Unlocking ROI: How MSU Denver transformed data to measure marketing impact

In today’s data-driven world, higher education institutions are under increasing pressure to justify marketing investments with clear, quantifiable results. Yet, tracking the true impact of advertising and marketing efforts — beyond website clicks and social media engagement–remains a significant challenge.

At MSU Denver, a university reaching millions of potential applicants annually with a modest advertising budget, the University Communications and Marketing team faced a critical gap: While advertising and website analytics provided high-level trends, they lacked insight into how frequently marketing content and ads led individuals to apply. Their customer relationship management (CRM) system, Slate, was managed separately by the admissions team, creating a data disconnect that made it difficult to track the student journey from first ad impression to application submission.

To bridge this gap, MSU Denver developed a strategic approach centered on internal and external collaboration. By partnering with the admissions team, consulting with external Slate experts, and leveraging an advanced analytics platform, they built a centralized database and dashboards. This integration combined data from Slate, ad platforms, and Google Analytics — allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of prospect behavior while ensuring applicant privacy. As a result, the marketing team was able to calculate ROI for every dollar spent on advertising and project future ROI outcomes.

Presenters

• Michelle Britt — Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Emalie Whan-Traylor — Metropolitan State University of Denver