Earlham has exceptional ornithology resources—renowned faculty, museum access, research opportunities, and 500 acres of preserves—but none of this was being marketed directly to students passionate about field science and ornithology. I identified that gap and developed the Birding Campaign to reach students who would thrive at Earlham, but didn't yet know it existed.
I led the campaign end-to-end, including:
Researching market opportunity and pitching the strategy to leadership
Developing and managing the $10k campaign budget and rollout plan
Designing the landing page, UX, and collaborating on implementation
Producing ad assets and messaging
Negotiating podcast placements, influencer partnerships, and outreach efforts
Coordinating faculty, students, alumni, and enrollment stakeholders
Strategy & Approach
The campaign combined storytelling, targeted outreach, and digital visibility.
Message Positioning: Focused on belonging, mentorship, and opportunities in field science.
Creative Direction: Clean, nature-forward visuals that highlighted our preserves, travel and research, and birding community.
Distribution: A mix of influencer partnerships, podcast and YouTube ads, a landing page, and paid search.
Community Integration: Leveraged national youth birding groups and existing alumni networks to create organic momentum.
Execution
A dedicated landing page featuring videos, student stories, curriculum highlights, and Earlham's unique resources.
Wrote and produced a suite of ads optimized for YouTube advertising.
Identified and negotiated podcast placements with high-reach birding and science creators to maximize impact within budget.
"This episode is brought to you by Earlham College. If you or a young birder in your life is thinking about college, put Earlham on your list! Located on a major migration flyway and surrounded by nature preserves, explore your passion with brilliant faculty through research, fieldwork, and travel around the globe. At Earlham, science, discovery, and joy take flight. Learn more at earlham.edu/birding."
Science of Birds
American Birding Podcast
Led the alignment of messaging and launch timing across campaign channels, including coordinated social content.
Impact
The campaign generated strong engagement from students interested in environmental science, birding, and research-focused academic pathways. We saw meaningful increases in landing page activity and conversations with young birders’ groups, and it positioned Earlham as an institution for scientifically motivated nature-loving students.