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Education Trust of Alaska

what we did

INCREASED COLLEGE-IN-ALASKA CONSIDERATION BY PROVING BEST ROI

industry
education

tactics
promotional direct mail series 
digital 

the challenge

Out-of-state high school students with Alaska 529 accounts are a tough audience to reach

and even tougher to motivate. Our job was to increase enrollment intent for the University of Alaska by getting these 9th to 12th graders to seriously consider UA amid relentless, generic college outreach.

we were curious

This successful program had a strong direct mail track record, but we saw an opportunity: could a sharper message, smarter timing, and more relevant sequencing drive a bigger response, especially from juniors and seniors nearing decision time? 

In a crowded category, we needed a reason to choose UA that felt uniquely true and emotionally—and rationally—motivating.

genuine human understanding

High schoolers don’t choose college in a single moment; they grow into it. Juniors and seniors are bombarded by university reach out, so only a timely, repeatable, and compelling message breaks through. With college under scrutiny, value must be proven: less debt, real skills, real outcomes. And the promise must feel lived: belonging, hands-on learning, adventure. 

the wild idea

We reframed UA as more than a degree; it is Alaska.

Using “In Alaska, Your 529 Goes Further, and So Do You” as our strategic idea, we linked Alaska 529 savings to a once-in-a-lifetime college experience: hands-on learning, wild landscapes, and stories worth telling. A progress-based outreach cadence met students where they were, building urgency as decisions approached.

the result

Inquiries increase up to 830% vs prior year during the course of this program.