Strategic Media Agency Services for University Recruitment

The University of Kent is seeking to continue its engagement with a strategic media agency partner to deliver integrated search, social media, and advertising services supporting undergraduate, postgraduate, and international recruitment activities from April 2026 through April 2027. This is additional advertising investment beyond existing commitments, split into two phases: Phase 1 (April-July 2026) includes out-of-home advertising in South London and Kent, additional Google pay-per-click advertising, Sky TV streaming, Guardian education website presence, and ChatGPT advertising pilots. Phase 2 (post-July 2026) adds further investment in London out-of-home advertising and TV streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, All4), with dedicated funding to promote Kent Business School in the London area. The services address fragmentation in media planning, optimization, and reporting that has limited responsiveness to market changes. Current recruitment challenges include regional sentiment impacts from the meningitis outbreak, volatile international recruitment due to visa uncertainty, and shifting student behavior driven by cost-of-living pressures and preference for studying locally. The agency will improve integration, agility, and performance through faster decision-making, reduced duplication, clear accountability, and strategic coherence across all markets. Key objectives include increasing awareness among priority audiences, driving high-quality traffic to landing pages, generating enquiries and applications, and supporting conversion from offer holder to enrollment. The time-sensitive nature of the recruitment cycle necessitates continuity rather than a competitive procurement process.