Building a Gen Z-First Social Brand for Pearson
56%
year-on-year audience growth
(Instagram)
69%
year-on-year audience growth (TikTok)
50%
year-on-year audience growth (YouTube)
THE IMPACT
Accelerate growth towards 3 million followers
Pearson set out to transform its social media presence from a traditional test preparation provider into a Gen Z-first global brand — one that inspires, engages, and builds genuine connection with future test takers.
​
The objective was twofold: accelerate growth towards 3 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, while also reigniting the newly refreshed Pearson brand for social, ensuring it felt culturally relevant, authentic, and native to the platforms Gen Z uses every day.
Working with Pearson is incredibly rewarding because it goes beyond campaigns and metrics. It’s about supporting a brand that genuinely changes lives through learning. Being part of that journey, helping to connect learners with opportunities and inspiring moments of growth, makes our work feel truly meaningful.
Laura Simpson-Jones
Head of Client Services (Interim)
Our approach
We took the new Pearson rebrand and re-engineered it specifically for social, creating a visual and creative identity that feels true to the brand while resonating naturally with Gen Z audiences.
This was supported by a year-long, insight-led social strategy, designed to balance cultural relevance with educational value and test taker loyalty. Our approach included:
-
Social-first creative refresh grounded in real learner life and Gen Z behaviour.
-
Short-form video engine driving reach across TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
-
Saveable and shareable educational content designed to build confidence and learner progress.
-
Audience segmentation to attract high-value followers and future test takers.
-
Insights-driven optimisation, using platform analytics and community feedback to continuously refine performance.
The results
The shift in approach repositioned Pearson from a test prep provider to a cultural brand language learners want to belong to.
Delivering strong, measurable impact, with content reaching 30,000+ users and achieving 130%+ uplifts in engagement, alongside sustained audience growth across all social channels.
Beyond always-on social, what began as a social rebrand has evolved into a scalable growth asset. The strategy has since been adopted across regional teams and applied to product launches, campaigns and wider brand activity - laying the foundations for sustained growth well beyond social.
Moving into 2026, we are supporting Pearson's social strategy with a campaign-led approach, within a more holistic landscape for all learners.
​
Optix felt like a genuine extension of our social team during our work on Pearson. Their collaborative, social‑first approach helped us strengthen our global presence and connect more meaningfully with language learners and English test takers in a way that felt authentic, relevant, and grounded in real audience insight. That partnership has since evolved, and we are continuing work together on Pearson to support and inspire all learners around the world.