VisionPoint Marketing is proud to announce that our partner College of The Albemarle won a silver NCMPR Medallion Award in the Social Media or Online Marketing Campaign category. This award celebrates the success of the “Better Skills. Better Jobs” campaign, a collaborative effort aimed at empowering adult learners to pursue better opportunities through education.
The Power of “Better Skills. Better Jobs.”
This adult learner-focused campaign was designed to address the unique challenges that adult learners face when considering a return to the classroom. With the tagline, “Better Skills. Better Jobs,” the campaign provided a clear and compelling message: An education from COA leads to tangible improvements in life through better skills, better jobs, and ultimately, a better future.
The campaign took a direct approach, helping potential students see the possibility of a life-changing education without feeling overwhelmed by the process. Whether it was gaining confidence in their ability to balance work and family or exploring career pathways like aviation technology, COA’s messaging made higher education feel achievable for adult learners.
Original photography featuring actual COA adult students brought the ads to life, helping prospective students visualize themselves in the classroom and on the path to a better future.
Reaching Adult Learners With Targeted Campaigns
A successful campaign like this would not have been possible without the close collaboration between College of The Albemarle, VisionPoint Marketing, and the John M. Belk Endowment. Together, we developed a strategy that connected with adult learners on a personal and emotional level, using real stories and practical outcomes to make their educational dreams feel within reach.
Our strategy focused on three key segments of adult learners:
- Individuals returning to school after a life change.
- Working adults seeking to advance their careers.
- Military personnel or veterans transitioning to civilian careers.
By focusing on these specific groups, the campaign addressed the need for affordability, flexibility, and clear career outcomes – three critical factors in the decision-making process for adult learners.
Campaign Performance and Impact
From summer 2023 through summer 2024, the “Better Skills. Better Jobs” campaign ran across the state of North Carolina via five community colleges (including COA). After just six weeks in-market, the campaigns helped deliver a total of 159 enrolled students across the five schools – a welcome sight amid the hemorrhaging declines from 2020.
Along the way, we drove over 1,300 conversions, 15,000+ clicks, and more than 3 million impressions at a benchmark-beating $53 CPA, providing the colleges with a much-needed jolt in awareness and engagement ahead of the pivotal fall recruitment cycle.
The success of the “Better Skills. Better Jobs” campaign is a testament to the power of strategic partnerships and audience-centric marketing. VisionPoint Marketing is honored to have played a role in this award-winning effort, and we look forward to continuing our work with College of The Albemarle to support their mission of transforming lives through education.
As we celebrate this NCMPR Medallion Award, we remain committed to helping institutions like COA make a lasting impact on their communities through innovative marketing strategies.
