WGU Case Study
PR to Inform: Thought Leadership Drives Earned Media for WGU Indiana
With growing competition among established online universities as well as traditional colleges that began offering more online courses during the pandemic, WGU Indiana needed a way to stand out to its target student demographic.
In 2019, Dittoe Public Relations was hired to manage WGU Indiana’s public relations and social media efforts. Through a well-crafted strategy, Dittoe PR uses regular thought leadership opportunities to educate WGU Indiana’s target audiences about higher education and workforce development challenges, solutions and more.
Challenge
WGU Indiana is a nonprofit, accredited, online university that serves students from all different backgrounds, particularly those who are not well-served by traditional colleges. As Indiana’s first state-endorsed online university, WGU Indiana serves more than 5,000 students spanning all 92 Hoosier counties.
WGU students are often adult learners with 81% of the student population working full- or part-time while earning their degree.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning became an even more prominent fixture in our education system, helping students reach their goals and climb the career ladder in a flexible, “go at your own pace” environment. The pandemic also prompted many workers to change careers, requiring them to go back to school to learn new skills.
With growing competition among established online universities as well as traditional colleges that began offering more online courses during the pandemic, WGU Indiana needed a way to stand out to its target student demographic.
The University began looking for a public relations partner who could tell its story in a meaningful way and establish an ongoing cadence of thought leadership opportunities to demonstrate its expertise in higher education. The momentum of consistent thought leadership opportunities had fallen flat in recent years, and previous PR engagements lacked impactful results.
Solution
In 2019, Dittoe Public Relations was hired to manage WGU Indiana’s public relations and social media efforts.
Through a well-crafted strategy, Dittoe PR uses regular thought leadership opportunities to educate WGU Indiana’s target audiences about higher education and workforce development challenges, solutions and more. Target audiences include adult learners, non-traditional learners (those who are not likely to select a four-year college) and workers in healthcare, education, IT and general business.
Dittoe PR consistently and proactively secures media interviews, contributed byline articles, letters to the editor, op-eds, award nominations and speaking engagements. The agency also co-writes monthly LinkedIn articles for the WGU Indiana Chancellor as another way to leverage her voice and build her digital footprint.
To achieve its thought leadership goals, Dittoe PR utilizes targeted, tailored media outreach specific to each market. In addition, local spokespersons, including students and alumni, are leveraged for expert interviews and human interest media pitches. Within one thought leader campaign, the agency may write 10-15 different media pitches to ensure each outlet is provided the topic, information and spokespersons most relevant to them.
The tactic that has been most impactful in driving thought leadership opportunities for WGU Indiana is newsjacking, or interjecting the University’s voice into current events and news stories. Dittoe PR takes national discussions and localizes them, often offering a different lens than what other leaders are saying about the issue.
Media Opps
Dittoe PR consistently and proactively secures media interviews, contributed byline articles, letters to the editor, op-eds, award nominations and speaking engagements.
Targeting
Dittoe PR utilizes targeted, tailored media outreach specific to each market.
Newsjacking
Dittoe PR tactfully interjects the University's voice into current events and new stories.
WGU Results
The success of Dittoe PR’s thought leadership efforts for WGU Indiana and WGU’s Central Region is measured by volume and impact. It is often the hyperlocal, community-based media outlets that reach WGU’s target audience in rural and lower income areas, as well as those where non-traditional students reside and who lack access to traditional higher education institutions.
From January 2021 through June 2022, Dittoe PR has achieved the following results for WGU Central:
“Contractually, we pay Dittoe PR to work for us. In reality, in my three years at WGU, it has always felt more like we pay Dittoe PR to work with us. The collaborative nature in which we work with the agency is special. While we provide the desired direction, goals and results for all the things we do, we know that passing along those wishes is the foundation of something greater. And it’s never felt like pushback, or our agency trying to steer us another direction, or discourage any ideas. It’s always creative conversation that takes our ideas to greater heights. Dittoe PR is a partner, in every sense of the word.”
Corey Elliot
WGU INDIANA
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