- Case Study -
Peak Education
Peak Education, a Colorado Springs-based nonprofit that provides educational resources to low-income students, needed to increase local and national brand awareness while reaching donors to expand its services outside of Colorado.
Next PR supported the brand through a six-month, pro bono partnership as part of its Conscious Capitalism program.
THE CHALLENGE
When Next PR teamed up with Peak Education, the nonprofit had minimal awareness outside of Colorado Springs and lacked a cohesive communications strategy. Its presence on social media was sparse and the content wasn’t connecting with target audiences.
The team needed to build brand awareness outside of Colorado Springs before launching its nationwide mobile app for students. Peak Education also needed to reach donors to increase funding for scholar programs and continue its growth in the Colorado Springs area.
HOW WE GOT THERE
Next PR set out to accomplish two objectives: boost Peak Education’s brand awareness through media relations and develop a more cohesive brand image.
The team started by building reporter relationships in both trade and national publications and offering Peak Education experts to discuss trending topics, such as the strike down of affirmative action and tips for students when filling out college applications.
After a thorough audit of Peak Education's messaging, Next PR provided recommendations to align messaging across social media platforms and the website.
The Next PR team then conducted two social media workshops around content creation, ways to increase engagement and brand advocacy. Peak Education used these strategies to elevate media placements, increase employee social engagement and promote its “Back 2 School Fundraiser” event.
To get additional traction for Peak Education’s fundraiser, Next PR targeted local news and broadcast reporters, inviting them to attend events. The team also included Peak Education scholar stories in local features, sharing Peak Education’s mission.
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Media Placements With Backlinks
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Media Placements Featuring Impact Statement
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Social Engagements
THE RESULTS
Next PR positioned Peak Education in front of education professionals across the U.S. by impactful media placements during the partnership, including in U.S. News & World Report and The Chronicle of Higher Education. The team reached local Colorado Springs families and donors through print and broadcast features in Fox 21, The Gazette and KOAA. Key Colorado Springs stakeholders referenced watching the clips.
Through in-person interviews, Next PR built four strong reporter relationships, which the team will leverage for future events and announcements, including its upcoming app launch.
Next PR incorporated impact statements into 80% of the secured media placements, ensuring a cohesive message and spreading Peak Education’s mission to potential donors. 60% of the articles included a backlink to Peak Education’s website, encouraging readers to learn more or donate.
The team also had its press release featured in the GSV Venture’s News to Know roundup, reaching VCs and leaders in the EdTech space, both important audiences for the upcoming app launch.
Following Next PR’s social media workshops, Peak Education saw a 7.5% increase in followers across Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. The social media content promoting Next PR-earned media placements received more than 1,300 engagements.
"In our dynamic partnership with Next PR, we've seamlessly woven threads of awareness within our local community, evolved into a trusted national thought partner on educational access and ignited a vibrant social media presence. With their support, we not only amplified our mission; we crafted a narrative that resonates on multiple levels of influence that transcends the work we do in the Pikes Peak region."
-Carlos Jiménez, CEO