“Purlos has been a really big part of our marketing mix for about 3 years now. Each year we have developed new ways to make best use of the system for our offer, not just in 16–18 but in areas such as Higher Education and Apprenticeships. Purlos as a system has also improved year on year, which has helped improve effectiveness and campaign management and engagement. In our marketing planning, Purlos is now a staple fixture that we know works and we rely on for key communication needs. Nottingham College has grown 20% since working with Purlos.”
— Cheryl English, Vice Principal – Marketing and the Student Journey
Introduction to Nottingham College
Nottingham College is one of the largest further education providers in the UK, serving thousands of learners across a broad range of vocational, academic, and higher education programmes. With a strong focus on student recruitment and retention, the college continuously explores innovative ways to connect with prospective and current learners across multiple channels.
The Challenge
Like many institutions in the further education sector, Nottingham College faced a familiar challenge: traditional communication methods—email, print, and social media—were falling short in driving learner engagement and boosting attendance at key events such as interviews and enrolments.
Despite ongoing efforts, response rates through these channels remained inconsistent, leaving gaps in engagement during crucial stages of the learner journey. The marketing team sought a more impactful and measurable way to reach both prospective and current learners in real-time.
Why Nottingham College Decided to Partner with Purlos
Recognising the limitations of their existing communication channels, the college explored more direct and interactive methods. Purlos Engage, powered by WhatsApp, stood out due to its proven ability to drive high engagement.
The marketing team quickly saw the potential of Purlos to:
- Reach learners through a familiar and frequently used platform.
- Deliver personalised messages at scale.
- Improve response rates and drive action during key campaigns like enrolment.
What stood out most was the immediate impact Purlos made, particularly during priority enrolment campaigns, where attendance levels rose significantly compared to previous years.
How Purlos Responded
Purlos deployed its Engage managed service to support Nottingham College across their student engagement journey. Using WhatsApp automation and real-time reporting, Purlos:
- Reached out to prospective learners with tailored messages
- Engaged learners who had missed interviews or were at risk of not enrolling
- Encouraged rebooking of enrolment appointments
- Provided the college team with clear campaign performance insights
Through a collaborative approach, the college was able to integrate Purlos into their wider omnichannel strategy, while reducing the workload traditionally associated with learner follow-up.
The Results
Nottingham College saw a significant uplift in engagement and rebooked enrolments through Purlos Engage. The platform has now become a central part of their communication strategy across 16–18, Higher Education, and Apprenticeships.
Table of Results
| Metric | Outcome |
| Engagement Rate | 75.3% |
| Rebooked Enrolments | 447 |
| Withdrawn Learners Engaged | 783 |
| Rebooked Interviews | Not Applicable |
| Campaign Duration | Multi-year (3 yrs) |
Conclusion
Over the past three years, Purlos has played a transformative role in Nottingham College’s learner engagement strategy. From increasing attendance at enrolment events to improving campaign responsiveness, the platform has become a dependable tool across multiple departments.
As learner expectations shift and digital engagement becomes increasingly essential, Nottingham College continues to rely on Purlos Engage as a cornerstone of their outreach strategy—confident in its ability to drive meaningful connections and measurable outcomes.