From the Nominator

Ella's video, leveraging trending audio, showcases our innovative approach. We aimed to demystify Welcome Week, particularly for international students, by providing a genuine student perspective. This resonated deeply, achieving an exceptional engagement rate of 6.65% on TikTok and 8.98% on Instagram, far exceeding industry benchmarks. Our strategy, driven by research and collaboration with current students and digital agencies, has evolved into a rolling campaign management process aligned with the student recruitment journey. We have transitioned from corporate videos to student-led content, significantly increasing engagement. On Instagram, video engagement rose by 45.3%, and on TikTok, by a remarkable 682%. Beyond engagement, we prioritized student development, providing valuable career opportunities through competitive recruitment processes and ongoing mentoring. Our "Videos on a Shoestring" approach demonstrates that high-impact content can be created with minimal resources (£3,000 for 107 videos), proving that authenticity outshines high production values. This approach, integrated with paid strategies, has strengthened our brand and set a new standard for engaging prospective students, as evidenced by our successful 2024 conversion campaign, which saw significant increases in undergraduate and postgraduate firm choices and accommodation applications.

From the Judges

Even within a trend, this video shows how creativity can shine through in fresh and unexpected ways. It is a superb example of students being the co-creators of their own experience. The final product is polished and well-executed. It’s clear that some thoughtful planning went into this, and it was carried out in a professional manner. The results speak for themselves.