Scaling a global education network is no small task — especially when data sits in silos. Global Schools Group (GSG), which has more than 64 campuses across 11 countries, recognised the risk early and took action.
Just imagine dozens of campuses managing data on spreadsheets in non-standardised formats; any attempt to run data analytics would be chaotic.
“While our initial in-house platform managed basic enquiry processes well, we realised that scaling efficiently required more sophisticated capabilities than what our custom solution could provide. Without integrated marketing solutions or workflows, we faced issues like data duplication and fragmented lead management, which hurt our overall operational efficiency,” remarked Ayush Kalani, Associate Director, Student Acquisition, Global Schools Group.
Complex problem
Beyond front-end services, problems were also emerging in the back end, as managing marketing spend and performance was becoming increasingly complex.
GSG’s in-house customer data platform acted as a secondary database with no real-time updates. As a result, generating reports and calculating key metrics such as cost per lead (CPL) and customer acquisition cost (CAC) became highly manual and time-consuming, due to the lack of a centralised system or feedback loop.
“This left our sales teams without timely information or the right communication tools to deliver customer service on par with global best practices. We realised that a unified system capable of tracking engagement history and lead nurturing would enable more consistent and personalised communication,” Kalani said.
To address these challenges, the organisation partnered with HubSpot. During the pilot phase, the platform proved effective in supporting GSG’s multi-campus operations and simplifying sales and marketing workflows through a user-friendly system.
“What set HubSpot apart was its strong technological capabilities, ease of use, responsive support, and a consultative approach that matched our growth ambitions,” Kalani explained.
Still, integration across dozens of campuses on multiple continents wasn’t without obstacles.
GSG faced foundational issues such as unsanitised data and outdated database tools. There was also resistance from stakeholders accustomed to earlier CRM systems, and skill gaps that needed to be closed to ensure adoption and scalability.
“A collaborative approach with third-party app providers allowed us to customise integrations and tailor features to our scalability needs. We supported initial training with ongoing ask-me-anything sessions to provide continuous learning and ensure each campus felt supported throughout the transition,” Kalani said.
Despite the hurdles, the organisation scaled from 60 HubSpot users in 2021 to 250 across 10 business units by 2024.
Immediate results
One clear result of using HubSpot was the unification of GSG’s student acquisition process.
“We turned a fragmented, manual system into a centralised, data-driven customer platform that became a single source of truth. This helped us maintain continuity in engagement efforts across our global network,” Kalani recalled.
The organisation now has a full view of all contact activity — across voice, text, chat, email, and social media — in one place, enabling a more consistent customer experience.
Automation has also improved lead routing. By using customised workflows, GSG could assign leads based on specific criteria such as language or product expertise, ensuring the right sales representatives are aligned with each customer persona.
This ensured that prospective customers were directed to the most suitable sales teams, improving both response times and conversion rates, Kalani said.
“We also streamlined our event-tracking processes. By using strategic list segmentation, we tracked specific cohorts of prospective parents and followed up more effectively, boosting attendance at webinars and in-person events,” he added.
Unlocked value
HubSpot’s automated reporting and real-time attribution metrics have given GSG better visibility into its enrolment funnel and helped refine its student acquisition strategy.
“By centralising our customer platform with HubSpot’s CRM capabilities, we’ve cut our median lead response times from over 15 hours to under 4 hours, allowing us to respond to prospective students and parents much faster,” Kalani said.
The clearest sign of success: GSG improved its conversion rates by more than 25% on average, he shared.
HubSpot also helped GSG eliminate funnel leakages, reduce manual data entry errors, and establish a more reliable data baseline.
“Beyond the numbers, we also benefitted from standardised processes across our global network, enabling admission teams from Japan to Riyadh to follow consistent practices. Standardised reporting formats made management-level reviews more efficient and supported network-wide collaboration,” he said.
Forward approach
Having unlocked new capabilities and business value, GSG is now focusing on AI and automation.
“At GSG, we’re using HubSpot’s Breeze Co-Pilot to boost team productivity. AI-powered automation helps us generate ads, ad copy, and mailers more efficiently at the top of the funnel. It also enhances parent engagement by summarising voice calls and key details from the customer journey,” Kalani said.
The organisation is currently experimenting with AI agents and intelligence tools and plans to scale their use this year. Looking ahead, GSG will explore more applications of Content Hub and Service Hub AI tools to further enhance the parent experience across its digital platforms.
