The Challenge
ODUGlobal, the online learning division of Old Dominion University, needed a targeted way to build awareness for its Maritime Supply Chain program — reaching prospective students and professionals with genuine interest in supply chain and logistics careers. That audience doesn't map cleanly to a single job title or industry code, so standard demographic targeting wasn't going to find them.
Why SmartBrief
ODUGlobal needed access to a credible, content-driven environment where the audience was already primed to engage with subject-specific content, not a generic B2B channel. As Melissa Willers, Digital Campaigns Manager at ODUGlobal / Old Dominion University, put it:
"SmartBrief provides access to a highly relevant professional audience in a credible, content-driven environment. The team has been collaborative, responsive, and helpful in identifying targeting opportunities that align with our program goals."
The Solution: Topic Affinity
SmartBrief's Topic Affinity targeting solved the core problem: reaching readers based on what they actually engage with, not inferred job titles or industry codes. It identifies audiences by behavioral signal — sustained reading activity around a subject — so the campaign reached people already primed for the message, not a broad demographic slice that may or may not care.
"For ODUGlobal, the value comes from being able to connect specialized academic programs with audiences already engaged in those subject areas."
The Results
Over a six-week flight, the campaign delivered:
Read more about the SmartBrief and ODUGlobal partnership here
“SmartBrief provides access to a highly relevant professional audience in a credible, content-driven environment. The team has been collaborative, responsive, and helpful in identifying targeting opportunities that align with our program goals.
