MC2 has been appointed to provide marketing support for the launch of Pathways, the new way to get young people into higher education from the Greater Manchester Strategic Alliance (GMSA).

The GMSA is an alliance of universities, colleges and other institutions, which collaborate to improve higher education in Manchester.  Its latest project, Pathways, is an interactive online progression planner that helps BTEC National Certificate or ICT and Construction Diploma students get into higher education.  Institutions give detailed information about their admissions criteria, and guarantee interviews with students who meet them as part of a Progression Agreement.

MC2’s design team will create a suite of ads and promotional literature to raise the profile of the new planner, as well as implementing a strategic advertising campaign using media such as Facebook to create awareness among 15 to 19-year olds.

Tim Craig, account director at MC2, said: “When advertising to young people, the traditional channels don’t work anywhere near as well as they used to.  Facebook gives you a unique opportunity to target a specific age range in a specific sector in the region you want, making it ideal for GMSA’s requirements.

“The GMSA is doing some fantastic work in giving young people the best opportunity to progress in education.  Pathways is a great tool and we’re already seeing a strong response to the marketing we have put out there.”