MILLION WEB

2.6

VISITS by students on their website potential. That all might be true, but it might not necessarily land with a student who has different motivations,” Barentzen explained.

Since its launch in January 2022, Accounting+ has generated nearly one billion impressions through its digital-first campaign, and the Accounting+ website has been visited more 2.6 million times by students. These are important touchpoints in the journey students take when picking a major and a career path, but they are just one part of the Accounting+ campaign’s strategy to diversify the pipeline.

The campaign leverages social media platforms to engage students where they spend their time, and partners with influencers, including Los Angeles Rams football player Bobby Wagner and rapper Futuristic. A partnership with EVERFI, a leading school curriculum provider, is delivering innovative digital accounting resources to students in more than 1,000 high schools across the country in 2023 before expanding to 3,000 schools in 2024. The innovative campaign, combining recognizable social media influencers and proven subject matter expertise, is reframing how students see accounting.

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Initial feedback from this pilot also resulted in:

77% of students reported they would be at least somewhat likely to agree accounting majors have interesting work after watching the videos (compared with 55% prior to watching the videos)

50% of students reported they would be at least somewhat likely to major in accounting after watching the videos (compared with 33% prior to watching the videos)

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Our website, www.joinaccountingplus.com, is where students reached through organic and paid campaigns can access tailored content that drives awareness and consideration and ultimately offers concrete steps towards becoming an accountant.

Since its launch, the campaign has delivered nearly one billion engagements with students throughout the year. In addition to 2.6 million website visits, more than 22,000 students signed up to learn more. The result? A 21% increase in consideration of accounting as a career.

The partnership with EVERFI resulted in more than 1,600 teachers using Accounting+ content in their classrooms across more than 1,200 schools, many of which are majority minority. Adding fuel to these numbers, the effort has partnered with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) to capture inspiring stories of Black accountants.

In a pilot project with the American Accounting Association (AAA), more than 500 students in introductory college accounting courses were surveyed about their perception of accounting before and after exposure to educational videos developed for Accounting+. Highlighting how former students have used their accounting degree to pursue paths in entrepreneurship, civic engagement and technology, the program showed promising results for the campaign to attract more diverse talent.

Accounting+ is a bold and innovative campaign that is changing the face of the accounting profession by increasing diversity and promoting equity and opportunity. By providing resources and support for underrepresented minority students, Accounting+ is helping tear down barriers to create a more inclusive profession. The success of this campaign will ultimately depend on the commitment of individuals, organizations and institutions throughout the accounting profession to actively engage and support diverse talent.