Kutaisi International University

The opening of KIU represented a significant milestone for providing technical higher education in the Caucasus and the wider region. The university's benefactors and governing body intended for the university to compete on the international stage and to be ranked among other leading higher educational institutions globally. As a mark of its global ambitions, KIU partnered with the Technical University of Munich and was rated the Best University in Europe in 2020 by QS World University Rankings. Bridgehead was commissioned to drive the global media attention surrounding the opening and to showcase to international audiences, including prospective research partners and students, the expertise KIU had to offer.

Following a discovery meeting with the university leadership team, we devised a three-pronged strategy to drive media coverage surrounding the opening. First, we press released the opening of the university, emphasising the courses and expertise the university would offer; secondly, we organised an online press conference between senior members of the governing board and notable higher education writers from both the US and the UK; and, thirdly, we drafted a series of opinion pieces leveraging topical issues related to higher education in the UK media to promote the opening of the university.

The campaign was a significant success, attracting widespread media coverage in the US, UK, French, and German media. Overall, it attracted 55 separate pieces of coverage with an estimated combined readership of some 311,000 and 203 social media shares. Notable coverage highlights included Forbes, Times Higher Education, and Business Insider.