The Challenge: Misdirected Ad Spend and Unqualified Traffic UCLA Anderson School of Business is globally recognized for developing forward-thinking leaders and top-tier graduates. However, despite significant investment in Google Ads, their campaigns were attracting applicants who did not align with the school’s high standards. Paid search was directing traffic from broad, low-intent queries—resulting in wasted budget on unqualified applicants instead of high-achieving candidates who typically enroll and succeed at Anderson. The existing campaigns were built on generic audience assumptions that didn’t fully account for insights from admissions chairs. This lack of alignment led to ad spend being allocated toward applicants who were unlikely to be accepted or thrive in the program. As the application season progressed, it became clear that Anderson needed a strategic overhaul of its paid media approach to maximize return on investment and ensure advertising efforts reached the right audience.
