Are There Such Things As ‘Clients’ In Higher Ed Marketing?

No. At least, there shouldn’t be.

The word “client” has created more problems for college marketers and university marketing efforts than, perhaps, any other word in the human vocabulary. That’s because this word is closely associated with another word, “customer.” And if you’re servicing “customers” in your marketing department, you’re asking for trouble.

Before I tell you why, let me first tell you how this nifty word got its start on campus. When marketing left its home in admissions (or university relations depending on the school), it had to create its own identity and structure. So many in higher ed looked out into the corporate world and modeled their departments after ad agencies. The idea was that these departments would service their schools much like an in-house ad agency. It sounded good in theory until their first “clients” showed up. Suddenly, they found themselves confronted by secretaries, program directors and deans who were quick to remind them that the client was always right (which, marketers know isn’t true).

Thus began the battle between campus marketers and clients. The marketers would argue that they were the experts. The clients would argue that they were the customers. No one could agree on who was responsible for (or in charge of) what. The result was a lot of time and money wasted on infighting. For many, the infighting continues.

Here’s how to put a stop to it—get rid of the word “client” and all of its cognates. In its place, use the word “partner” (or any of its linguistic counterparts like “associate,” “colleague,” etc.). It may sound funny, but it works, especially if you follow the IMC process. The reason why is because these terms connote a sense of equality. No one holds a “superior” position. Instead, each person plays a specific (and significant) role at different points in the marketing process.

For example, when creating an admissions campaign, the marketing department would take on the role of project manager, making the final decisions when it comes to brand marketing and positioning. Admissions and academics will play a supporting role by providing input. Why? Because branding is the responsibility of the marketing department. That means, if the message fails, marketing is held responsible.

Once the brand plan is established and the team moves into the direct marketing component of the campaign, admissions becomes the project manager. Why? Because direct marketing is the responsibility of admissions. Marketing then provides its input, but admissions makes the final decisions on tactics (of course, working within the confines of the brand plan). If the direct marketing tactic fails because of concept, timing, etc., admissions is responsible.

By clearly defining role and responsibility, and stressing the important part each partner or colleague plays in the process, finger pointing diminishes and marketing becomes more efficient and effective. Oh yeah, and words like “client” become obsolete because you’re both equal players in getting the job done.  (486 Words)

How Important Are Aesthetics In College Marketing?

Is your school an Apple school or a Microsoft school? I’m not talking about which kind of operating system your IT department prefers. I’m talking about the new deal breaker for prospective students—aesthetics. If you haven’t put much thought into the subject, it’s time to “think different.”

Apple schools understand that aesthetics, which is concerned, in marketing, with how pleasing something is to the eye, is directly related to experience. And in branding, experience is everything, which is exactly what Microsoft schools don’t get.

Instead, Microsoft schools are complacent or cautious when it comes to aesthetics. They’ve either had past success and resist change, or they wait to see if something works for others and then copy them. Either way, they arrive late to the party.

This strategy won’t work in today’s marketplace, especially given the growing parity in higher education. Apple schools realize that most of the schools they compete with are also ranked by U.S. News & World Report as “America’s Best Colleges.” (There are 1,483 schools listed. That’s an average of 29 “Best Colleges” per state!) So, in addition to improving their product, Apple schools also focus on aesthetics and build their brands through memorable experiences.

These memorable experiences are measured in “cool factors.” If you don’t know what a cool factor is, step into an Apple Store sometime. You can feel the difference between Apple and Microsoft (and its PC pushers). You feel it in the design of the store, in its products and in the way people treat you when you walk through the door. It’s all pleasing to the eye, and the result is an experience where you feel cool. And you’ll notice one more thing. It’s full of prospective students. (Apple should run a side business hosting college fairs at its stores.)

I’m not suggesting you turn your school into a glass cube (although that would be cool). What I am suggesting is that schools pay more attention to the aesthetic components of their brand experience, especially the experience on campus.

Sadly, campus decision makers often spend more time debating and fine-tuning marketing materials students see maybe once, and almost no time thinking through the brand experience students and prospective students will have on a daily basis.

Apple schools pride themselves on these experiences, whether it’s their Web culture, their entryways or their chic dorm rooms. They put themselves in the students’ shoes and walk the campus. They lobby decision makers for crown molding and rod-iron gates. They’re constantly looking for a new cool factor to exploit, because these are the new deal breakers of our time. Yes, a student will choose another college if their cafeteria or food court is nicer than yours. Apple schools won’t let that happen.

Microsoft schools, well, they dump more money into same old projects and wonder what all the fuss is about…until it’s too late.

So, how important are aesthetics in college marketing? It depends. Are you an Apple school or a Microsoft school? (498 Words)

Is Direct Marketing The Same Thing As Direct Mail? No.

