Aston University: give the email a personal next step

Make the invitation feel addressed to one student

The brief was to help Aston University communicate about an open day in a way that felt personal and encouraged prospective students to book. Waterfall says it worked with Aston and technology partner Blings on personalized interactive video, using CRM data to tailor one video for individuals. The video included the student’s name, an open-day countdown and a greeting that changed with the time of day. [1]

That creates a clear design challenge: personalization has to carry through the whole invitation. A name in the video can attract attention, but the subject line, thumbnail, opening, useful information and final action must still feel like parts of the same message. In our interpretation, the strongest role for personalization is to orient the recipient quickly: this is your invitation, here is what you can do, and here is the next step.

Build a path from email to action

Waterfall reports that it wrote and designed the video, remixing existing imagery in Aston’s brand style. Aston’s in-house team placed the content in its existing email template and sent the messages through its own CRM. The case describes two emails: an invitation sent 12 days before the open day, and a later message to registrants with practical tips. The videos contained clickable links to learn more. [1]

The split gives each email a different job. Our interpretation is that an invitation should answer why attend and make registration easy, while a follow-up should reduce uncertainty about getting there and taking part. A useful review would trace the same promise across subject, thumbnail, first video frame and landing-page heading. If the email promises course discovery, for example, the landing page should make that route apparent rather than forcing recipients to search for it. This is a suggested continuity check, not a reported Aston process.

Read the reported rate with its denominator in view

Waterfall reports a 12.5% click-to-open rate, without a controlled comparison or raw click/open counts. [1] Interpret it using the recorded-open denominator; it does not provide a completed-inquiry rate.

In general, click-to-open divides clicks by recorded opens; clicks per delivery uses delivered messages as the denominator. Those answer different questions. Open measurement can also be complicated by privacy features and automated image retrieval, which may register opens without a person reading the email. Treating the reported rate as proof of a causal lift would therefore go beyond the evidence in the case.

Give course interest a measurable next step

As a proposed test, create a named course-interest segment and compare two email versions that differ in one element, such as a course-specific opening versus a general welcome. Keep audience rules and send timing as comparable as practical, and define a completed inquiry as the primary outcome before launch. This is a suggested test; the available case does not say Aston used this segment or experiment.

Use consistent campaign tags to distinguish email source, medium, campaign and creative. Google Analytics guidance explains that campaign parameters can identify traffic referred by campaigns and differentiate creative links. [2] Pair those sessions with the inquiry outcome in the organization’s own measurement system, and report delivered volume, recorded opens, unique clicks and completed inquiries separately.

Decide what to improve from the evidence

Our suggested review would compare two separate questions: did the personal invitation attract a click, and did the destination help the student complete the inquiry? Keep each numerator and denominator visible. A promising email response should lead to a landing-page review and a controlled next test.