When Cardiff Business School set out to increase awareness for the government-supported Help to Grow: Management Course, the aim was clear: reach more SMEs and business leaders, then convert that awareness into course registrations.
But there was also an opportunity to strengthen relationships between the business school and graduates to lay the foundations for long-term engagement. TMPR recognised that the alumni had the potential to be powerful advocates for the course, as their lived experiences would bring authenticity and credibility to the heart of the campaign.
Challenge
The Help to Grow: Management Course is a 12-module programme designed to support SME leaders in all areas of their business growth and personal development. Its aim is to create a tangible impact for businesses through practical advice, mentoring, and theory.
TMPR knew the measurable effect of the course, as our own Louise Morgan and Tom Martin have experienced it firsthand. The challenge was to cut through a crowded digital landscape to demonstrate the course’s impact and turn that awareness into enrolments for two January cohorts.
As people, we trust our peers. We’re more likely to believe someone’s experience than just promotional copy – and that’s the same when you’re a business leader. We needed to connect with the business community through authentic storytelling that would connect alumni with Cardiff Business School and convert attention into enrolment. TMPR realised that the most persuasive advocates were the ones who lived the course, the graduates.
The story was already there; we just needed the right voices to share it.
Solution
We began with an exploratory survey to gauge alumni interest and identify potential ambassadors.
From there, we developed an easy-to-use digital toolkit with LinkedIn-ready content that could be personalised or simply shared. The ambassadors posted these from their personal LinkedIn accounts to maximise peer-to-peer reach. By utilising genuine experiences from actual alumni, the key messages were amplified, leading to 3 confirmed registrations for the September cohort.
Following that early engagement, we reconnected with interested alumni and conducted in-depth interviews with them to capture their reflections, their experiences of the course, and the measurable effects on their business. We also presented to the current cohort to raise awareness of the campaign and encourage new graduates to become advocates.
TMPR used those interviews to create bespoke LinkedIn content, including carousels, short-form video, and voice recordings, then supported 18 alumni to share their authentic stories on their personal accounts. This approach ensured the content remained genuine and credible, positioning the alumni as trusted voices within their industries who could speak directly to their peers about the course’s value.
Outcomes
From activity pre-campaign to post-campaign, LinkedIn-sourced website sessions increased by 236% – showing that the target audience had resonated with our peer-led storytelling approach.
But the campaign delivered more than just registrations.
Alumni reported feeling ‘in the fold’ and more connected to Cardiff Business School. Many have remained in touch with their cohort and expressed interest in becoming more involved in the alumni network, valuing the opportunity for networking, continued peer engagement, and the ongoing support from the Business School.
Cardiff Business School has now built stronger relationships with its Executive Education graduates, with a digital toolkit and scalable framework that can be used for future cohort promotion.
This project shows the power of alumni engagement. When real business leaders share their stories, credibility follows – and so do the results!
“What TMPR have done with this campaign is add credibility. It’s consistent, and high quality.”
