Case Study: University of Southampton achieves stronger emotional resonance in student recruitment with Savanta

University of Southampton boosts quality applications with Savanta

The University of Southampton, a leading research-intensive university, needed to move beyond factual rankings to understand the emotional drivers behind prospective students' decisions. Their challenge was to identify these factors to inform a more engaging undergraduate recruitment campaign. They partnered with the market research agency Savanta (specifically YouthSight, now part of Savanta) for this strategic insight.

Savanta implemented a multi-stage research approach, beginning with an online community of target students to uncover key emotional drivers, many of which surprised the client. They then conducted creative workshops to test campaign concepts and segmented the market for targeted messaging. The outcomes included a new campaign with real emotional resonance, reflected in an increase in quality applications. Additionally, the project boosted internal stakeholder appreciation for strategic marketing. Savanta was instrumental as the chosen research agency throughout the entire project.

University of Southampton