Guild and Purdue Global to provide higher education opportunities for Team USA athletes

Olympic athletes seem to have it all: the drive, the discipline, and the responsibility and glamour of representing Team USA at one of the world’s most important sporting events. What they don’t always have is easy access to an education, particularly one that can help them thrive after the Olympic and Paralympic Games and sponsorships end. They can be at the top of their field, but years later they—like many top organizations and workers—need to pivot, rebrand and find a new gig. To help these athletes while they represent the U.S. at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, Purdue Global (Purdue’s online university for working adults) has joined the Guild and Team USA Learning Network as the preferred online university and degree provider to bring tuition-free, high-level, accessible online education to Team USA. Current Team USA athletes and those who have represented the U.S. in top international competitions in the last 10 years are eligible for flexible, tuition-free education and skilling programs from the Learning Network. Purdue Global has enjoyed a partnership with Guild since 2019, and now Purdue Global has committed to the Guild and Team USA Learning Network for the next five years. “Now we’re teaming with top athletes as we continue our shift to full-funnel, brand-building narratives,” said Kati Pratt, associate VP of brand and marketing strategy at Purdue University. The Guild Career Opportunity Platform unlocks life-changing opportunities for personal and professional growth through education and learning programs, career development and one-on-one coaching. Guild’s Learning Marketplace comprises curated education and learning programs from high-quality partners like Purdue Global that provide the accessibility and flexibility needed by both athletes and working adult learners. “These students need to be able to access top-tier education any place, any time, and have the support, infrastructure and programs to ensure that they can enroll, persist and complete their education,” said Rebecca Biestman, chief marketing officer at Guild. In addition to providing benefits for athletes who have represented their country on a worldwide stage, this program offers universal takeaways for all marketers. 1. Build on a successful rebrand Purdue Global relaunched its brand strategy and campaign for working adults last year on the idea of “This is my comeback.” “Since the relaunch, Purdue Global has seen a 134.3% increase in organic social media sharing and a 127% increase in video views,” said Pratt. From a marketing perspective, the goal of engaging with sports organizations is often to create brand awareness at the highest level and to have that halo. “But this isn’t your typical sports sponsorship,” said Biestman. “Team USA shares the same ethos as Guild and Purdue Global that goes to the core of our brands. Here, we can make an impact on a population that has been underserved for education and career opportunities, and who give so much of their lives to our country for so many years.” Tied in with that, one-third of Purdue Global students have a military affiliation, and one in four Team USA Paralympians have a military affiliation as well. “In both cases, we are providing accessible education that provides real opportunity for them to move forward in their careers,” said Pratt. 2. Solve the diverse and specific needs of your clientele The catalog of programs available to Team USA speaks to the diversity of the athlete population, their experiences and their interests. Team USA will have access to programs like Purdue Global’s Bachelor’s in Health Information Management or Organizational Management and Master’s in Management and Leadership. With these programs, athletes can advance the skills they developed in sports and further their career opportunities through programs that build upon credentials to go further faster. An important design principle for Guild was to provide accessibility, because learning is a nonlinear journey, especially for these athletes, said Biestman. A traditional residential or graduate-level degree may not be feasible, given their rigorous schedules. Quality, flexible, online learning can help the athletes meet their needs today and help prepare them for the next step tomorrow. 3. Find a partnership that helps you cut through the noise Online marketing needs to break through the clutter. “We all see a lot of ads that pull on our attention, but we believe the authentic impact of this partnership will help us be part of a national conversation,” said Pratt. “When you’re able to be a part of that, you can make a deeper connection, and not just shout into the void.” Potential learners are more discerning now, Biestman added. “To be able to say, here’s a quality education with support and coaching to help them get the outcomes they want, it’s only going to become more important as the space continues to proliferate.” 4. Tell meaningful stories Purdue Global and Guild plan to make athlete storytelling a core part of their marketing plans now through the LA28 Games. Including athletes who are enrolled in programs is a powerful way to highlight the value of continuing education and help them move their careers forward. Seeing an athlete’s journey through both training for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and going back to school will be inspiring to potential students. There are roughly 40 million Americans with some college credit but no degree. This campaign aims to target that audience to help them realize that they can come back and move forward with a college degree. “There’s more to come as we get closer to Paris 2024,” said Pratt. “And we see a lot more opportunity for storytelling over the next few years as we hit that road to the Los Angeles Games.” About Purdue Global Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.

Guild and Purdue Global to provide higher education opportunities for Team USA athletes

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