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How AP University of Applied Sciences strengthened student recruitment through clear positioning and a full-funnel strategy
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Prospective students often spend months exploring further education options across different channels. They discover institutions on social media, search for programmes on Google weeks later, and only sign up for an open day months later.
For AP, this posed a fundamental challenge: how do you stay top of mind during a months-long orientation phase without relying solely on short-term conversion tactics or a fragmented budget?
The solution wasn’t creating more campaigns, but sharp positioning and a full-funnel strategy that coherently connected brand and performance.
About AP University of Applied Sciences & iO
AP University of Applied Sciences is an educational institution firmly rooted in the Antwerp region. With more than 140 programmes – from associate degrees and professional bachelor's degrees to teacher training and School of Arts – AP offers a broad and diverse range of programmes.
What sets the partnership between AP University of Applied Sciences and iO apart is how it evolved. What started as a marketing and performance partnership has grown into a fully-fledged strategic and eventually technical collaboration. Since late 2025, iO also manages AP's website, coming full circle: from the first ad impression to the page where a student actually registers, the entire digital customer journey is now in the hands of a single partner.
Challenge
AP University of Applied Sciences faced a complex question: how do you efficiently reach different target audiences throughout their months-long decision-making process? They were looking for a strategic partner who could help them approach student recruitment in a structured, data-driven way – across all programmes, campuses and target audiences.
Solution
We opted for an integrated full-funnel online marketing strategy combining brand building and performance. Driven by data and optimised for measurable results.
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From a vague image to strong educational positioning
Before we could roll out the marketing strategy, we had to address a more fundamental problem: AP had an indistinct image in the market. For many prospective students, the brand was not clearly defined, and the strength of its education was insufficiently recognised.
That's why we jointly developed the positioning further: 'Show what you're made of'.
That promise starts with maximum learning gains: a strong degree and the skills to make the most of it. At AP, you don't just develop subject-matter expertise, but also the skills and confidence to truly make a difference in your future career and in society. 'A strong degree and the skills to make the most of it' became the strategic compass for all marketing efforts.
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Full-funnel approach: from first introduction to enrolment
With the positioning in place, we built a marketing approach that guides prospective students throughout their entire decision-making process:
Awareness: via TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and Google, we reach prospective students who don't yet know AP University of Applied Sciences, focusing on brand awareness and positioning.
Consideration: students who show interest are guided further through their orientation process with inspiring content, comparison information and study choice tools.
Conversion: we drive concrete actions such as open day registrations through targeted campaigns.
By investing in awareness and consideration as well as conversion, we created a solid foundation for consistently stronger and, above all, more cost-efficient results.
"The theory is simple; the practice takes courage: a sharp foundation, consistency and the patience to let the work pay off. Thanks to the trust in our approach, we were able to reap the results together with the team of AP University of Applied Sciences. Not only their students – we got to show what we're made of too."
Marie Meyntjens, client lead marketing
Data-driven marketing as a foundation for growth
Central dashboards give us real-time insights into the performance of all channels. Decisions are based not on gut feeling, but on KPIs, benchmarks and concrete insights from monthly reports. The collaboration is built on a fixed annual plan, quarterly business reviews (QBRs) and daily optimisation – with a single dedicated point of contact supported by multidisciplinary expertise.
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The results: greater reach, more enrolments, higher returns
As the fastest-growing university of applied sciences in Flanders, AP sets high standards for every marketing budget. The question at the start of our collaboration was therefore a fair one: is it worth investing in awareness and consideration when direct conversion campaigns are already delivering results?
That critical perspective worked in our favour. Our first annual review gave a clear answer straight away: a broader approach – on the right channels, at the right time – didn't come at the expense of conversions but actually strengthened them.
Greater reach
More website traffic
Better conversion rates
All with a more efficient budget.
Campaign year 2025 — metrics achieved
The budget for open days was reduced by 50% in 2025 compared with 2023, thanks to the decision to invest earlier in the funnel. By investing more in awareness and consideration, the right students arrived at the bottom of the funnel already convinced.
The result: 18% more enrolments, with half the budget.
Over recent years, AP University of Applied Sciences has grown from an institution without a distinct identity into the one of the fastest-growing and most recognisable universities of applied sciences in Flanders. That transformation is the result of a deliberate strategic choice to adopt a positioning that fundamentally differs from competitors’ messaging, and of a carefully designed data-driven marketing approach that improves year after year.
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From marketing partner to strategic partner
iO started by evaluating campaigns and has grown into a strategic partner. Alongside being a marketing partner, we also became the technical partner for the website and contribute to new strategic thinking. This way, the collaboration isn't limited to campaigns but contributes to the long-term growth of AP University of Applied Sciences.
Ready for measurable growth?
Want to structurally build student intake, brand awareness and higher returns on your media budget too? We can help with a data-driven, full-funnel approach that seamlessly connects brand and performance.
Get in touch with one of our experts for an exploratory conversation — no obligation.
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