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T&H CX > Our Work > Loyalty Case Studies > Audience Segmentation & Engagement Strategy
The University of Newcastle’s Office of Alumni & Philanthropy (OAP) sought to deepen connection across its diverse audience of alumni, donors and community members.
Engagement activity and data existed across the function, but there was no shared framework to consistently define segments, prioritise outreach or design experiences around audience needs.
The ambition was clear: move beyond content-led or calendar-led communications toward a more intentional, audience-first approach.
To receive communications and opportunities that reflect their relationship with the University, their interests and the ways they want to be involved in participating, advocating or giving.
To establish an actionable segmentation and engagement model that improves planning, targeting and measurement to support deeper relationships with alumni, donors and community audiences.
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university focused on education, research and partnerships that create lasting community impact. Its Office of Alumni and Philanthropy builds relationships with alumni, donors and supporters, connecting people with opportunities to engage in and contribute to the University's work.
Higher Education
1000+ employees
2025 ongoing
Tortoise & Hare developed foundational audience personas, distinguishing people by motivations, connection to the University and engagement behaviours. To make the segmentation measurable and useful beyond a one-off exercise, we also designed an Engagement Score to indicate the depth of each relationship.
The score informed persona development and gave OAP a way to evaluate connection and identify where further engagement could create value. Each persona was translated into a practical playbook covering mindset and goals, motivations, tailored value proposition, Moments that Matter and next-best actions that could deepen engagement or support giving.
We also mapped personas across an engagement lifecycle, showing how relationships could be nurtured deliberately rather than through a series of disconnected communications. The result was a common planning framework linking insight, targeting, journeys and measurement.
The OAP gained a shared language for audience understanding and a model designed for activation.
Planning, targeting and measurement can now be aligned to clear segments rather than broad lists. The Engagement Score provides structure to track relationship strength and identify opportunity areas, while persona playbooks enable more coordinated and relevant outreach.
The shift reduces reliance on one-size-fits-all communications and creates a foundation for scalable personalisation.
