Robertson College

The Story

We can all picture the scene: an unhappy and unfulfilled employee, locked away in a cubicle, banging their head against a wall. Unfortunately, this scenario isn’t make belief for many Canadians — it’s a reality. But stuck between a high cost of living and the need to keep their jobs, what can folks do?

It’s one of Canada’s best-kept secrets — but Robertson College doesn’t want their programs to be a secret. It’s why they teamed up with Brandish to create a creative campaign to boost their brand — and Canadians' happiness.

The Problem

As the world has become a more uncertain place, many Canadians have become apprehensive about leaving their jobs to find something more meaningful. Inflation, conflict and quiet quitting have folks staying put. But people still want to adapt and grow their careers and lifestyles.

For Robertson College, it needed to inform its audience that it offered flexible program delivery, allowing students to continue working while hitting the books.

However, 78% of Canadians had never heard of Robertson. We needed to connect the dots between what people desire, and what Robertson offers in a way that will reverse low brand recognition and raise enrolment numbers.

Our Insights

Recent studies have shown that Canadians no longer expect to hold just one job their entire lifetime, let alone careers.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians can expect to hold roughly 15 jobs in their careers, and 73% of Canadians do not expect to remain in the same profession for life. Reasons for shifting were often broad and a combination of factors — 44% were not feeling engaged and experiencing stress, 39% were seeking a salary increase, and 21% had an interest in a different field. 

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Canadian workers are antsy — they want a change but without the risk of having to disrupt their lifestyle. Combined with the insight that Canadians are worried about the economy, we had to create a campaign that addressed their fears while also raising the Robertson brand awareness  —  we needed to tap into an experience that everyone could relate to and own.

Our Solution

The “Don’t Quit Your Day Job” campaign uses the classic idiom, often symbolizing a rash decision that’s likely to fail, and flips it on its head. Don’t quit because you’re levelling up behind the scenes. At Robertson, you can achieve your goals, without overhauling your current way of life.

This messaging directly addresses people's anxieties and concerns about their financial commitments, while also allowing them to level up and re-skill into more fulfilling and higher-salaried jobs.

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We launched the campaign on social media, television screens and spots across our markets on out-of-home billboards to reach our target audiences, often picking locations that workers may engage with while on their commute or during their downtime, such as scrolling through social media.

The Impact

The campaign saw big success in raising the profile of Robertson College — in its first week alone, the campaign had over 300,000 media impressions.

When examining one of their target audiences, Alberta, Robertson saw big increases in leads for potential students across all school streams, ranging from 27% (business) to as high as 68% (health).

Additionally, during the first 30 days of the campaign running, the cost to reach a potential student has dropped by -36% and Robertson has increased their total leads by 34%, spending 14% less in overall advertising. Not only were more prospective students becoming aware of Robertson College, but they were also reaching out to learn more about the institution as well.