Sr. Media Planner

Colleges and universities are vying for the attention of prospective students who are bombarded with information from every angle. While “performance media” (driving leads, opportunities, applications, etc) is a must-have in a shrinking education-seeking market, institutions must also embrace a comprehensive, full-funnel advertising strategy to build a foundation for that performance, especially due to the intensifying market competition. 

The number of graduate and online programs grew 69% from 2005 to 2022 nationwide. Notably, online/hybrid programs alone contributed to 78% of the year-over-year program growth between 2021 and 2022, according to the Postsecondary Equity & Economics Research Project.

In my role, I’ve been seeing more and more institutions focusing on finding performance media partners for these programs, hoping to convince prospective graduate and online students to apply, enroll, and deposit. But do you know how you get them to take those actions? Moving students to action requires understanding the student motivations at each stage of their education decision journey and their mindset in that moment. 

The Power of Awareness: Planting the Seeds Early

Imagine a prospective student who’s thinking about advancing their career but hasn’t yet considered a graduate degree, or perhaps doesn’t realize the breadth of quality online programs available, even in their local area. You must build a relationship with them to first educate that your graduate and online programs actually exist, with the hope you will be one of the half dozen or less institutions they typically apply to. 

Awareness-building strategies are about planting seeds. They’re about getting your institution and its programs on the radar of individuals who might not even know they need you yet. In a saturated market with few differentiators between programs, being first and loudest can win consideration and loyalty, generating more “warm” prospects for future conversion. This isn’t about immediate ROI, but about long-term pipeline development. Given that more competition leads to increased costs, stronger awareness and wider reach allows for more prospects to enter the funnel and can lower your conversion costs at the bottom of the funnel.

For Graduate Programs: Think about the working professional looking to upskill, the recent undergrad considering further specialization, or even someone contemplating a career change. Are you reaching them through thought leadership content, articles highlighting industry trends your program features and benefits address, or even broad-reach digital campaigns showcasing the impact of your students and alumni?

For Online Programs: The online learning landscape is vast and sometimes overwhelming. Awareness campaigns can highlight the flexibility, quality, and diverse range of your online degrees, differentiating you from the myriad of options available. This could involve showcasing student success stories, highlighting the expertise of your online faculty, or addressing common misconceptions about online education.

Moving to Consideration: Nurturing Interest

Once awareness is established, the next step is to move prospects into the consideration phase. This is where you provide more detailed information, address specific needs, and demonstrate the value proposition of your programs.

Targeted Content: For graduate programs, this might involve info sessions and webinars featuring program directors, virtual open houses, detailed program brochures, or alumni testimonials that speak to career advancement.

Authentic and Personalized Experiences: For any and all programs, this could first be done through influencer marketing. We have seen student and alumni influencer content outperform branded content for all of our partners, given that it is more immersive to the prospective student seeing what their life might look like if they enroll. And for online programs, deeper personalization could mean offering free sample modules, virtual tours of your online learning platform, or personalized consultations with admissions advisors who can address concerns about work-life balance or technology.

Retargeting Campaigns: For both, effective retargeting of individuals who have shown initial interest (e.g., visited a program page, downloaded a brochure) can keep your institution top-of-mind and guide them further down the funnel.

Optimizing Performance: Converting Intent into Enrollment

Finally, performance media comes into play. This is where you convert engaged prospects into inquiries and applicants and ultimately, enrolled students.

Clear Calls to Action: Streamlined application processes, easy-to-find financial aid information, and clear deadlines are paramount. So much improvement still needs to be made to university websites to ensure they are clear, concise and easy to find next steps.

A/B Testing: Continuously optimize your ad creative, your CTA copy and your landing pages to ensure they are as effective as possible in driving conversions.

CRM Integration: Seamlessly connect your advertising efforts with your CRM system to nurture leads and provide personalized communication throughout the application journey. While some systems and institutional processes are easier than others to connect the dots, it’s absolutely essential to eventually measure the return on your ad spend and investment.

