Edith Cowan University has won the prestigious Advertiser of the Year award in Western
Australia for a successful radio-driven advertising campaign.

Congratulating the university on the award, Commercial Radio Australia’s CEO Joan
Warner said the campaign demonstrated innovative ways radio could be used to build brand
awareness and drive business results.

“While most of its competitors used more traditional marketing methods, Edith Cowan
University broke the mould by implementing a unique campaign that primarily used radio to
target its audience – with great results,” said Warner.

The top award was presented to Lianne Cretney-Barnes, ECU’s Director of Marketing and
Development, at the Campaign Brief Awards in Perth.

“Edith Cowan University chose radio as its main medium to carry its branding message,” said Cretney-Barnes. “ECU is about exciting, fulfilling careers. Branding requires frequency
and continuity to drive home the message and radio allowed ECU to achieve these factors.”

”Radio also allowed ECU to ‘own’ the medium – our competitors only had a
minimal presence on radio, and were utilising press as the main medium for their advertising.”

Cretney-Barnes said ECU conducted market research that helped it find out more about
the lifestyle habits of its target markets. “Radio proved the best way to reach the majority of
people within those markets and it was also cost effective,” she said.

Various facets of the campaign ran on 92.9FM, 96FM, 93.7FM, 94.5FM and Hot FM.

Since
implementing its branding campaign three years ago, the university had increased its share of
first preference applications from school leavers every year.