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108% Increased in Leads YoY for WaterBear The College of Music.

Joined Us in 2022. Currently Running Paid Social & Paid Search.

How We Helped the Brand.

  • Improving Lead Quality Over Volume

    Through improving WaterBear’s targeting and creative output, we have successfully increased their conversion rate from leads to offers by 30%. We focused on quality over quantity, resulting in real business growth. 

  • Increasing search impression share in a highly competitive market

    We restructured the Google Account to allow for a more segmented approach, ensuring we could bid aggressively on top performing keywords. Our account structure reflects the conversion path, from awareness to the conversion stage.

  • Developing a creative strategy that stands out from the crowd

    Within a highly competitive market, our creative had to be cutting edge.

    Using iteration cycles, we scaled spend behind the best-performing video and static content across Meta, TikTok and Performance Max.

  • Adapting to the AI landscape 

    With AI transforming the way students make educational decisions, we worked closely with WaterBear to prepare for this momentous shift. Introducing AI-led campaigns on Google and utilising ad copy to increase relevance with longer-style search terms.

Stylized blue duotone portrait of a person facing the camera with arms crossed

We finally moved past spreadsheets and guesswork. Now we have real data to guide real decisions.

Elliot Williams

Head of Sustainability, Flux Materials

WaterBear is the UK's fastest-growing music college

Founded by music education pioneers Adam Bushell and Bruce John Dickinson, who have over 30 years of professional music experience.The college offers BA and MA degrees across Brighton, Sheffield and London.

​

WaterBear partnered with DGX in 2022, after feeling burnt by their previous agency. Agency confidence was of huge importance to them, and our partnership over the past 4 years reflects a huge success. 

Our Work with WaterBear

Achieving 108% Year-on-Year Growth in Lead Generation

We are the performance growth team behind some of Shopify’s leading DTC brands.

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At DGX, we partner with ambitious founders to build scalable growth systems in one of the fastest-moving industries in the world.

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Where others talk about ROAS, we focus on what actually matters: profit and long-term growth.

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About The Brand

WaterBear The College of Music was founded by music education pioneers Adam Bushell and Bruce John Dickinson, who have over 30 years of professional music experience.

​

WaterBear is now the UK’s fastest growing music university, offer BA Hones and Master's degree courses for forward-thinking musicians. 

​

WaterBear partnered with DGX in 2022, after feeling burnt by their previous agency. Agency confidence was of huge importance to them, and our partnership over the past 4 years reflects a huge success. 

the challenge

In higher education, lead volume and lead quality rarely move in the same direction. Scaling enquiries is straightforward, but filling courses with students who actually enrol is a different challenge entirely.

​

The task was building a paid media system across Meta, TikTok and Google that could generate leads at scale, whilst improving the quality of those leads, standing out creatively against much larger university budgets, and adapting to an AI-driven search landscape changing the way students make decisions.

our plan to action

    1. Improving Lead Quality over Volume

    Through improving WaterBear’s targeting and creative output, we have successfully increased their conversion rate from leads to offers by 30%.

    ​

    We focused on quality over quantity, resulting in real business growth. 

    1. Increasing search impression share in a highly competitive market

    We restructured the Google Account to allow for a more segmented approach, ensuring we could bid aggressively on top performing keywords.

    ​

    Our account structure reflects the conversion path, from awareness to the conversion stage.

    1. Developing a creative strategy that stands out from the crowd.

    Within a highly competitive market, our creative had to be cutting edge.

    ​

    Using iteration cycles, we scaled spend behind the best-performing video and static content across Meta, TikTok and Performance Max.

    1. Adapting to the AI landscape 

    With AI transforming the way students make educational decisions, we worked closely with WaterBear to prepare for this momentous shift.

    ​

    Introducing AI-led campaigns on Google and utilising ad copy to increase relevance with longer-style search terms.

During Our four years together we achieved

108%

Increase in leads year-on-year since partnering

30%

Improvement in lead-to-offer conversion rate

300%+

Increase in lead volume through paid social

“Since working together we have reduced our average PPC lead cost by £50 and are scaling on Meta, converting 100's more additional leads throughout the cycle. Their communication is incredibly frequent and unlike anyone we've worked with previously. ”

Eve Masaad, Head of Marketing at WaterBear

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Since working together we have reduced our average PPC lead cost by £50 and are scaling on Meta, converting 100's more additional leads throughout the cycle.

Their communication is incredibly frequent and unlike anyone we've worked with previously.

Eve Masaad

Head of Marketing, WaterBear The College of Music.

Logomark

108% Increased in Leads YoY for WaterBear The College of Music.

Joined Us in 2022. Currently Running Paid Social & Paid Search.

WaterBear is the UK's fastest-growing music college

Founded by music education pioneers Adam Bushell and Bruce John Dickinson, who have over 30 years of professional music experience.The college offers BA and MA degrees across Brighton, Sheffield and London.

​

WaterBear partnered with DGX in 2022, after feeling burnt by their previous agency. Agency confidence was of huge importance to them, and our partnership over the past 4 years reflects a huge success. 

More Enquiries, Same Empty Seats.

In higher education, lead volume and lead quality rarely move in the same direction. Scaling enquiries is straightforward, but filling courses with students who actually enrol is a different challenge entirely. The task was building a paid media system across Meta, TikTok and Google that could generate leads at scale, whilst improving the quality of those leads, standing out creatively against much larger university budgets, and adapting to an AI-driven search landscape changing the way students make decisions.

How We Helped the Brand.

  • Improving Lead Quality Over Volume

    Through improving WaterBear’s targeting and creative output, we have successfully increased their conversion rate from leads to offers by 30%. We focused on quality over quantity, resulting in real business growth. 

  • Increasing search impression share in a highly competitive market

    We restructured the Google Account to allow for a more segmented approach, ensuring we could bid aggressively on top performing keywords. Our account structure reflects the conversion path, from awareness to the conversion stage.

  • Developing a creative strategy that stands out from the crowd

    Within a highly competitive market, our creative had to be cutting edge.

    Using iteration cycles, we scaled spend behind the best-performing video and static content across Meta, TikTok and Performance Max.

  • Adapting to the AI landscape 

    With AI transforming the way students make educational decisions, we worked closely with WaterBear to prepare for this momentous shift. Introducing AI-led campaigns on Google and utilising ad copy to increase relevance with longer-style search terms.

From Volume Problem to Volume Win: 108% Increased in Leads

During our Four Years Together We Achieved

Stylized blue duotone portrait of a person facing the camera with arms crossed

Since working together we have reduced our average PPC lead cost by £50 and are scaling on Meta, converting 100's more additional leads throughout the cycle.

Their communication is incredibly frequent and unlike anyone we've worked with previously.

Eve Masaad

Head of Marketing, WaterBear The College of Music.

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©2026 DIGITALXPANSION LTD

York, England

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