Athabasca University

The Challenge

After years of flat admissions, AU risked losing ground in an increasingly competitive landscape. Prospective students encountered confusion at every stage, from discovery to enrolment, while marketing efforts lacked the energy and clarity to inspire action.

As a decentralized institution with international reach, AU needed to reconnect with its brand, reimagine how it spoke to learners, and create digital experiences that could attract, convert, and retain students in a digital-first era.

Our Approach

We partnered with AU to transform both its brand and digital ecosystem—uniting research, strategy, and execution into one collaborative effort:


• Brand Strategy & Identity – Together with leadership, we refined AU’s vision, mission, and values, honoring its pioneering roots while positioning it for renewed growth.
• Personas & Journey Mapping – By listening deeply to current and prospective students, we revealed hidden friction points and opportunities to build trust across the student journey.

• Technology & Data Analysis – From the LMS to CRM, registrar data to advertising platforms, we uncovered gaps and breakdowns that hindered AU’s ability to connect with learners.

• Collaborative Engagement – Through interviews and workshops, we built alignment across teams—ensuring solutions were designed with, not just for, the institution.

• Phased Implementation – We prioritized high-barrier pages for immediate impact, delivering new structures and content that unlocked measurable results

The Results

Our partnership reignited AU’s momentum and repositioned it as a leader in digital-first education:


• Enrollment Growth – AU recorded its first admissions increase in nearly a decade.

• Reenergized Brand Identity – Faculty, staff, and students rallied around a refreshed mission and clarified positioning.

• Breakthrough Digital Experiences – Journey-informed site architecture and content removed barriers, driving both conversion and retention.

• Smarter Marketing Performance – Campaign optimizations and automation opened new pathways to engage and convert prospects.

• Strengthened Student Connection – Enhanced dashboards, collaboration tools, and engagement strategies laid the groundwork for a richer learning experience.

Together, we helped AU move beyond stagnation to rediscover its pioneering spirit, proving what’s possible when a university dares to lead in a digital-first world.