Engagement and Marketing Activities

Summary of Requirement

The University of Kent has appointed a single strategic media agency partner to deliver an integrated programme of search and social activity, media planning, marketing optimisation, and insight services to support Clearing and in‑cycle recruitment activity. The contract will run from mid/end April 2026 through to the end of April 2027, covering the full recruitment cycle including Clearing, ECD deadlines, and the lates period.

Background and Context

This is additional advertising spend to that already committed as part of the contract, now in two phases. The first is for us to purchase additional out of home advertising in South London and Kent, additional Google pay per click advertising, and some other additional media, including Sky TV streaming, a presence on the Guardian's education website and a pilot of Chat GPT advertising. The second, following budget approval at EG on 6 July 2026, is for a further round of additional advertising investment, to spend more on out of home advertising in London and secure additional presence on TV streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+ and All4. This uplift also enable sus to promote our Kent Business School in the London area, with specific funding to focus on this specific institutional strength. This will improve:

Integration

Agility

Performance

Fragmentation across planning, optimisation, and reporting has reduced our ability to respond quickly to market shifts and has limited the impact of our media investment. This challenge has been intensified by external factors affecting applicant behaviour and market confidence:

The meningitis outbreak in the Kent region and associated high‑profile press coverage, which may have negatively influenced local applicant sentiment during a critical recruitment window.

Increasing volatility in international recruitment, driven by visa uncertainty, policy changes, and heightened global competition.

Shifting behaviours among domestic students, particularly those from widening participation backgrounds, who are increasingly choosing to study closer to home due to cost‑of‑living pressures and a desire for stability.

Given these conditions, a fragmented media approach presents a material risk to achieving recruitment targets.

A continuation of services iwth the incumbent supplier will enable:

Faster decision‑making and more agile in‑cycle optimisation

Reduced duplication across planning and reporting

Clear accountability for performance

Greater efficiency in budget deployment

Improved strategic coherence across domestic, postgraduate, and international markets

The time‑sensitive nature of Clearing and the need for continuity from April onward mean that running a full competitive procurement process at this stage would introduce unacceptable operational and recruitment risk.

Objectives for the Supplier

Our media agency will support the University in delivering against ambitious targets across undergraduate, postgraduate, and international markets. Key objectives include:

Increasing awareness and consideration among priority audiences

Driving high‑quality traffic to key landing pages

Generating enquiries, event registrations, and applications

Supporting conversion from Offer Holder to enrolment

This direct award is for additional funding.