Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara Foundation

Title of entry: Your Insider Guide to UCSB, Only on TikTok

About this entry: In the fall of 2021, as TikTok rapidly grew its user base and #CollegeTok began to carve out a comfortable corner of the platform, our social media team in the Office of Public Affairs & Communications was determined to bring our placeholder profile to life and join in the fun this platform offers. In order to connect with our Gen Z student body and prospective students in a more authentic way, we hired a multifaceted team of paid student creators in early 2022 that could keep up with the platform's demand. With their help, we built for UC Santa Barbara an approachable presence that entertains and engages students in a digital version of our laid-back campus environment.

Through a combination of regular meetings and a freelance-style working arrangement, we provided our student content creators with both the structure and autonomy needed to inspire creativity and keep moving the needle forward. The result, evident after just one academic quarter, was a cool and carefree TikTok persona that embodies the classmate with insider knowledge who can help students maximize their campus experience and get the most out of UCSB.

By mixing original series and one-offs with the adoption of trends, we developed content that celebrates our vibrant community, appreciates our natural environment, and highlights what makes our campus unique.

In 2022, our team produced 120 videos, achieved 2.4 million views, and earned more than 250,000 engagements — all while surpassing several of our UC counterparts and other peer institutions in follower count.