Contrary to popular opinion, direct marketing is not synonymous with direct mail. In fact, most direct marketing efforts in higher education take place, not in the mail, but on the Web.

Direct marketing, properly understood, is a function of the integrated marketing communications process, which includes brand marketing and customer relationship management. Whereas brand marketing attempts to change the way people think about your product, through things like advertising and PR, direct marketing attempts to change the way people behave toward your product by asking them to take action and do something, like apply to your school. This is why direct marketing is often referred to as the sales function of the IMC process.

Direct mail is not exclusively a function of direct marketing. It can also be used in brand marketing. For instance, sending a mailer to raise awareness of a new program is an example of brand marketing, while mailing a Web card to draw people to your site is an example of direct marketing. Generally speaking, it’s best not to try to do both at the same time since it’s difficult to build your brand and sell it simultaneously. The notable exception is the college search piece, which both introduces the college to the prospect and solicits them to inquire for more information.

In short, brand marketing sets the stage for direct marketing by positioning your product in the minds of potential customers. Direct marketing then hones in on these customers and gives them an opportunity to buy it, or move closer to buying it.

Typically, brand marketing is the purview of the marketing department, while direct marketing is managed by admissions. To be effective, direct marketing efforts should always flow from, and be consistent with, the college’s brand marketing plan.

Schools that don’t follow the IMC process often find themselves branding an audience without soliciting them and vice versa. These same schools wonder why their advertising is ineffective and their direct marketing returns low. This outcome can be avoided by understanding the role direct marketing plays in the IMC process and how it differs from direct mail. (351 Words)

Is Web 2.0 Killing Inquiries?

Over the last few years, a perplexing situation has arisen on our campus. Application numbers have increased while inquiries have dropped.

At first, those of us in marketing celebrated and cheered that good marketing had won the day by providing a purer inquiry pool leading to a higher yield rate. But as the yield rate continued to rise, it became clear that something bigger was at work. Something no one could see.

Lurking under the surface was a new phenomenon called Web 2.0 and the introduction of what our admissions director calls “stealth inquiries.” Web 2.0 is a collection of technologies that allow users more opportunities to access and share information. Think blogs, social networks, wikis and RSS. Stealth inquiries are prospective students who use these technologies in lieu of the traditional inquiry process.

Web 2.0 takes control of the flow of information away from large organizations (like colleges) and gives it to everyday Web users. Prospective students no longer have to be squeezed through the admissions funnel. All the information they need is on the Web, including third-party information.

Prospects use sites like Flickr to see campus photos, watch student videos on You Tube, and read about student and alumni sentiment on social networks like MySpace and LiveJournal—all while remaining in stealth mode. By the time they decide to apply to your school, they’ve had all the information they needed from you and everyone else. But they’re never counted as an inquiry.

So, is Web 2.0 killing inquiries? Yes. Is it a bad thing? No. Colleges will continue to adapt as they always have and join in the Web 2.0 conversation. But some will join sooner than others.

For ways of using Web 2.0 in your admissions and marketing strategies, read Karine Joly’s blog on how higher ed marketing/PR pros can get ready for Web 2.0. (307 Words)

Marketing: A Battle Of Products Or Perceptions?

Campus decision makers often lament that their school or program is the “best kept secret.” They insist that their product is superior to the competition’s and that all you need to do as a campus marketer is get the word out. Before you do, remember these words from Jack Trout: Marketing is a battle of perceptions, not products.

In other words, having a good product is important, but what matters most is how your prospective customers perceive its value.

PR icon Fraser Seitel says it best: Perceptions become facts in the court of public opinion. Presidents, VPs, and faculty members often ignore this advice and take the more natural, logical route to marketing. They assume that the merits of the product will attract customers. What they don’t realize is that their product must promise something that matters to prospective customers. Otherwise, customers won’t perceive its value and the product—no matter how great it is—will flop.

Take hamburgers for example. You could probably make a better hamburger than McDonalds. And it could be superior in every way. The problem is, no one is going to buy it. Why? It’s too expensive. It takes too long to make. Your kitchen isn’t conveniently located. We could go on and on. The point is, having a superior product doesn’t mean it will sell.

The same applies to colleges and academic programs. Having the best faculty teaching on the nicest campus won’t sell if the product is perceived to be too costly, inconvenient or irrelevant to prospects.

So the next time you’re asked to get the word out on the best kept secret, remember, in marketing, what matters most is perception, not product. (279 Words)

Crisis Communication: What Do I Do When We’ve Screwed Up?

Inevitably, people screw up. What separates the bozos from the heros is what you do after you screw up. A good example of what to do—and what not to—comes from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his response to user outcry over Facebook’s addition of Mini-Feed and News Feed.

