Rethinking
a social-first strategy to reach Gen Z

Massey University’s Bachelor of Screen Arts with Honours is an evolution of the Bachelor of Creative Media Production offered through Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts. To position this degree at the forefront of young creative minds, we needed to rethink how we engaged with them—prioritising video-driven storytelling that felt authentic, immersive, and platform-adaptive.

Webpage of Massey University, College of Creative Arts, Toi Rauwhārangi showcasing a section on screen arts and game development. The left side features navigation links, a headline "Hunga pāpāho, Screen Arts," and images of filmmaking. The right side highlights game development with a video, description, and mention of a graduate named Dylan Richardson.
Collage of a man in different studio settings, including a green screen area.

Understanding
the audience

Gen Z prefers video over curated static posts and highly values peer opinions as social proof. Trust, relatability, and connection drive their engagement. To resonate with this audience, we shifted our storytelling approach to have faster transitions, more transparent, and be visually dynamic to better engage with this audience.

Strategic approach

I developed a visual storytelling framework that structured content around:

  • Story Arc: A straightforward, engaging narrative that balances academic information with personal experience.

  • Visual Style: A mix of soft-motion handheld aesthetics and dynamic scene transitions to maintain an intimate, self-recorded feel.

  • Platform Adaptability: Optimising content for TikTok, Instagram, website embeds, and recruitment presentations.

  • Audience-Centric Execution: Focusing on authenticity and transparency through real student experiences and unscripted moments.

  • Cost-Effective Deliverables: Structuring production efficiently to maximise content output across multiple platforms while maintaining high quality.

  • Call to Action: Encouraging further exploration of the degree through seamless content integration into recruitment tools.

Three smartphone screens displaying videos on an orange background. Left screen shows a person in a dark room facing a large screen with a snowy landscape. Middle screen features a person speaking in a studio-like setting. Right screen shows a smiling young person in a vehicle. All screens have interface elements similar to a social media app.
Three smartphone screens displaying different scenes related to art and craftsmanship: welding sparks, woodworking, and an industrial setting. Each screen shows a TikTok interface with captions about art in New Zealand.
Collage of four Screen Arts alumni speaking in a media production setting, with computer monitors and editing equipment in the background.

Execution and responsibilities

I was responsible for leading key aspects of the project, including:

  • Leading stakeholder engagement sessions to align objectives and gather insights.

  • Planning and developing run sheets to ensure smooth production workflows.

  • Translating key business objectives into compelling narratives highlighting Massey’s world-class facilities, industry-grade equipment, student work, and approachable academics to resonate with Gen Z.

  • Staging production sets to create visually engaging backdrops that students use while studying, making the content feel authentic and relatable.

  • Refining storylines post-edit to enhance clarity, engagement, and impact.

We produced a structured digital content suite, including:

  • A 90-second programme trailer providing an overview of the degree and its seven majors.

  • 60-second spotlight videos featuring diverse recent graduates, capturing their unique journeys and insights.

  • Immersive B-roll footage showcasing world-class teaching spaces, hands-on student projects, and industry-grade equipment.

We leveraged a backpack rig that suspended a camera from a tension-mounted wire, creating a dynamic, subtle, buoyant motion in the footage. This enhanced the organic feel of handheld content that is popular on social platforms. This aesthetic strengthened the campaign’s authenticity and aligned with Gen Z’s content consumption habits.

Blake Johnston, Senior Lecturer in different music production and podcast studio settings, including a stage with equipment cases, a room with worktables and electronic equipment, and a recording studio with sound mixers and speakers.
Three mobile phone screens displaying a social media profile and videos. The first screen shows a profile page with the name 'Toi_Rauwharangi' and a description about creative arts at Massey University. The second screen shows a video of a person talking, with text about developing 3D and 2D software skills. The third screen displays a video of a futuristic, animated character in a tech-filled environment, with user interaction icons visible.
Three smartphone screens showing a music-related app with video clips of people setting up equipment, a band performing live, and someone working on electronics.
Shannon TeAo, Senior Lecturer at Toi Rauwharangi, is shown in four different scenes in a studio with paintings and art supplies.
Collage of four images: a rocky Wellington south coastline at sunset, a person pouring espresso into a cup of iced coffee, a person wearing earmuffs in a workshop, and a marina with sailboats docked.

Impact

In just three months, the videos gained 1.3K organic views, marking a 107% increase in viewer engagement compared to the original programme videos. The project’s success led to the College’s Marketing Manager approval to produce two additional Music and Fine Arts trailers, further extending the social-first strategy.

By leveraging social-first digital storytelling and aligning with Gen Z’s content preferences, this launch positioned Massey’s Bachelor of Screen Arts as a forward-thinking programme designed for the next generation of creative professionals.