In collaboration with the University of Indianapolis, Boldthink helped bring to life a strategic awareness and outreach campaign designed to inspire more students and their families to consider teaching as a fulfilling career. With education at the center of workforce development and community well-being, the initiative was an opportunity to highlight teaching in a new light, reshape perceptions, and engage high school students, parents, and educators across Indiana through intentional storytelling and targeted communications.
CASE STUDY
Evolving a Campaign to Inspire the Next Generation of Indiana Educators
INTRODUCTION
INDUSTRY:
Higher Education, Teacher Recruitment, Nonprofit Campaign Strategy
CHALLENGE:
Raising Awareness and Building Interest in Teaching Careers Among Students and Families
SOLUTION:
Audience-Centered Research, Multi-Channel Outreach, and Emotionally Resonant Messaging
OBJECTIVES
The “Let’s Teach, Indiana!” campaign aimed to cultivate a stronger, more positive connection between young people and the teaching profession while supporting educators and community stakeholders in advocating for the field. The campaign was designed to:
- Elevate the perception of teaching across communities
- Engage students with messaging that reflected their values, media habits, and motivations
- Provide families with meaningful resources to understand the long-term benefits of teaching careers
- Celebrate the impact of educators and empower them as advocates for the profession
- Support partner institutions in growing program enrollment and awareness
Based on our findings, we developed a strategic set of recommendations focused on:
AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND SEGMENTATION:
Boldthink led a comprehensive research effort that included surveys with over 800 students and parents, school-based interviews, and focus groups. These insights became the foundation for a segmented marketing strategy:
Students: Motivated by impact, inspiration, and mentorship. Messaging leaned into personal stories and peer-driven content, distributed via Instagram and in-school posters with QR codes.
Parents: Valued stability, schedule alignment, and job security. Messaging emphasized long-term career benefits, including retirement and healthcare, with Facebook as the primary platform.
Teachers: Served as campaign advocates. Messaging focused on professional pride and personal impact, with featured stories and testimonial content across digital and physical channels.
General Public: Billboards and transit ads focused on universal connection, reminding audiences that every professional was once taught by a teacher.
The campaign deployed an integrated strategy to ensure relevance and reach across audiences.
Digital and Social Media Advertising
Created Instagram and Facebook pages tailored to students and parents
Developed content streams featuring memes, testimonials, and real educator stories
Used custom landing pages for each audience segment to increase relevance and engagement
Website and Landing Pages
Developed the Let’s Teach, Indiana! campaign site to serve as an information hub
Created student, parent, and educator sections with specific resources and guides
Supported the campaign with a Gen Z-focused microsite titled The Weekly IYKYK
Billboards and Transit Media
Installed billboards along I-465 with messages about creativity, confidence, and curiosity
Used IndyGo bus ads and shelter placements to reach high-visibility areas and underrepresented communities
Public Relations and Storytelling
Earned media coverage in WTHR, WISH-TV, and Inside Indiana Business
Developed and shared teacher profiles to reinforce the human element of teaching
In-School Materials and Engagement Tools
Delivered table tents, flyers, and posters to schools for physical visibility
QR code tracking allowed performance insights by school and region
Supported pathways through dual credit teaching courses to enable early exploration
In-School Materials and Engagement Tools
Produced two promotional videos featuring Indiana teachers
Shared videos on social media, embedded them on the campaign site, and included them in school presentations
RESULTS
Audience Engagement and Attitudinal Shifts:
The percentage of students considering teaching as a career rose from 25% to 41% across surveyed schools.
Parental approval of teaching as a career increased from 69% to nearly 79%.
Digital Performance:
The Let’s Teach website attracted over 6,200 unique users
Most-visited pages included Students (1,300+ views), Parents (465), and Teachers (280)
Student-focused Instagram ads reached over 22,000 users
Parent campaigns reached more than 62,000 users and generated 1,885 link clicks
Teacher campaigns reached 61,094 users with 1,593 link clicks
Traditional Media Reach:
Billboards along I-465 generated 4.64 million impressions within 28 days
IndyGo bus ads delivered more than 473,000 weekly impressions across central Indiana
CONCLUSION
The “Let’s Teach, Indiana!” campaign shows how community-driven strategy, compelling creative, and evidence-based messaging can shift public perception and inspire action. With a clear focus on each audience and a respectful approach to storytelling, Boldthink supported meaningful engagement and measurable progress. The campaign now serves as a model for how institutions can encourage interest in high-impact careers through a well-orchestrated mix of empathy, strategy, and visibility.
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