First, what not to do. In Dale Carnegie’s famous book, “How To Win Friends And Influence People,” one of the first principles of handling relationships is “Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.” Let’s take a look at Zuckerberg’s first post on Facebook’s blog, which is titled, “Calm down. Breathe. We Hear You.”

One wonders what was going through Zuckerberg’s head when he wrote this title. When someone is angry, the last thing you want to do is patronize them. But it gets worse. He then goes on to write about how good the product is and that Facebook has basically done nothing wrong, it’s all just a misunderstanding. You could almost hear all the readers shout in unison, “You didn’t hear us!” His loyal customers became his worst critics, resulting in lots of negative press. Why? Because when you don’t listen, you’re telling customers you don’t care about them. And that’s the last message you want to send.

In his second post, Zuckerberg came to his senses, taking a play right out of Carnegie’s playbook—”When you’re wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.” Note the first sentence in Zuckerberg’s post, “We really messed this one up.” You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief when customers read this line. And they all probably said the same thing to themselves, “Finally, he hears us!”

And that’s the first step in handling any crisis. Listen to your audience and let them know you care. And follow another one of Carnegie’s rules, “Avoid arguments.” They’re not contacting you to argue. They’re contacting you to be heard and to know you care. So listen and respond as one who does care.

The rest of Zuckerberg’s post is PR genius. Here are a couple of nuggests worth reprinting:

• “we did a bad job of explaining what the new features were and an even worse job of giving you control of them. I’d like to try to correct those errors now.”
• “Somehow we missed this point with News Feed and Mini-Feed and we didn’t build in the proper privacy controls right away. This was a big mistake on our part, and I’m sorry for it. But apologizing isn’t enough. I wanted to make sure we did something about it, and quickly.”
• “I want to thank all of you who have written in and created groups and protested. Even though I wish I hadn’t made so many of you angry, I am glad we got to hear you.”

By the time you reach the end of his post, you want to tell Zuckerberg, “It’s alright Mark. You’re being too hard on yourself. We still love Facebook.” (492 Words)

Will Blogs Replace Press Releases?

According to Technorati founder David Sifry, a blog is created every second. That news came out over a year ago. Blogs are now a common media staple for mainstream Web users—and that includes journalists. The question PR staffers are raising is: Will blogs replace press releases?

The short answer, in my opinion, is no. Press releases are here to stay…for now. Although there are some tech-savvy journalists out there, many of them are still in the technological dark ages. But as millennials move into the newsroom, I think we’ll see a major shift to blogs. Those of us in higher ed PR may find ourselves pushing our feeds more than our releases. That’s because feeds are providing reporters with a new way of sifting through the press release onslaught, one that doesn’t require them to open an e-mail.

So why haven’t more higher ed PR staffers added blogs to their media relations programs? Well, for one, we’re not all that tech-savvy either (myself included). But we need to be…and fast. Remember that phrase “First to market”? Being the first college in your area to have a solid news blog could be a big advantage. But only those who have something to say will capture (and keep) the feed. (211 Words)

UPDATE (9/15/06) – For an insightful discussion on the subject, see Andrew Careaga’s post from the recent CASE Annual Conference for Senior Communications and Marketing Professionals.

How Do I Increase Media Coverage?

Media relations is often the nebula of the campus advancement division. There’s usually no set plan for what MR is supposed to do for the college other than crank out releases on whatever hints of news. The problem is, that’s also what hundreds of other MR staffers are doing for their colleges and organizations. The result is a glut of “news” releases that is so overwhelming in sheer number that no one has the time to read them all. Here’s how to break through the clutter.

I once attended a panel discussion of journalists at a CASE conference several years ago. Each reporter told the same story—I get way too many releases from you people. One reporter had brought a 12-inch-high stack of releases from the previous day. He said, “Look, do you really think I have time to read all this stuff?” Looking at the stack, the answer was obvious. (By the way, these were education reporters. Imagine how many releases a typical news reporter gets?)

That was back when we used to fax our releases. Nowadays, we send them via e-mail making it easier for MR staffers to send even more releases, creating an even bigger news glut. So how do you increase media coverage when the system is already clogged? Send fewer releases.

Because reporters get so many news releases, they create ways of sifting through them rather quickly. One way they do this is by deleting the releases that are sent by people who send them releases all the time. They know that these MR staffers don’t know what real news is, because no institution—no matter how great it is—has that many newsworthy items to report.

In addition to sending fewer releases, the ones you do send should be titled in such a way that they compete for the reporter’s attention. Why? Because another way reporters sift through the news glut is by reading the titles. So compete for their attention with better titles. Many MR staffers spend the least amount of time writing the titles to their releases and, as a result, their releases get deleted.

