# AccessU

> AccessU is a privately held Roanoke creative and communications agency focused on education and workforce development. Founded in 1996, it combines research, enrollment strategy, branding, websites, video, digital media, public relations, social media and crisis communications for colleges, universities and training programs. Its pitch is less about selling an isolated campaign than becoming an extension of an institution's team and connecting its actual character to measurable enrollment, fundraising or engagement outcomes.

- **Founded:** 1996
- **Headquarters:** Roanoke, United States
- **Founders:** Tony Pearman (President and CEO), Todd Marcum (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Enrollment Digital, Brand, Creative and Websites, PR and Strategic Communications, Capital Campaign Support
- **Notable:** Grew to serve more than 70 education partners and reported more than 400 creative and communications awards across nearly 30 years., More than tripled agency headcount over the five years preceding its 2025 team-expansion announcement., Helped Virginia's Community Colleges launch the G3 campaign across 23 colleges in under six months; the case study reports a 7.05% increase in full-time-equivalent enrollment, an 18% rise in seeing the local college as an asset and a 19% rise in likelihood to consider enrolling.

## Products & services

- **Enrollment Digital** — Research, positioning, audience segmentation, CRM strategy, media planning, analytics, optimization and enrollment communications.
- **Brand, Creative and Websites** — Brand strategy, visual identity, advertising, content, video, photography, fundraising materials, UX/UI and front- and back-end website development.
- **PR and Strategic Communications** — Media relations, crisis communications, social and community management, earned-media strategy, events, SEO content and performance reporting.
- **Capital Campaign Support** — Brand assessment, campaign themes, case statements, donor communications, giving-level planning, event support and campaign creative.

## Achievements

- Grew to serve more than 70 education partners and reported more than 400 creative and communications awards across nearly 30 years.
- More than tripled agency headcount over the five years preceding its 2025 team-expansion announcement.
- Helped Virginia's Community Colleges launch the G3 campaign across 23 colleges in under six months; the case study reports a 7.05% increase in full-time-equivalent enrollment, an 18% rise in seeing the local college as an asset and a 19% rise in likelihood to consider enrolling.
- Helped Roanoke College raise more than $1.3 million in under three months to restore varsity football and add cheerleading and marching band programs.
- Built an ATDM job portal that scans more than 50,000 career sites nightly; the agency case study reports an 83% graduation rate for the program.
- Won the 2025 Virginia Public Relations Award in government communications with Virginia's Community Colleges and The Hodges Partnership for 'Helping Virginians Find Their Answer.'
- Founder Tony Pearman received the American Advertising Federation Silver Medal and alumni honors from Virginia Western Community College and Virginia Commonwealth University.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — AccessU marked its 30th anniversary with a staff-focused series about long tenure, new perspectives and the agency's principles of tenacity, care and beauty.
- **2026-09** — The agency highlighted its launch work for The Excel Center GIV, reporting 75 opening students against a goal of 50 and month-over-month doubling of digital conversions before opening.
- **2026-06** — AccessU's broader non-education work was presented under sister agency Access Unlimited, sharpening AccessU's focus on education.
- **2025-06** — AccessU announced four hires across business development, video, public relations and social media, saying the company had more than tripled in size over five years.
- **2025-05** — AccessU, Virginia's Community Colleges and The Hodges Partnership won a Virginia Public Relations Award for their statewide government-communications campaign.

## Links

- Website: https://accessu.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessuagency/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accessuagency/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accessuagency

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/accessu
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-20