CASE Presents: Creative approaches to increase engagement-Presentation (Warwick)

Presentation (Warwick)

Pdf Summary

The Warwick University brand campaign “Infinitely Curious,” developed by Harbinder Sangha and Helen Thorne, illustrates how creative storytelling can boost engagement while maintaining academic integrity. The campaign addressed key contradictions: Warwick’s bold, interdisciplinary research deserved public recognition without overclaiming or sounding generic. Rather than highlighting tidy breakthrough outcomes common in research communications, the campaign focused on the human, creative research <strong>process</strong>, emphasizing curiosity as a core behavior aligned with Warwick’s values.

“Infinitely Curious” became the organizing idea—a mindset and behavior rather than a slogan—that enabled distinctive, authentic storytelling. The visual identity used collage techniques to symbolize interdisciplinary, nonlinear discovery and creativity, diverging from typical university imagery. The flagship 30-second video combined motion design, bespoke sound, archival footage, and a poetic voiceover to represent researchers’ journeys with emotional resonance, appealing both to academics and the broader public.

The campaign’s long-form storytelling expanded this approach by combining disciplines, voices, and media to offer nuanced, accessible insights into research processes. A strategic media plan prioritized quality of engagement over broad reach, deploying the hero video across high-attention platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, Spotify, Sky AdSmart, and culturally adjacent outlets (e.g., Vogue, The Guardian). This approach also included direct interaction through Reddit AMAs and large-format outdoor ads.

Results demonstrated strong impact: 10 million paid impressions, 36,000 microsite visits, a surge in search terms, efficient video views, and high engagement rates (LinkedIn organic engagement at 7-8% vs. 2% HE average; newsletter sign-ups at 34% vs. 6% benchmark). Internally, the campaign fostered behavioral change, with researchers actively seeking feature opportunities and faculties embracing the identity.

Key lessons emphasize grounding campaigns in authentic tensions and behaviors, leveraging a unifying idea expressed consistently through creative elements, focusing on a powerful hero asset, producing meaningful long-form content, matching channels to audience habits for quality attention, and ensuring distinctiveness to stand out in a crowded higher education landscape. Ultimately, “Infinitely Curious” exemplifies how creativity and curiosity can spark genuine engagement with academic brands.

Keywords

Warwick University

Infinitely Curious

brand campaign

creative storytelling

academic integrity

interdisciplinary research

curiosity

visual identity

media strategy

audience engagement