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STADIO: Driving 132% Growth in Quality Applicants with a Data-First Strategy

Pivoting from a failing volume model to a quality-first approach, 365 Digital and Smadex delivered transformative growth and a 60.2% YOY increase in student registrations.

Executive Summary

In a competitive higher education market saturated with low-quality leads, STADIO partnered with 365 Digital to execute a strategic pivot from "quantity" to "quality." By leveraging Smadex’s AI platform and STADIO's first-party data, the campaign targeted high-intent students with precision.

 

This data-driven approach was transformative, delivering a 132% YOY increase in qualified applications, fuelling a 60.2% YOY increase in student registrations, and becoming a key contributor to STADIO Holdings' 16% revenue growth to R957 million.

Objective

The primary objective was to execute a strategic pivot for STADIO, shifting from a high-volume, low-value registration model to a sophisticated, quality-first approach. The goal was to attract high-value prospective students who were more likely to enrol, driving sustainable long-term enrolment growth and a positive return on ad spend (ROAS), rather than simply maximising low-cost sign-ups.

Challenge

STADIO’s business growth had stagnated in a South African higher education sector defined by a "race to the bottom," where competitors prioritised mass-scale, low-cost lead generation.

 

The brand's previous marketing efforts were fragmented and caught in this cycle, delivering a high volume of low-engagement leads with critically low lifetime value.

 

This failing model made it difficult to convert sign-ups into actual enrolled students, achieve a sustainable ROAS, and effectively connect with high-value applicants seeking credible education alternatives.

Solution

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The solution was a deeply integrated, data-driven strategy that centered on user quality and lifetime value.

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  • A Data-Driven Audience Pivot: Instead of broad demographics, the strategy used STADIO's rich first-party data to identify a high-intent, mobile-first audience (career-focused South Africans, 25-45). This allowed the campaign to move beyond basic targeting to pinpoint individuals whose online behaviors indicated a genuine intent to enrol.

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  • Intelligent Technology Integration: Smadex's AI programmatic platform was integrated as the campaign's intelligent core. Its customised machine learning models, fuelled by STADIO's first-party data, automated the process of finding high-value users and optimising bids in real-time.

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  • Personalised, Mobile-First Media: The campaign delivered dynamic, personalised ads showcasing specific STADIO courses relevant to each user's interests. This creative was served on premium in-app inventory—the digital home of the target audience—moving beyond generic advertising to create effective, personalised user journeys.

Content Solutions

Results

The campaign's quality-first strategy was a profound success, dramatically exceeding all objectives and directly contributing to STADIO Holdings' outstanding interim financial performance for 2025.

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  • 132% YOY increase in qualified applications.

  • 60.2% YOY increase in overall student registrations.

  • Cost Per Registration (CPR) cut by more than half, falling from a R500 benchmark to R216.36.

  • 2.75% Click-Through Rate (CTR), outperforming previous, less-targeted efforts.

  • Contributed to STADIO Holdings' Group results, including:

    • 16% growth in Group revenue to R957 million.

    • 9% YOY growth in Semester 1 student numbers to over 51,000.

    • 27% growth in profit after tax to R183 million.​

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This success proved the superiority of a data-driven, quality-first model and has prompted STADIO to increase its investment in this strategy as a cornerstone of its future growth.

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(All results cited from STADIO Holdings Results Presentation August 2025, Microsoft Dynamics, GA4 & Smadex.)

YOY Increase

132%

in qualified applications.

YOY Increase

60.2%

in overall student registrations.

Decrease in CPR

56.73%

Cost Per Registration cut by more than half.

CTR

2.75%

Outperforming previous, efforts.

Conclusion

The STADIO case study is a definitive example of a successful strategic pivot. By rejecting the industry's failing "race to the bottom," 365 Digital enabled STADIO to move from a high-volume, low-engagement model to a sophisticated, quality-first approach. The integration of Smadex's AI with STADIO's first-party data was the key, transforming the brand's ability to identify and attract high-value prospective students.

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The results—a 132% YOY surge in qualified applications and a 60.2% YOY increase in registrations—are not just marketing metrics; they represent a fundamental business transformation. This success was a direct contributor to STADIO's significant revenue and profit growth, proving that focusing on quality delivers a superior and sustainable return on investment.

 

This campaign has set a new benchmark for the higher education sector, demonstrating that a data-driven strategy is the most effective way to achieve profound business impact.

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