As one of the youngest universities under the banner of the Indian Institute of Management, IIM Tiruchirappalli has made quite a mark both in terms of quality of education and graduates. With an intake of 50 students only, IIM Trichy had to make each admit count. Challenged by the abysmal number and quality of applicants, they turned to One MG - could we help them find the brightest minds who could form a successful cohort together?
While targeting to generate applicants atleast 3x the size of the cohort, we started to better understand and map out our target audience - from their job profile to their hobbies. On further segregation, we identified different target personas and deepened our communication touchpoints with each group - personalising content and messaging to drive action.
Each ad was integrated with a chatbot to familiarise prospects to the scope of the course interactively. To generate high-quality leads, we understood we had to not only seek out applicants with high-intent and potential but design a conversion funnel that would incorporate this understanding. Each application would be measured as a ‘conversion’.
Our interaction began when any prospect downloaded the program brochure. We initiated a highly-efficient and intuitive lead nurturing strategy across platforms like emails, WhatsApp and a chatbot. Generating a high volume of leads required better grade assessment - using chatbot surveys, we undertook lead grading.
We understood that driving conversions would require anticipating and empathizing with the ‘application inertia’. After deducing the triggers behind the inertia through chatbot surveys and live ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions with IIM professors and alumni, we nurtured the prospects through a mix of personalised communication and resources until they were confident enough to apply.
In partnership with One MG, IIM Trichy was able to connect with an audience that aligned with the offerings of their Executive MBA Program over 4 years. While successfully generating leads even through the pandemic, One MG recognised that unprecedented times called for positioning IIM Trichy as the thought leader it was.
With ‘Vision 2023’, we aspired to connect leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs with the promise of an upward spike for markets that studies were predicting. One MG moulded its messaging to motivate prospective applicants to leverage this for their career. In the midst of a global pandemic, IIM Trichy was teaching MBA-aspirants important lessons even before admittance: the importance of being future-positive in the face of a crisis.
Impressed with the impact One MG delivered over four consecutive years, IIM Trichy’s partnership with us is an ongoing one. Through a global pandemic, varying market conditions and an increasing volume of competitors, we have managed to deliver - 6x increase in leads and 3.5x increase in applicants for the program. Delighted with this consistent delivery, IIM Trichy is now considering inaugurating a second batch for the Executive MBA program.
