Trinity College, Cambridge
Transforming student engagement through strategic communications
Sector: Education
The client
Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, Trinity College is one of the University of Cambridge’s most distinguished constituent colleges, ranked number one for undergraduate performance.
Alumni include Isaac Newton, Lord Byron, Alfred Tennyson, six British Prime Ministers and 32 Nobel Prize winners, and it has a deservedly strong reputation for academic excellence, particularly in mathematics.
There is a strong focus on student wellbeing and supporting their mental health, and effective communications are crucial to ensure they are kept up to date on news and events.
The project
Strategic communications for student engagement
The services
Strategic communications support
Mentoring and upskilling
Best practice guidance across formats
The numbers
Email opening rates increased to 52%
Student intranet: 314% more visits. Page views increased by 342%
1 messaging framework. 1 bespoke guide to email communications
25 x one-to-one sessions
The challenge
A common problem for undergraduates in particular is that they receive frequent communications - from all directions!
As well as emails relating to their studies, there is useful information from alumni relations, the library, the Chaplains and Tutorial Services. With so many touchpoints, there is a risk of students feeling overwhelmed and missing out on important news or enjoyable events.
It was also felt that it would be beneficial for the Student Engagement Officer to have a more senior marketer to work closely with to develop ideas and to progress in the role.
The focus was on streamlining the communications, developing an approach for consistent, engaging content with approachable and human messaging that would appeal to the student audience, while maintaining the tone of voice and elegant visual style that reflects the academic excellence and prestigious reputation of Trinity College.
The approach
We began by developing a comprehensive messaging framework built around different audiences and objectives which created a solid foundation for all communications activity going forward.
Monthly mentoring sessions supported this, visiting in person to review content plans, assess what had been delivered, and collaborate on engaging content for the academic term ahead.
We conducted a comprehensive review of student emails across departments, then provided templates and best practice guidance to streamline the approach and save everybody time.
Through one-to-one upskilling sessions and graphics guidance we also transformed the Instagram account, creating a consistent style throughout the feed that was recognisably Trinity.
To ensure sustainable change, we delivered individual training sessions in topics such as email communications with staff members across departments.
Finally, we created comprehensive how-to guides to build a handbook, ensuring improvements would continue long after the project ended.
The deliverables
Strategic communications audit
Messaging framework and content pillars
Content planning sessions
One-to-one mentoring
Team upskilling across multiple departments
Template creation and brand guidance
Reporting and progress monitoring
The results
The transformation delivered immediate, measurable impact. Email open rates jumped to 52%, far higher than the sector average of 37%.
The student hub saw 314% more visits during Michaelmas term, reaching 3,000 visitors, with page views up 342%.
Behind these numbers lay fundamental improvements to how Trinity communicates.
We streamlined email communications by merging newsletters and simplifying processes, while creating a consistent Instagram presence with smart, elegant visuals.
Event attendance increased through more effective promotion across all channels, including the digital screens placed around the College buildings.
The changes were built to last.
Time-saving templates created in Word and Canva and colour-coded for each term ensure continuity for years ahead.
Staff confidence grew across all departments involved in student communications, supported by comprehensive documentation that guarantees sustainable improvement.
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Sookio were excellent at adapting to our evolving needs
Working with Sookio was incredibly easy.
From the first meeting where broad outlines of the project were set out, to a wider-team meeting to discuss existing provision, its challenges and our overall aims, to the creation of a bespoke programme of intervention.
Sookio were excellent at adapting to our evolving needs, identifying other areas of support and offering targeted support for the wider student communications.
Would I recommend them? Absolutely.
To anyone who needs help with their communications, whether they have a clear plan in mind, or have broad aspirations and need someone to help them get there.
Head of Academic and Educational Services, Trinity College, Cambridge