DISCOVER STUDENT LOANS
TALKING TUITION WITH GEN Z
Over three years I worked with Discover Student Loans to build a full-funnel marketing ecosystem that positioned the brand as a trusted voice in college planning. Across website redesigns, email campaigns, and content strategy, we met students at every stage of their decision journey. The defining moment of that partnership came at a time when Gen Z was asking a question that shook the entire higher education market: is college even worth it?
Enrollment was dropping, and students were pulled toward crypto fortunes, day trading wins, and influencer shortcuts promising easy success—Discover needed to reach students and parents in a market where the fundamental value of college was genuinely up for debate.
HOW IT SHOWED UP
OVERVIEW
APPROACH
SELECT CREATIVE
Defending college wasn't going to work—not from a financial services brand. So we acknowledged every buzzy alternative Gen Z was considering, then positioned Discover as the partner for those who still chose college. The strategy: meet them in their world, speak their language, and earn trust through cultural fluency instead of corporate messaging. That truth came to life across video, display, social, audio, and out-of-home—rooted in the memes and moments Gen Z was already talking about.
MY ROLE
Cultural research
Creative strategy
Campaign planning
Messaging framework
Partnership stewardship
IMPACT
Site traffic ↑
40%
Conversion rate ↑
20%
Brand awareness ↑
10%
HOW IT SHOWED UP
The campaign lived where Gen Z actually lived—in memes, trends, and the cultural noise they navigated daily. Instead of lecturing about ROI, we met skepticism head-on and validated their questions. High schoolers shared the videos organically. Press coverage followed. The work connected because it felt true to the moment, and that truth turned doubt into action
