1. Tell us about your company and the problem it solves, or its benefit to learners or educators.
VDX.tv is a global video advertising technology company that focuses on transforming traditional TV advertising by extending its reach into the digital realm—creating interactive, cross-screen experiences that captivate and engage consumers wherever they are. Audiences consume media across an array of devices, where in turn advertisers are facing the challenge of delivering consistent messaging to the right audience. VDX.tv addresses this by offering advanced, addressable TV and digital video solutions that customize content for specific households, ensuring that advertising is not only widespread but also highly relevant. By merging traditional broadcast TV with digital interactivity, the company helps brands transition smoothly from awareness to consideration and ultimately to action. VDX.tv has a team of education experts that focuses solely on this sector, and our core education solutions are specifically designed and customized to address this field’s varied challenges and your organization’s unique situation. For example, one of our education solutions addresses college consideration. Each year, over one million students apply to attend universities nationwide, and their decisions are heavily influenced by other household members. VDX.tv magnifies consideration of a particular college to all household residents via their TV and subsequently on their personal devices.
2. Tell us about your area of expertise and how your knowledge or work enhances the field or the edtech industry.
With over 13 years of experience in digital advertising, I’ve had the privilege of navigating the evolving landscape of the educational sector. My journey began during my time at university in Sydney, Australia, where I recognized the stark differences in the experiences of higher education students across the globe. The intricacies of recruitment cycles, particularly in the U.S., fascinated me, and I found myself drawn to the role digital advertising plays in supporting prospective students and their families through this unique process. For nearly 10 years, I’ve served as a Senior Account Manager with VDX.tv, providing key support to the Client Partnership team. In this role, I’ve built and maintained strong relationships with both agency and direct clients, helping them navigate complex digital strategies. I work closely with our operations team to ensure the seamless execution of campaigns, analyzing performance data and tailoring reports to provide clients with meaningful insights. Throughout my career, I’ve predominantly focused on the Higher Education and early learning sectors, working with a number of prestigious institutions, including Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education, Wharton Business School, University of Chicago School of Business, and Cornell University, among others. These partnerships have been instrumental in shaping my understanding of the educational space, where I’ve learned to adapt to different marketing needs, from on-campus recruitment to online degree programs.
One of the biggest challenges I faced early on was the limited use of video creatives within higher education campaigns, especially compared to more traditional display banners. To overcome this, I took the initiative to educate both internal teams and clients on the value of video at various stages of the recruitment funnel. By showcasing successful case studies from online degree program institutions, I helped prove the impact of video advertising in engaging prospective students.
My key strengths lie in my ability to stay ahead of the digital landscape, ensuring that I understand the latest trends and challenges within the educational sector, and lastly to always ensure that clients feel valued and understood, fostering partnerships that go beyond the transactional.
3. Explain a problem in running an edtech company or selling products or providing service in the space that is related to the work you do?
In the realm of Higher Education marketing, the appeal of lower funnel goals (those enticing immediate actions like applications or enrollments) can be persuasive. However, focusing solely on these objectives without nurturing the upper funnel stages of awareness and consideration often dilutes campaign outcomes. The initial stages are crucial for identifying and engaging a relevant audience who will ultimately show a higher propensity to pursue their higher education journey.
The Pitfalls of a Lower Funnel-Only Approach:
When Higher Education institutions prioritize lower funnel tactics, they target individuals ready to make immediate decisions. This strategy overlooks the importance of:
- Educating Potential Students: Many prospects are in the exploration phase, seeking information about potential universities and programs. Without adequate awareness campaigns, institutions miss the chance to introduce themselves to a broader audience, limiting their reach and potential applicant pool.
- Building Relationships: Higher Education is a significant commitment. Prospects need time to trust and value an institution’s offering. A focus solely on conversion leaves little room for developing this crucial relationship, making it harder to convert them in the long run.
The Strategic Advantage of Awareness and Consideration:
Integrating awareness and consideration stages into your digital strategy offers multiple advantages:
- Expanded Reach: Awareness campaigns increase your visibility among potential students who may not yet have considered your institution.
