NZMA.
From Competing with the Couch to an Abundance of Demand
NZMA & MAi FM
THE BRIEF
NZMA’s target students didn’t trust institutions and didn’t engage with traditional advertising. The real competition wasn’t other training providers — it was the couch.
WHAT WE DID
- Audience data identified Mai FM’s breakfast show indexing at 3.2x the population average with NZMA’s target demographic
- A 24-month content partnership embedded NZMA into the show through student success stories, live campus events, and hosts experiencing training firsthand
- Trusted community voices showed the target audience that NZMA was for people like them
"The right voice in the right community didn't just drive applications - it proved that trust is the most powerful conversion tool in education marketing."
THE IMPACT
- 37% increase in applications — from struggling to attract students to an abundance of demand
- 17% improvement in first-day show-up rates — the metric that mattered most
- Brand perception transformed from intimidating institution to accessible pathway
- Compounding organic advocacy as successful students became ambassadors
Results
37% Increase in student applications