Keystone went live with Waikato in September – at the peak of the conversion window for New Zealand's largest intake. The stakes were high for a quick, worry-free implementation that wouldn't break stride with students already in the pipeline.

To make that happen, Keystone deployed their Head of Operations and a technical implementation lead to Waikato in New Zealand, working alongside the University's data and recruitment teams, while keeping active student communications running. This hands-on approach let both teams map data, build communication templates, and maintain ongoing campaigns in parallel. Live in under a month, mid-cycle, with no break in active campaigns.

From the beginning, the partnership between Waikato and Keystone Enrolment Services evolved beyond service delivery. Regular operational meetings quickly turned into collaborative planning sessions, with Keystone proactively working with the team on campaign decisions, communications planning, and recruitment strategy.

With ambitious growth targets for 2026 and 2027, Waikato is focused on diversifying international recruitment across South and Southeast Asia, the Americas, and other emerging regions.

Moving into new markets at pace demands operational agility and data insights most universities struggle to readily build or access in-house. That’s where Keystone’s infrastructure, built over more than a decade of partnerships across 85 institutions, takes on the operational lift – so Waikato’s team can focus on the work that genuinely needs them.

Early signs of success are clear: stronger engagement rates, sharper campaign effectiveness, and the ability to deploy time‑sensitive communications quickly while continuously refining email content against student response. WhatsApp engagement in particular has lifted significantly, with email automations letting students move seamlessly to their preferred channel without breaking the conversation.