The University of Northampton is a leading UK-based, higher education institution that has won the prestigious Gold standard in Teaching Excellence Framework
Challenge
A well-conceived university prospectus can be a highly influential tool for attracting prospective students to apply for admissions. Especially important is that a prospectus can be accessed by young people, in an age where they have a window to the world through their mobile devices. The University of Northampton understood this and wanted to combine the traditional with the digital – by employing a dynamic and amendable online publishing platform that complemented their more traditional print prospectus.
With the university in the process of building a new campus and moving from its current locations by 2018, there was also a compelling business need to create a prospectus, with global reach, where content could be easily and swiftly updated.
With Better than Paper, we now have a powerful sales tool that will help us improve student engagement and ultimately benefit our recruitment activities.
Owen Morris, Head of PR and Corporate Communications, University of Northampton
Seeking expert help
Better than Paper’s online publishing platform was selected to convert the university’s print prospectus into a real time, digital platform that engage prospective students – across the mobile, tablet and desktop landscape.
Better than Paper was favoured over alternative solutions as it offered more than just a publishing solution. Its self-service cloud tool features integrated CRM functions to create a digital prospectus that offers a meaningful and interactive dialogue with prospective students. This can be achieved through targeted, personalised student-orientated content, integrated analytics, location based services, social network integration and push notifications. All these features promised to make the prospectus work harder for the university’s investment.
Better than Paper ensured that the university’s digital prospectus can be delivered across IOS and Android – as they are the largest device platforms used by prospective and current students. A web version has also been created to ensure that it’s open to all target audiences and resides on the university website.
Achieving top results with Better than Paper’s online publishing platform
The university can now edit and publish in real time, allowing for latest news, case studies and open day content to be updated, which can then be instantly pushed out to prospective students globally. New courses can be added into a digital prospectus, which is impossible with a paper copy – without incurring further expense. The digital prospectus allows the university to access global student markets at fraction of the cost when compared to print distribution.
I would recommend Better than Paper’s publishing platform to any HE institution looking to improve the way they communicate and connect with potential students. Their innovative solution is simple to use and also significantly reduces our print production and distribution costs.
Michael Williams, Assistant Director marketing & market research