Stirling wins a prestigious Times Higher Education Award

The University of Stirling has won Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team of the Year at the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.

Judges recognised the team's creativity and entrepreneurial flair in delivering impactful campaigns, adding that they set an incredibly high bar in the sector. 

Professor Angela Creese was also celebrated with a Highly Commended award in the Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year category for going beyond the typical levels of supervisory support.

The THE Awards, known as the ‘Oscars of higher education’, and this year celebrating their 20th anniversary, shine a light on the exceptional work taking place in higher education across the UK and Ireland.

Sporting excellence

Jennifer Harrison, Executive Director of Communications, Marketing and Recruitment, said: “We are incredibly proud to be named Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards.

“Through hard work, creativity and collaboration, the team continues to bolster the University's reputation here in Scotland and around the world - and we look forward to building on this success in the years to come.”

The award recognised the marketing and communications team's efforts to promote sporting excellence at the University. It focused in particular on its Recruiting the 12th Man campaign which promoted the University men’s football team’s ‘David versus Goliath’ Scottish Cup match against Dundee United last year.

The match was an unprecedented opportunity to promote Stirling’s reputation as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.

Entrepreneurial flair

The Communications and Marketing Team - working with Sport, Social Media, Alumni and the Students' Union - focused on creating exciting and engaging social media content, while strategically maximising earned media opportunities. 

The ambitious strategy yielded phenomenal results, with major sporting names – including Sir Alex Ferguson and Lilian Thuram – backing the campaign. Their endorsement, combined with the production of four impactful films, led the team to surpass their objectives.

Driven by the campaign, which reached 1.49 million across social media, Stirling sold 1,000+ tickets for the match, which Dundee United won 3-0. With widespread media coverage including BBC Sportscene, Reporting Scotland, STV News, The Times and The Sun, the campaign cemented Stirling’s reputation as a leader in university sport.

An expert panel of judges said the campaign displayed a distinctive, entrepreneurial flair and set an incredibly high bar for any other institution that might be lucky enough to find itself in a similar situation.

The University was also shortlisted for the top award – University of the Year - and Professor Vikki McCall was nominated for Most Innovative Teacher of the Year.

THE’s editor John Gill said: “It is a privilege for THE to have the role it does in celebrating the sector's successes, and on the occasion of our 20th anniversary we thank everyone who entered, and look forward to championing you for years to come.”