The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio, United States. It is part of the University System of Ohio.

Challenges

Challenges

The University of Akron needed to establish a stronger presence in Vietnam and Indonesia, reaching prospective students who had limited familiarity with the institution and its academic opportunities.

Communicating Across Different Cultures

A direct translation of existing marketing materials would not be enough. The campaign needed to reflect the motivations, expectations, and cultural context of each market while maintaining a consistent university identity.

Connecting a Fragmented Recruitment Journey

Awareness, information, lead generation, qualification, and follow-up needed to operate as one connected system rather than as isolated marketing activities.

Managing Leads at Scale

The campaign required an efficient process for responding to thousands of enquiries, identifying genuine interest, and connecting qualified students with university representatives without overwhelming the admissions team.

Communicating Across Different Cultures

A direct translation of existing marketing materials would not be enough. The campaign needed to reflect the motivations, expectations, and cultural context of each market while maintaining a consistent university identity.

Connecting a Fragmented Recruitment Journey

Awareness, information, lead generation, qualification, and follow-up needed to operate as one connected system rather than as isolated marketing activities.

Managing Leads at Scale

The campaign required an efficient process for responding to thousands of enquiries, identifying genuine interest, and connecting qualified students with university representatives without overwhelming the admissions team.

Background

Background

The University of Akron partnered with Platty to develop a multichannel international student recruitment campaign focused on Vietnam and Indonesia.


The strategy combined localized creative campaigns, Meta and Google advertising, public relations, email communication, a dedicated Southeast Asia microsite, an online student community, automated lead qualification, and centralized performance reporting.


Rather than running a standalone advertising campaign, we created an integrated recruitment ecosystem designed to guide students from their first interaction with the university through to enquiry, qualification, and appointment scheduling.

Our Approach

Our Approach

Market-Specific Campaign Strategy

We developed localized messaging and creative assets for Vietnamese and Indonesian audiences. Campaign themes were aligned with the priorities of each student segment, including career advancement, graduate outcomes, academic reputation, campus experience, international opportunity, and specialized programs such as Polymer Science and Engineering.

Conversion-Focused Digital Experience

We designed and launched a dedicated microsite for Southeast Asia, presenting programs, study areas, visa guidance, university information, and clear enquiry pathways. We also developed an online community with events, groups, forums, and an active content feed to support deeper engagement.

Integrated Multichannel Acquisition

Meta, Google, PR, and email campaigns worked together to expand awareness and capture demand at different stages of the decision journey. Paid social introduced the university to targeted audiences, while search campaigns reached students already looking for opportunities to study in the United States.

Automated Qualification and Follow-Up

We implemented Alice AI, Platty’s proprietary voice and SMS agent, to contact new leads immediately, conduct initial qualification, record interactions, and schedule appointments with University of Akron representatives. This connected campaign activity directly with the recruitment process.

Market-Specific Campaign Strategy

We developed localized messaging and creative assets for Vietnamese and Indonesian audiences. Campaign themes were aligned with the priorities of each student segment, including career advancement, graduate outcomes, academic reputation, campus experience, international opportunity, and specialized programs such as Polymer Science and Engineering.

Conversion-Focused Digital Experience

We designed and launched a dedicated microsite for Southeast Asia, presenting programs, study areas, visa guidance, university information, and clear enquiry pathways. We also developed an online community with events, groups, forums, and an active content feed to support deeper engagement.

Integrated Multichannel Acquisition

Meta, Google, PR, and email campaigns worked together to expand awareness and capture demand at different stages of the decision journey. Paid social introduced the university to targeted audiences, while search campaigns reached students already looking for opportunities to study in the United States.

Automated Qualification and Follow-Up

We implemented Alice AI, Platty’s proprietary voice and SMS agent, to contact new leads immediately, conduct initial qualification, record interactions, and schedule appointments with University of Akron representatives. This connected campaign activity directly with the recruitment process.

Performance
Highlights

Performance
Highlights

2.2M+ People Reached

The integrated campaigns reached more than 2.2 million prospective students across the target markets.


5.1M+ Ad Impressions

The University of Akron’s messaging was displayed more than 5.1 million times, building significant visibility in Vietnam and Indonesia.


124,000+ Clicks

The campaigns generated more than 124,000 clicks, demonstrating strong interest across the different messages, programs, and audience segments.

0+
Leads Generated
Leads Generated
3M+2M+1M+
2M+Leads Generated
W1W3W6W9Now
0+
Ad Impressions
Ad Impressions
3M+2M+1M+
2M+Ad Impressions
W1W3W5W7Now
0+
Clicks
Clicks
130K+100K+50K+
124K+Clicks
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Results

Results

3,705 Leads Generated

The recruitment system converted campaign traffic into 3,705 student leads, with an average cost per lead of $3.18 across Meta and Google.


2,278 Students Contacted

More than 2,200 prospective students progressed into direct follow-up, resulting in 109+ scheduled appointments with university representatives.


The campaign established a scalable international recruitment system for The University of Akron rather than delivering only short-term media exposure.


Localized communication made the university’s proposition more relevant to Vietnamese and Indonesian students, while the combination of paid media, search, PR, digital experiences, and automated follow-up created a clear journey from awareness to qualified conversation.


With more than 2.2 million people reached, 3,705 leads generated, over 2,200 students contacted, and more than 109 appointments scheduled, the project demonstrated that locally informed creative strategy and connected recruitment technology can produce both significant market visibility and measurable student acquisition opportunities.


Beyond the campaign results, The University of Akron gained a reusable digital infrastructure, including the microsite, community, reporting system, and AI qualification process, that can support continued optimization and expansion into additional international markets.

Results

Avexa beat the usual higher-ed nurture numbers by a wide margin.


WhatsApp drip campaigns normally sit at 10–15% response and email nurture at 2–5%. This campaign hit 53%.

0
Leads Generated
Leads Generated
4K+3K+2K+
3.7K+Leads Generated
W1W3W6W9Now
0
Students Contacted
Students Contacted
3K+2K+1K+
2.2K+Students Contacted
W1W3W5W7Now
0
Appointments
Appointments
100+50+10+
100+Appointments
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