Case Study — GMAC
Turning Industry Authority Into Candidate-Focused Visibility
CSG helped GMAC combine strategic communications, media relations and research storytelling to reach aspiring business school students and reinforce its position as a lifelong business education partner.
Communications Strategy Group (CSG®) is an education marketing and PR agency that builds sustainable growth by strengthening marketing infrastructure from the ground up.
See what we did for GMAC
50+
positive placements in leading industry publications
16%
Year-over-year increase in share of voice
2M+
estimated media readership
Opportunity
CSG Expanded GMAC’s Reach Through Storytelling
The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) had established itself as a trusted resource for graduate business schools. However, changing enrollment patterns and candidate needs required the organization to reach prospective students more directly. As interest in traditional MBA programs and the GMAT exam evolved, GMAC needed to demonstrate that its value extended beyond assessment.
GMAC faced three critical challenges:
Increasing visibility and awareness among prospective graduate business students
Reframing B2B research and expertise around candidates’ questions, decisions and goals
Strengthening relationships with influential national and industry media
GMAC needed a communications strategy that would translate its industry authority into meaningful, candidate-focused visibility.
solution
From an Industry-Focused Narrative to a Candidate-Focused Strategy
CSG repositioned GMAC’s communications around its role as a lifelong business education partner that helps candidates evaluate programs, pursue graduate education and advance their careers.
The team transformed research—including GMAC’s Prospective Students Survey and application trends—into accessible stories tied to the decisions candidates were making.
CSG also activated media relations around candidate-facing offerings, ensuring product narratives emphasized how they could support applicants.
Every pitch, interview and written commentary opportunity was prepared with a clear B2C narrative designed to produce candidate-relevant coverage. Drawing on its understanding of reporter preferences, CSG also strengthened relationships with influential industry media. By offering reporters advance access to new research and providing the context needed to interpret the findings, CSG helped generate stories that clearly communicated their relevance to prospective students.
This integrated approach expanded GMAC’s reach while reinforcing its value throughout a candidate’s business education journey.
impact
Increasing GMAC’s Share of Voice by 16%
CSG increased GMAC’s visibility among prospective students while strengthening relationships with the national business and industry outlets shaping conversations about graduate education.
50+
positive placements secured in leading graduate business education publications
16%
year-over-year increase in GMAC’s share of voice
2M+
estimated readership generated through earned media coverage
Leading outlets secured:
The result was a stronger candidate-focused media presence that connected GMAC’s research, products and expertise with aspiring business leaders.
Why This Work Matters
CSG helped GMAC expand beyond traditional industry communications and develop stories around the questions candidates were asking about affordability, admissions, career advancement and the value of graduate business education.
Strengthened Influential Media Relationships
CSG used reporter insights, advance access and clear context to build trust and generate more relevant coverage.
Made B2B Insights Relevant to Candidates
Candidate-focused narratives transformed GMAC’s research and product news into useful guidance for prospective graduate business students.
This work reflects CSG’s approach to representing multi-brand organizations, building strategies precise enough to serve each brand while strong enough to support the growth of the portfolio as a whole.