Caution: if you only play in the conversion part of the funnel, it’s about who can outspend, not outsmart. You and your competition are vying for much of the same audience on the same platforms using the same algorithm. Awareness media can sometimes be less expensive, can properly penetrate your target audience, and can ensure you are top of mind and/or on their short list when they decide it’s time to apply.

The Bottom Line: Invest in Your Future Pipeline

By embracing a full-funnel strategy, colleges and universities can:

Expand their reach: Tap into new audiences who may not have previously considered higher education or your specific programs.

Build stronger brand recognition: Establish your institution as a leader and innovator in key areas to create more memorable associations.

Develop deeper pipelines: Ensure a consistent flow of qualified leads for all your programs, cross-promoting when necessary.

Maximize ROI: While awareness campaigns may not show immediate returns, they significantly enhance the effectiveness of your performance media in the long run.

Moving students to action requires media choices and tactics that students will intersect with at each stage of their decision journey. Our holistic approach requires consistency with brand but flexibility in message, thinking outside the ad, measurement at each stage, and respecting how people consume media today.

JoAnne Borselli, Group Brand Director

There’s a shift happening this summer that’s going to have a much louder impact than people realize: significantly fewer Canadians are traveling to the U.S.

According to Tourism Economics, visitation from Canada is expected to drop by 20.2% in 2025, part of a broader 9.4% decline in international arrivals. At first glance, it might seem like just a tourism issue. And it is. But it’s also much bigger than that.

Canadian travelers are a steady, reliable presence every summer, especially in key destinations in the Northeast and border regions across the northern portion of the U.S. They’re not just filling hotel rooms and lining up at attractions — they’re shopping, dining and spending in communities that count on their return year after year. So when they don’t show up, the ripple effect is real.

According to USA Today, a 10% dip in Canadian tourism alone could cost the U.S. $2.1 billion in spending and put 140,000 jobs at risk. That’s not just hotel and airline jobs — it’s restaurant staff, retail workers, drivers, seasonal employees and small-business owners who build their year around summer.

We’ll definitely feel it here in Boston, and in classic summer tourist towns in Massachusetts like the one where I live part of the year. Canada is Massachusetts’ No. 1 international tourism market during the summer, and when those visitors don’t come, it shows: fewer bookings, emptier tables, lighter foot traffic. It all adds up. For many local businesses, summer isn’t just the busy season. It’s make-or-break.

And the truth is, the impact doesn’t stop when vacation season ends. Less visitor spending means less local revenue. It affects everything from job creation to city budgets. And it’s often the smaller, family-run businesses without deep pockets or backup plans that feel it the most. When their income shrinks, so does their own household spending, creating a cycle that touches everything from grocery stores to gas stations.

For businesses that rely heavily on Canadian visitors, it’s easy to feel like this shift is completely out of their hands. But while you may not be able to change the border traffic, you can take steps to adapt your marketing strategy and build resilience during the slowdown:

• Lean on your own customer database to re-engage past Canadian customers directly.
  Use your own data to reach out with personalized offers. Highlight what makes your business worth the trip, and consider adding incentives like loyalty perks, bundled packages or flexible booking terms to help bring them back.
• Tell your story in a way that resonates with values.
  People choose destinations that feel authentic and connected. Share what makes your business unique — whether it’s a generational family story, your commitment to sustainability or the ways you support your community. These narratives build loyalty through human compassion and connection.
• Double down on U.S.-based local markets.
  With cross-border travel down, look closer to home. Target customers in nearby regions that are within a few hours’ drive. Emphasize convenience, value and the kinds of experiences people can’t get elsewhere, especially for weekend getaways or spur-of-the-moment summer plans.
  

These kinds of efforts won’t replace lost international traffic overnight. But they can help stabilize revenue, deepen connections with your audience and position your business for stronger recovery down the road.

Because the bottom line is this: when travel slows down, a lot of other things do too. That’s why it’s so important to keep the bigger picture in mind. Travel isn’t just a business sector — it’s a spark that powers so much more.