Scope: Berkeley Haas stands at a pivotal moment in its storied history. As we approach 127 years since our founding, celebrate the 15th anniversary of our Defining Leadership Principles and leverage new leadership and our position in the heart of the dynamic innovation economy, we seek a media partner to manage paid lead generation and application campaigns across our suite of four MBA program formats and test new institutional messaging across channels following a brand refresh in Fall 2025.
Berkeley Haas and its peers face evolving challenges with the admission funnel, including declining conversion rates and the rise of “stealth applicants” who are leveraging new channels to inform their decision-making process, requiring more sophisticated targeting and nurturing strategies to reach and convert qualified candidates.
The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, is widely considered one of the most prestigious and innovative business schools in the world. As the second business school founded in the United States, the only one founded by a woman, and the first public university business school in the U.S., Berkeley Haas offers eight distinctive degree programs that consistently rank among the world’s elite institutions.
Berkeley was recently ranked #1 globally for entrepreneurship by PitchBook, and Haas’ programs routinely rank first or second nationally. Its faculty and alumni have achieved remarkable distinction, including Nobel Prize winners and pioneering researchers that impact public policy, while its 45,000+ alumni across 80 countries and diverse student body from 40+ countries create a powerful global network.
This is a time of significant transition and opportunity. The market is increasingly fragmented, with shifting candidate preferences toward flexible learning modes, specialized degrees, and shorter programs. Meanwhile, broader forces including AI disruption, changing jobs & geopolitical landscapes, climate change, post-COVID impacts, and evolving Gen Z values are reshaping expectations for business education. The traditional admissions funnel has been disrupted as prospective students conduct more independent research through digital channels and peer communities before engaging with schools directly. Our media strategy must evolve to reflect this new reality, delivering more personalized and compelling content experiences across the entire funnel.
The Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, is seeking a dynamic and strategic paid media partner to manage cross-channel advertising campaigns for its MBA portfolio. As we enter our next phase of growth, we are evaluating agency partnerships to ensure we have the right engagements in place to ensure alignment with the future of digital advertising, creative strategy, and higher education recruitment.
Berkeley Haas offers four distinct MBA programs:
●Full-time MBA
●Evening & Weekend MBA
●Executive MBA
●Flex MBA (online, with two required on-campus immersions)
Each program has a unique audience, format, and value proposition. However, a key future goal is to align all messaging to a unified institutional brand identity currently being developed through a brand refresh, culminating Fall 2025. The selected agency must be capable of both differentiated program-level media planning and message testing for new unified “One Haas” brand narratives, including reputation and brand perception campaigns geared toward peers, potential students, and higher education leaders.
Due Date: August 18, 2025
Contact: Dominique DeBerry,
