MARKETING STRATEGY | CREATIVE DIRECTION | DESIGN
The Make It Happen campaign was created to reverse declining enrollment and reposition Maricopa Community Colleges as the most accessible, valuable path to higher education in Arizona.
The Maricopa Community Colleges have served Arizona for over 60 years, growing into one of the largest community college systems in the nation.
Make It Happen: Rebuilding Trust, Reigniting Enrollment
Marketing Strategy
Creative Strategy and Design
Roles
Education
Industry
The Make It Happen campaign was a multi-year, full-funnel marketing initiative for the Maricopa Community College District (MCCCD), one of the largest community college systems in the nation. As Chief Marketing Officer and Creative Strategist, I led the campaign's strategy and execution to reposition the District as a high-impact, accessible educational option — reaching students of all ages, backgrounds, and academic goals.
Overview
From 2019–2022, community colleges faced steep enrollment declines due to pandemic disruptions, a strong job market, rising costs, and increased competition. MCCCD needed to reverse downward trends in leads, applications, and enrollments—efficiently and measurably.
Challenge
We deployed a data-driven, omnichannel approach, evolving each year to meet privacy regulations, market trends, and student needs:
Performance Marketing (Demand Capture): Search, social, display, landing pages, retargeting
Brand Building (Demand Creation): Billboards, OTT, radio, video storytelling, bilingual creative
Reputation Marketing: Faculty and alumni spotlights, student success stories, values-driven messaging
Audience Segmentation: Campaigns targeted high school grads, adult learners, career switchers, and university visitors
College-Specific Customization: Creative and media tailored to each college’s priorities and fields of interest
Strategy
The campaign featured real students, faculty, and alumni making change in their lives—delivered with authenticity and cultural relevance, including Spanish-language adaptations. The primary visual anchor was the Make It Happen logo lockup system, customized for each college and adaptable to virtually any program, message, or audience. Paired with photography and copy tailored to specific goals, it created a consistent yet flexible brand presence across all channels.
Creative
The Make It Happen campaign contributed significantly to Maricopa’s brand equity and enrollment pipeline — even during the most volatile periods in higher education marketing. By aligning media, messaging, and measurement, we built a resilient marketing engine that adapted to changing student needs, media behaviors, and privacy regulations.
This work set the stage for a unified District brand, drove millions in revenue, and created a lasting perception of Maricopa as a place where students from all walks of life can — truly — make it happen.
Impact
