Wakefield College Scoops National Marketing Award

Wakefield College won the Marketing/Communications Campaign of the Year Award at last night’s TES FE Awards. The marketing team set about raising awareness of the college’s higher education provision, as well as the more general benefits of studying a university level course at college. A multifaceted communications strategy targeted level 3 students internally and externally. It included letters to parents and existing students; open events and clearing campaigns; and a revamped prospectus with a focus on student case studies, which was distributed to local sixth forms. The college also ran a radio campaign, as well as creating newspaper and billboard advertisements, and holding careers events in schools. The college’s approach was praised by the judges who admired its “purpose, performance and precision”. They said: “Wakefield has used an uncommon mix of public relations and marketing channels to achieve its objectives, and has successfully measured and demonstrated outcomes as a result of this activity.” The campaign boosted enrolment, with numbers on the first year of full-time higher education courses rising 40 per cent, foundation degrees and HNDs jumping 21 per cent and top-up degrees rocketing by 175 per cent. The panel congratulated Wakefield College on an entry that “benefited from considerable clarity of objective, execution and evaluation” and said the campaign “sought to address an important, specific problem identified by robust research”. Wakefield College Marketing Manager, Stuart Parton said: “To have the efforts of all the staff and teams across Wakefield College involved in raising awareness of Higher Education in FE, recognised on the national stage in front of our peers was truly amazing.” Over 600 of the UK’s most committed further education professionals gathered to celebrate the sector’s achievements at the prestigious awards ceremony held at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London, on Friday 27 February. Other awards at the glittering black-tie event, hosted by David Baddiel, included prizes for the Teacher of the Year, College of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community. Now in their fourth year, the TES FE Awards celebrate the achievements of the wide range of providers working in learning and skills. Hundreds of FE providers submitted entries for the 13 categories to recognise and reward achievement in employer engagement, innovation in teaching, leadership and entrepreneurship. For more coverage of the awards, full lists of winners, and photos from the evening, please visit www.tesfeawards.co.uk or pick up a copy of TES, available in newsagents from 6 March.