When the Faculty of Law at the University of Fribourg was founded more than 250 years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that, several centuries later, platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Google would become tools for attracting future students. Today, however, this passion continues to fuel the Faculty’s ambition to attract new students, particularly from the German-speaking Swiss community, who are sometimes still a little reluctant to venture into the vast and scary French-speaking part of Switzerland. We were therefore commissioned with the goal of honoring this centuries-old heritage, while adapting and refining it for a connected and contemporary audience.

But what was the result of these campaigns? 

Thanks to a carefully designed strategy (in compliance with the law, of course!), the number of registrations resulting from the campaigns more than doubled in the space of a few weeks. In total, several hundreds of new registrations were recorded, a significant proportion of which can be attributed to Google and Meta channels. TikTok, meanwhile, played a key role in raising awareness and building rapport with prospective students.  It should also be remembered that the measurable impact of campaigns reflects only part of their real effect. While some people register immediately after exposure, many record the information, take time to think about it, or discuss it with others before finalizing their registration directly via the University’s website.

How did we do it?

We started by defining a strategy focused on Google channels, combining brand awareness measures, particularly via YouTube and the Display Network, with conversion-oriented levers such as Search and Performance Max campaigns to facilitate the transition to enrollment. This approach was complemented by campaigns on Instagram and TikTok, allowing us to reach prospective students with formats and codes that resonate with them, while creating a sense of closeness and an atmosphere consistent with their world. 

Why is this approach so important? 

Because it allows us to reach all relevant audiences at different stages of their decision-making process. On the one hand, there are the parents who are attentive to university enrollment dates and able to envision their child’s academic path. On the other hand, there are young people for whom law is sometimes still a distant idea, but for whom initial exposure can spark a vocation.

Social networks such as TikTok and Instagram play a seed-planting role here: they spark interest, inspire, and plant the idea that studying law is possible and accessible for them too. More institutional channels, such as Google, then come into play as the legal framework that structures this initial impulse: they provide credibility, clarity, and the concrete tools to transform an intention into a decision.

It is in this balance between awareness and conversion to the image of law, which transforms principles into applicable rules, that the strength of this approach lies. Think you have what it takes to study law? It’s never too late to start.