Lakehead University is a leading post-secondary institution with campuses in Thunder Bay, Ontario (8,000 students) and Orillia, Ontario (1,500 students across 17 undergraduate programs). Since 2019, Shout Media has been a strategic partner, supporting Lakehead’s goal of growing awareness and driving student recruitment in a highly competitive education landscape.

Universities across Canada are facing increased competition for prospective students, with digital channels becoming the primary touchpoint for recruitment. Lakehead needed a partner who could deliver more than ads – they needed a full-service team capable of developing strategic, creative, and measurable campaigns to drive enrollment.

Shout Media delivered an integrated digital marketing strategy that combined:

• Digital advertising across multiple platforms to target prospective students.
• Web development and landing page optimization to convert interest into applications.
• Graphic design, video production, and copywriting to create compelling, student-focused storytelling.
• High-level strategic planning and fulfillment to ensure alignment with Lakehead’s recruitment goals.

The impact has been measurable. Recruitment campaigns consistently delivered increased awareness and conversions. Most recently:

• Thunder Bay campus admissions increased by 4.5% year-over-year.
• Orillia campus admissions rose by 3.6%, reflecting stronger visibility and engagement.

Shout Media has delivered end-to-end marketing strategy and execution for Lakehead University. This has included:

• Identifying audiences, goals, and objectives.
• Designing and producing assets across all major platforms (Google, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, TikTok, landing pages).
• Developing campaign messaging, creative, and video content.
• Building strategies with content calendars, ad buys, audience targeting, and search/display/video campaigns.
• Running and optimizing all campaigns through A/B testing and analytics.
• Supporting reputation management and community engagement.
• Creating retargeting funnels, including automated email campaigns for each stage of the recruitment cycle.
• Delivering detailed monthly reports with clear performance insights (CTR, ROAS, CPC, conversions) using tools like SEMRush, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and Google Ads.

Through this comprehensive approach, Shout Media has not only driven measurable recruitment growth but also helped Lakehead University strengthen its long-term digital presence.

Beyond recruitment, Shout Media has also supported Lakehead with broader brand initiatives, including the 2025 Report to Community campaign and current advertising for Board of Governor applications.

Conclusion
By combining strategy, creativity, and analytics, Shout Media has helped Lakehead University strengthen its brand presence and attract more students year after year.