Promoting Higher Education in UK FE Colleges: A Collaborative Opportunity
The College Marketing Network (CMN) is spearheading a unique collaborative marketing project to boost Higher Education (HE) student enrolments in Further Education (FE) colleges. This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for FE colleges to increase awareness of their College-based Higher Education (CbHE) offerings at a fraction of the cost of running independent campaigns.
Background and Purpose
This project is a direct response to feedback from CMN member colleges, addressing the challenge of increasing CbHE recruitment with limited marketing budgets. External research highlights the critical need for colleges to expand their CbHE offerings to meet growing demand for higher-level skills in the UK economy.
Why Participate?
The UK’s CbHE market, valued at £1 billion, presents a significant opportunity for FE colleges. With advantages like smaller class sizes, more affordable tuition, and practical, hands-on learning, FE colleges offer a unique proposition to HE students. However, they face increasing competition from HE institutions, compounded by limited awareness of CbHE.
This project is designed to address these challenges by giving colleges access to professionally developed, high-impact creative assets at a fraction of the cost. By participating, your college can gain access to a tailored campaign, be part of a national initiative to increase FE’s share of the HE market, and receive cost-effective marketing tools to enhance your recruitment efforts.
Background Research
Taking Higher Education Further: Widening Opportunity through College Based Higher Education, published by Lifelong Education Institute in partnership with the Mixed Economy Group.
UCAS projects that by the end of the decade, we could see up to a million students apply for higher education (HE) across the full range of Level 4 and above opportunities.
>>> Read the full article here
According to the Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2024 from the Learning and Work Institute, record numbers of adult learners are taking part in learning with 56% stating their main learning motivation is linked to work or career.
The Project
Based on feedback from CMN member colleges, we’ve chosen video content as the core of this campaign due to its effectiveness in engaging audiences across digital and social media platforms. As well as the video content (see list below), you will also get still images and sample copy to support the implementation of the creative across all your marketing channels.
The project is divided into two parts. Colleges can choose to participate in Part 1 only, which provides access to all creative assets for use on their existing marketing channels. If budget allows, colleges can also opt into Part 2 for additional exposure through TV advertising.
Part 1: Creative Assets
We will create a comprehensive suite of professional materials, including videos, social media shorts, still images, and sample copy for your marketing channels. Your college’s brand (logo and URL) will be featured on the end screen of the creative, ensuring personalised engagement across digital and social platforms. The messaging will focus the positive impact CbHE can have on a person’s career/earnings/life.
Creative assets will include:
- 1 x 60-90 second campaign film (for social media, YouTube pre-roll, website, email, etc.)
- 1 x 30-second TV ad (for TV, social media, website, etc.)
- 3 x 15-second short-form videos (perfect for Reels, TikTok, etc.)
- 3 x 6-second bumper ads (ideal for social PPC/organic)
- A selection of still images
- Sample copy for use across your marketing channels
Part 1: £1,500 +VAT. (Please note, you can just participate in part 1 only).
Part 2: TV Advertising
Enhance your reach with targeted ITVx advertising tailored to your local audience, maximising visibility within a 10-mile radius of your college. This optional phase includes clickable ads on smart devices with detailed tracking for precise campaign measurement.
The ITVx advertising package includes:
- Approx 103,000 impressions over 4 weeks during August 2025
- Ads targeting adults aged 20-50 within a 10-mile radius of your college (this can be adjusted per college)
- Clickable ads on smart devices with UTM tracking for easy measurement in your Google Analytics
Part 1: £4,000 +VAT.
Project Timeline
We are working on the project as we speak! The creative development is underway and colleges are signing up to participate. The overall project timeline is:
- May/June: Creative development and production
- June/July: Creative assets available to participating colleges for use across usual marketing channels as part of your summer campaign.
- August: ITVx campaign goes live (Part 2 optional)
Project Management
The project will be managed by Emma Wilde, Exec Director at CMN. Emma has over 20 years experience working in FE marketing, with 10 years at senior level, so is well versed in campaign management and understands both the needs of college marketing teams and their target markets.
Get Involved
If you’d like to know more about the project, please contact Emma Wilde, Exec Director, CMN by:
- Email: emma@m-network.org
- Teams: book a time for a call
To participate in this collaborative project, your college must be a member of the College Marketing Network. If you’re not yet a member, we encourage you to join CMN to gain access to this valuable opportunity and all the resources and support that come with membership.
Deadline: Express your interest by 6 June 2025.