California State University, Chico

The Insight

Chico State is where the future begins with possibility instead of pressure.

Do and Dare had helped Chico State build awareness across California, but reaching new audiences meant shifting the focus from the institution to the individual. Conversations with students and faculty revealed what made Chico State different. Admitted students described a laid-back campus culture, a creek running through the heart of campus, and faculty who cared about their success. Employers saw those same qualities in Chico State graduates, whose confidence and sociability carried them through interviews and into their first jobs. The opportunity was to connect what made Chico State special with what students wanted for their own futures.

Building on the same strategic foundation, SimpsonScarborough reframed Do and Dare around a more personal idea: A student’s future begins with possibility instead of pressure. Tomorrow Calls shifts the focus from the institution’s bold ambitions to each student’s individual calling, inviting them to imagine what their future could look like and discover why Chico State is the place to pursue it. It’s an invitation only the student can answer.

The Solution

Reaching the students who matter most, in ways that matter to them.

SimpsonScarborough brought Tomorrow Calls to life through three distinct expressions of the platform.

• Potential Calls invited students to imagine what their future could hold.
• Opportunity Calls showed them what was possible in Chico State’s labs, studios, and classrooms.
• Connection Calls brought the experience back to the people and community that make Chico State feel like home.

Research identified three opportunities for enrollment growth: Hispanic and Latino students and families in California’s Central and Imperial Valleys, adult learners with some college experience living within commuting distance of campus, and transfer students at specific community colleges. Rather than relying on geographic targeting alone, SimpsonScarborough developed a media strategy around the distinct motivations and behaviors of each audience.

The campaign reached Hispanic and Latino households through Spanish-language connected TV on ViX and Univision, supported by original Spanish-language creative across print and digital. For younger audiences, short-form videos on TikTok and Snapchat brought Chico State’s hands-on student experience to life. Adult learners encountered longer-form storytelling on Instagram and program-specific search campaigns that connected their career ambitions to opportunities at Chico State.

Throughout the campaign, continuous brand research measured changes in perception, while ongoing media optimization helped SimpsonScarborough refine its audience targeting and shift investment toward the creative and channels generating the strongest engagement.

The Results

More students seeing themselves at Chico State. More students answering the call of their tomorrow.

Tomorrow Calls reached prospective students with messages built around their individual ambitions, delivered through the channels most relevant to them. Spanish-language connected TV generated 1.84 million impressions among Hispanic and Latino households, with a 98.74% view-through rate. Among younger audiences, the Hands On Minds Open creative drove 95% of landing page views within its segment. And program-specific search campaigns connected adult learners with opportunities to continue their education, with the RN-BSN campaign achieving a 5.88% click-through rate.

The impact extended beyond campaign engagement. Brand tracking showed that perceptions of Chico were improving, with prospective students more likely to see the city as affordable and safe than they had one year earlier.

As of fall 2026, total enrollment at Chico State was up 1.1% year-over-year.