Driving Engagement: How Delta Academies Trust Boosted Open Evening Success with Strategic AdVan Campaigns

Case Study: Delta Academies Trust (Delta)

Overview

Delta Academies Trust is a dynamic Multi Academy Trust (MAT) that operates primarily in Yorkshire and the Humber, with a network of 57 academies. Delta prides itself on its philosophy of building a family of schools, supported by strong governance and highly talented leadership across its academies and central team.

The Challenge

In late August 2024, Delta’s Marketing & Communications Manager reached out to Forefront to support their Open Evenings campaign, scheduled to start in September. Delta had not previously utilised AdVans or DigiVans and was looking to pilot an AdVan campaign for one of its flagship institutions, The Vale Academy — a secondary school with a Post-16 provision in North Lincolnshire.

The Solution

Forefront collaborated with Delta to plan a strategic AdVan route for the initial five-day campaign. This plan targeted high-footfall locations such as key supermarkets and feeder schools within the academy’s catchment area. The Delta marketing team took charge of creating engaging video and static content, which was displayed across all three sides of the AdVans, ensuring maximum visibility and impact.

Results and Expansion

The initial five-day campaign was a resounding success, leading to Forefront being selected as the preferred provider for Delta Academies Trust. Building on this success, Forefront expanded its AdVan campaigns to multiple academies within Delta’s portfolio to include: Darton Academy, Hanson Academy, The Laurel Academy, Lincoln Castle Academy and The Vale Academy.

Over a five-week period, the campaigns covered a wide geographic area, including North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. As a result, the AdVans reached an audience of over 200,000 people.

Future Initiatives

The success of these campaigns has led to an ongoing partnership with Delta, with Forefront now supporting their 6th Form Open Evenings in November through targeted DigiVan campaigns. The goal moving forward is to deepen this partnership and increase the number of academies utilising AdVans for their 2025 student intake.

Impact

The 2024 AdVan campaigns have proven to be an invaluable resource for Delta Academies Trust, with some academies reporting a 50% increase in Open Evening attendance, leading to a significant rise in new student enrolments compared to previous years. This success highlights how Digital Out-Of-Home (DOOH) advertising offers organisations high-visibility opportunities to connect with their target audiences — in this case, prospective students and their parents.