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USP College

Welcome Day Campaign.

Background

USP College’s Welcome Days are a vital part of their recruitment strategy, giving prospective students a taste of college life. In 2024, relying solely on social media had disappointing results, with lower attendance and reduced enrolments.

Working with Formara, USP College turned things around in 2025 with a multi-channel campaign that combined personalised print with digital touchpoints. The campaign didn’t just increase attendance, it went on to receive national recognition, winning Gold for Mail Performance at the Strategic Mailing Partnership Awards 2025.

The Challenge

USP College needed to reverse the decline in attendance at its Welcome Days. Digital-only promotion wasn’t breaking through with 15 to 18 year-olds, and there was a need to reach both students and their parents with clear, compelling invitations that would encourage sign-ups and attendance.

The college wanted a cost-effective approach that would:

Increase registrations and attendance
Engage parents and carers alongside students
Deliver measurable results that supported funding goals

The Solution

Formara worked closely with USP College to deliver a data-driven, multi-channel campaign that engaged households and built excitement:

Personalised Direct Mail: Each of the 3,947 registered students received a personalised printed letter in a vibrant, branded envelope. The letter included a unique QR code leading to their own registration page.
Seamless Integration with Digital: The mailer was supported by personalised follow-up emails, SMS reminders and engaging video content.
Parental Engagement: Parents and carers received their own emails to encourage participation.
Sustainable and Efficient Production: Litho printing combined with mono digital overprinting and optimised postal rates kept costs low and minimised waste.
Thoughtful Follow-Up: A personalised “Good Luck” postcard was sent to every student ahead of GCSE results day, reinforcing the college’s supportive message and encouraging later registrations.
Peer Influence: A “Bring a Buddy” initiative invited students to bring friends, boosting attendance further.

“This campaign shows the power of thoughtful design in driving engagement. Keeping it simple and personal made sure the materials were visually appealing and easy to respond to. That balance helped turn registrations into attendance”

- Greg Edwards, Lead Graphic Designer, Formara

The Results

The campaign achieved exceptional results:

Registrations: 64% of the student database registered for Welcome Days (2,539 students).
Mailing Impact: 2,158 registrations were driven by the mailing versus 381 from email.
Attendance: Increased by 25% year-on-year, with 1,765 students attending Welcome Days (up from 1,417 in 2024).
Funding Impact: The additional 348 students attending compared to the previous year equated to nearly £1.8 million in additional funding for USP College.
Award Recognition: The campaign’s outstanding performance and measurable results were recognised with Gold in the Mail Performance category at the SMP Awards 2025.

“This campaign demonstrates the power of personalised mail when combined with digital. We’re proud to have supported USP College in achieving such meaningful results and delighted that the campaign’s success was recognised nationally.”

- Andy Pond, Managing Director, Formara

“I thoroughly admired the multi-channel approach to this campaign, and the consideration that mail may not only be seen by the recipient but, due to the life of mail, be shared with the prospective student’s inner circle of influencers (parents, grandparents, siblings) and that thanks to the power of mail in commanding authority through tactile quality, clearly demonstrated in this example, it feels official and impossible to ignore, only heightening the chances of conversion. A thoroughly well-executed communication piece from channel-choice to design, format and production.”

- Rob Flannery, Sales & Marketing Manager, Nutshell Creative

You're invited to talk to us!

The USP College Welcome Day campaign is proof that well-targeted, personalised print can deliver exceptional results for education providers.

Want to see similar results for your next campaign?