Marketing Best Practices: Me’ah Rich Feczko, Hebrew College

Our Goal for the next 30 minutes Understanding your product (Me’ah as my example) Assessing your market Targeting your message Approaches and tactics

Understanding your product (Me’ah as my example)

Assessing your market

Targeting your message

Approaches and tactics

Me’ah - Raising the bar in Adult Jewish Education Unique collaboration with our Federation, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies Me’ah began in 1994, in Boston with 2 classes Today over 40 locations More then 1000 students Over 2500 graduates

Unique collaboration with our Federation, the Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Me’ah began in 1994, in Boston with 2 classes

Today over 40 locations

More then 1000 students

Over 2500 graduates

What is Me’ah? “ A two year program of study that immerses you in core Jewish texts, supplemented by scholarly analysis. You will grapple with concepts representing the historical, cultural and political movements from four eras—biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern. For approximately 100 hours of class time (Me'ah means "100" in Hebrew) you'll have a chance to read, think and open your mind to 3,000 years of the Jewish Conversation.”

“ A two year program of study that immerses you in core Jewish texts, supplemented by scholarly analysis. You will grapple with concepts representing the historical, cultural and political movements from four eras—biblical, rabbinic, medieval and modern. For approximately 100 hours of class time (Me'ah means "100" in Hebrew) you'll have a chance to read, think and open your mind to 3,000 years of the Jewish Conversation.”

Me’ah – Product Characteristics Designed as an enabler of transformation Runs as partnership with local institutions Taught by Jewish studies scholars over two years and 100 hours of intense study Typically sold as a “site” program with a site fee and local funding support Students pay tuition $500-$895 depending on local support

Designed as an enabler of transformation

Runs as partnership with local institutions

Taught by Jewish studies scholars over two years and 100 hours of intense study

Typically sold as a “site” program with a site fee and local funding support

Students pay tuition $500-$895 depending on local support

Can you crisply describe your product? To yourself To your customer Distinguishing characteristics The elevator speech Easy to “get” but unique

To yourself

To your customer

Distinguishing characteristics

The elevator speech

Easy to “get” but unique

Question- who is the “buyer” of Me’ah? Community Federation JCC Foundations Site Rabbi Board Adult Education committee Potential students

Community

Federation

JCC

Foundations

Site

Rabbi

Board

Adult Education committee

Potential students

What do we know about our current students? Accomplished in personal or professional lives College educated often with advanced degrees Recent Life-cycle event Formal Jewish education typically ended at Bar/Bat mitzvah But many feel incompetent as Jews

Accomplished in personal or professional lives

College educated often with advanced degrees

Recent Life-cycle event

Formal Jewish education typically ended at Bar/Bat mitzvah

But many feel incompetent as Jews

American Jewish Adults – A Composite Identity Highly educated and skeptical of “old time” religion Searching for a connection to something larger than themselves Value family experiences, which are often religious in origin They want to be part of the tribe but not tribal

Highly educated and skeptical of “old time” religion

Searching for a connection to something larger than themselves

Value family experiences, which are often religious in origin

They want to be part of the tribe but not tribal

Characteristics of Adult Learners The need to know — adult learners need to know why they need to learn something before undertaking to learn it Learner self-concept —adults need to be responsible for their own decisions and to be treated as capable of self-direction Role of learners' experience —adult learners have a variety of experiences of life which represent the richest resource for learning. These experiences are however imbued with bias and presupposition Readiness to learn —adults are ready to learn those things they need to know in order to cope effectively with life situations Orientation to learning —adults are motivated to learn to the extent that they perceive that it will help them perform tasks they confront in their life situations ( See The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy Malcolm Knowles 1988, Cambridge Book Co.)

The need to know — adult learners need to know why they need to learn something before undertaking to learn it

Learner self-concept —adults need to be responsible for their own decisions and to be treated as capable of self-direction

Role of learners' experience —adult learners have a variety of experiences of life which represent the richest resource for learning. These experiences are however imbued with bias and presupposition

Readiness to learn —adults are ready to learn those things they need to know in order to cope effectively with life situations

Orientation to learning —adults are motivated to learn to the extent that they perceive that it will help them perform tasks they confront in their life situations

( See The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Andragogy Malcolm Knowles 1988, Cambridge Book Co.)

Transformational Process Personal Individuals re-examine beliefs and practice Institutional Creates a culture of Jewish learning Communal Changes dynamics in community: daily conversations, interests, activities

Personal

Individuals re-examine beliefs and practice

Institutional

Creates a culture of Jewish learning

Communal

Changes dynamics in community: daily conversations, interests, activities

Who is your buyer? Individuals Institutions Donors or Funders Are they all buying the same product?

Individuals

Institutions

Donors or Funders

Are they all buying the same product?

Thinking about Marketing Fodderware Less is often more Hone the message Your product Your customer Have a Call to Action – what do you want them to do?

Fodderware

Less is often more

Hone the message

Your product

Your customer

Have a Call to Action – what do you want them to do?

Reaching a Tipping Point Understanding your social network Connectors - wide social circles; the "hubs" of the human network Mavens - knowledgeable people. People will ask them what they think Salesmen - charismatic people and good negotiators

Understanding your social network

Connectors - wide social circles; the "hubs" of the human network

Mavens - knowledgeable people. People will ask them what they think

Salesmen - charismatic people and good negotiators

Thinking about Tactics Mailings Letters Email Net Layering

Mailings

Letters

Email

Net

Layering

The Quote “Me’ah is the instrument to this whole resurgence of adult learning in our community…. You can hear it in the conversations people have. I never would have believed we would be “talking Torah” at dinner parties.”

“Me’ah is the instrument to this whole resurgence of adult learning in our community…. You can hear it in the conversations people have. I never would have believed we would be “talking Torah” at dinner parties.”