How Shorelight Drove 60% Growth with OGI’s Embedded Model

Shorelight helps international students access life-changing opportunities at top U.S. universities. Partnering with leading institutions such as the University of Illinois Chicago, Florida International University, Gonzaga University, and American University, Shorelight delivers end-to-end support, from admissions and visa processes to on-campus integration and career guidance.

As global demand for higher education expanded, Shorelight needed to diversify its student acquisition strategy beyond Asia, which historically accounted for 80% of enrollments. The challenge was not just growth, but agility, efficiency, and sustainability.

The Challenge

Shorelight’s goals were clear:

• Diversify demand generation beyond new markets.
  
• Boost conversion rates across the entire student lifecycle.
  
• Increase marketing agility with an embedded, in-house, aligned approach that complements agency support.
  

But operational barriers slowed the pace. Time zone gaps with outsourced teams limited campaign iteration and responsiveness. Shorelight required a partner that could act as an integrated extension of its marketing team.

The Solution

OGI partnered with Shorelight as a fully integrated marketing team, embedding directly into its operations. The collaboration was structured across four workstreams:

1. UI/UX

Journey mapping, usability testing, and conversion-centered design to optimize student interactions.

2. Marketing Automation

Scaled lifecycle campaigns powered by Adobe Marketo and Salesforce, improving nurturing and enrollment efficiency.

3. SEO

Enhanced search visibility to capture qualified global student demand organically.

4. Paid Media

Performance-focused campaigns designed to accelerate enrollments.

Through agile workflows (Wrike) and methodologies such as Design Thinking, OGI and Shorelight created a culture of continuous experimentation and optimization.

Strategic Impact

The partnership generated strong, measurable outcomes:

• +11% YoY growth in Direct-to-Student (DTS) enrollment, with +60% projected growth the following year.
  
• +41% more form submissions YoY, expanding the funnel.
  
• +19% YoY increase in users, broadening reach.
  
• +53% growth in sitewide conversion rate YoY, validating UX and automation improvements.
  

Beyond the Numbers

• A cultural shift toward agile, test-and-learn design.
  
• Higher student engagement with more complete applications.
  
• LATAM identified as a new and promising market.
  
• Faster campaign iterations and stronger team alignment.
  

“OGI helped us drive both immediate results and ensure the long-term sustainability of our pipeline. Beyond improvements in conversion rates and student engagement, we achieved greater efficiency in demand generation. The impact was also cultural: we gained confidence, strengthened collaboration, and accelerated our pace of execution.”

— Rafael Vieira Tiago, Senior Executive Director of Performance Marketing, Shorelight

OGI goes beyond acting as an external agency. By embedding directly into client operations, it functions as a true extension of the team, enabling shared objectives, faster execution, and lasting impact. Shorelight’s journey shows how embedded partnerships and agile execution can transform marketing outcomes at scale.

Ready to accelerate your digital marketing performance? Download the full case and explore how OGI can help write your next growth chapter.