Finally, make sure you can answer “yes” to the following questions about your release. First, is the story truly newsworthy? In other words, does it offer any significant information that will be relevant to a significant amount of people? Second, is it timely? Is it happening, about to happen, or significant information that is being revealed for the first time? Lastly, does it answer all the questions it is likely to raise? Remember, reporters don’t have time to look for answers to questions raised by your news release.

If you’re still not convinced that writing fewer (and better) releases is worth your time, read The Bad Pitch Blog and find out what journalists really think of your stuff. (471 Words)

Marketing: Expense Or Investment?

Most campus decision makers view marketing as a necessary evil. They know they need it, but they’re not sure how it works (or, sometimes, if it works). Therefore, they see marketing as an expense rather than an investment. Here’s how to change their minds on the subject.

First, it’s important to point out that not all marketing efforts are created equal. Some are complete wastes of time and money. These include ads that entertain instead of sell, events that draw big crowds, but don’t produce results, and brochures that are pumped out just to “get the word out.” These kinds of efforts are what I often refer to as STDs—sudden tactical deployments. STDs are sudden in that there’s little, if any, planning. They’re tactical, rather than strategic. And they’re deployments, which means wasted time and money.

Good marketing, on the other hand, should be viewed as an investment. And just like any investment, you expect a return (ROI). In this sense, marketing is similar to investing for retirement. You research options, diversify your portfolio and evaluate results. If an investment isn’t producing a return, you dump it and invest somewhere else. Why waste any more time and money on something you know doesn’t work?

But just like investing in the stock market, you don’t want to entrust your marketing dollars to someone who doesn’t know what he or she is doing. College decision makers often dole out marketing monies to faculty and staff members who don’t have a clue about higher ed marketing. So they become even more embittered toward marketing when these efforts fail.

However, when marketing is viewed as an investment and decision makers can see what results you’re aiming for and how you plan to achieve those results, they begin to appreciate the power and purpose of college marketing. They begin to see how things like advertising on a particular social network will generate inquiries and why it’s worth the money. They’ll also begin to understand why you do what you do and you may even find more marketing dollars come your way because they like the results! (It’s amazing how money can appear when campus decision makers get excited about something.)

So, if you haven’t done so already, think of your marketing dollars as a portfolio of investments, rather than line items on an expense report. You’ll find that when you do, you’ll talk differently about marketing to those who decide your budget for the year and, in return, they’ll see marketing in a whole new light. (420 Words)

What Is IMC?

Let’s see if you can guess how many Ph.D.s it took to create this definition of IMC provided by Northwestern University?

IMC is the integrated management of all communications to build positive and lasting relationships with customers and other stakeholders. It is a customer-centric, data-driven approach to marketing and branding that stresses communicating to consumers through multiple forms of media and technology.

The answer is: too many. If this definition didn’t help much, allow me to translate. IMC stands for “integrated marketing communications,” a process that aligns university communication efforts in order to speak with one compelling voice. In other words, it’s how you prevent your school from having multiple, conflicting messages sent out by individuals who shouldn’t be sending them out.

According to higher ed marketing guru Bob Sevier, “IMC plans balance an institution’s responsibility to create awareness with its need to generate results.” Sevier breaks the IMC process down into three distinct functions: brand marketing, direct marketing and customer relationship management.

Brand Marketing
According to Sevier, brand marketing is “Pre-funnel” communications that differentiates you from competitors and increases awareness of your school’s brand promise.” Think establishing the brand through advertising and PR. For Sevier, a brand promise should 1) matter to customers, 2) be unique to your school and 3) be believable. The brand promise helps you position yourself in the minds of your prospective customers. Brand marketing deals primarily with perception and is typically handled by the college’s marketing communications department.

Direct Marketing
Direct marketing, Sevier says, is “An interactive, integrative prospect communication and contact program that spans the traditional funnel of search though measurable action or behavior.” This IMC function specializes in getting people to take action on your brand promise. Think supporting the brand through efforts like direct mail and events. Whereas brand marketing positions you in the customers’ mind, direct marketing asks the customer to do something like log onto your Web site, fill out an inquiry card or visit the campus. Direct marketing efforts are typically handled by admissions, alumni and development departments. In all cases, your direct marketing efforts should be consistent with and flow from your school’s brand marketing plan.

Customer Relationship Management
Finally, customer relationship management, according to Sevier, is “What is done from application forward that impacts yields, retention, and eventually the support and participation of alumni.” In other words, this is where you and everyone else working for the college delivers the promise. The goal here is repeat business.

Brand marketing, direct marketing and customer relationship management, that’s IMC in a nutshell. (424 Words)