How Anhanguera University reached more students with smart bidding

Anhanguera University has been providing higher education to Brazil’s students since 1994. In 2014, it became part of Kroton Education, the largest educational group in the country.

The ENEM (National High School Exam) is the Brazilian standardized exam for high school students. It’s a key step for students wishing to move on to college and is used as an admission test for several universities in the country.

ENEM results are released in January, and this kicks off the hottest season for educational institutions to recruit new students. Anhanguera wanted to ensure that it could reach and convert as many students as possible during this key time, which meant finding a way to outmaneuver its competitors.

Winning more reach through CPC

In order to boost the students’ interest and drive them to apply to the university, Anhanguera launched a retargeting campaign combined with an aggressive bid strategy.

They worked with Criteo to raise CPCs as high as possible during the January through March period to win impressions over their competitors, while still staying within their target CPL. The Criteo AI Engine ensured the university targeted the best possible candidates for admissions. This in turn helped to reach a larger audience and drive more conversions.

“We have expanded our partnership with Criteo through this year, and they are now one of our top partners for generating conversions to Anhanguera. We have been able to increase our campaign reach and our conversions while keeping enrollment costs for new students within the established goals.”

–Thierry Galves, Online Media Manager at Kroton