- Enhanced Targeting: By engaging students early in their decision-making process, you can use data and interactions from these stages to refine your targeting strategies, focusing on those who show genuine interest and fit for your programs.
- Increased Engagement: Providing valuable content and interactions during the awareness and consideration phases helps build a connection with potential students, making them more likely to choose your institution when they’re ready to apply.
Implementing a Balanced Campaign:
To effectively balance lower and upper funnel strategies, consider the following steps:
- Segment Your Audience: Understand the different needs and behaviors of your audience segments. Tailor your messaging to address students at various stages of their decision-making process.
- Utilize Diverse Content: Leverage a mix of content types, such as informational blog posts, virtual tours, webinars, and testimonials, to nurture potential students from awareness to application.
- Leverage Data Insights: Use analytics to track engagement and adjust your strategies accordingly. Understanding which types of content and which channels drive interest and engagement will help you optimize your approach.
By engaging potential students early and nurturing them through their decision process, Higher Education institutions can build a more robust, interested applicant pool, leading to higher-quality enrollments. This balanced approach not only enhances the reach and effectiveness of digital campaigns but also supports the long-term goals of the institution. Higher Education marketers need to embrace a holistic view of the student journey to attract more engaged and committed students, ensuring institutions thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.
4. What are 3-5 specific tips to solving that problem?
We don’t want to take away the importance of lower funnel goals for higher education institutions, but there is a prominent way of approaching Upper Funnel strategies through building a successful Connected TV (CTV) strategy. Unlike traditional TV, where measurement often relies on broad estimates, CTV provides actionable insights into how audiences engage with an institution’s brand. Here are the key metrics that should be prioritized:
1. Reach & Frequency: The Foundation of Awareness
- Why it matters: Brand awareness doesn’t happen overnight. A strong reach and frequency strategy ensures that prospective students and decision-makers see an institution’s messaging multiple times throughout the application cycle.
- What to track:
- Unique households reached
- Frequency of ad exposure per household
- Optimal frequency thresholds (too few impressions may be forgettable, too many may be overwhelming)
2. Lift in Brand Search & Website Traffic
- Why it matters: CTV’s role in the application funnel is to increase brand awareness and intent, leading students and their families to explore an institution further.
- What to track:
- Increases in branded search terms (e.g., “XYZ University admissions”)
- Direct traffic spikes to the institution’s website post-ad exposure
- Application page visits and engagement metrics.
3. Attribution & Cross-Device Impact
- Why it matters: Many prospective students see a CTV ad but take action later on a different device. Attribution modeling helps marketers understand the true impact of CTV on student interest and applications.
- What to track:
- Multi-touch attribution (MTAs) that link CTV exposure to actions on mobile or desktop
- Pixel-based tracking to identify user journeys from CTV ad to inquiry forms or applications
5.What other advice do you have for professionals working in edtech?
Understand Your Audience: Education is a unique field with specific challenges, goals, and audiences. Whether it’s K-12, higher education, or lifelong learning, understanding the nuances of each segment is crucial. This means knowing the decision-makers, the end users (students), and the educational outcomes they aim to achieve.
Develop Strong Relationships: Building trust and relationships is key, especially when dealing with educational institutions that might be wary of new technologies or marketing approaches. Show that you understand their challenges and can offer solutions that align with their educational goals.
Focus on Data and Outcomes: In digital advertising and edtech, data is king. Demonstrate how your solutions can lead to measurable improvements in educational outcomes or enrollment numbers. Be prepared to track, analyze, and discuss data related to campaign performance and learning outcomes.
Be an Ethical Marketer: Marketing within education requires a delicate balance. Ensure that your strategies and tools ethically support educational goals without compromising the integrity of educational content. Avoid overselling and focus on how your product genuinely aids in learning or administration.
Advocate for Accessibility: Ensure that the digital solutions you provide are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. This not only broadens your market but also aligns with educational principles of inclusivity and fairness.
Sharing these insights can help others in the field approach their roles with a more informed and sensitive perspective, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes in the intersecting realms of education and digital technology.
