Branding's role in increasing enrollment was presented at the Fall 2016 LEAD Conference (an HBCUgrow Conference) in Nashville at host Tennessee State University.
A great brand is like gold...or should we say green? Increasing enrollment in today's competitive environment often means updating your brand platform to meet the changing needs (and expectations) of students. Dozens of universities have updated their brands this year. Learn why research is the key to getting the new brand right' how to get stakeholder buy-in; and why enrollment management and marketing teams MUST work together to ensure the best results for the university as a whole.
2. Branding’s Role in
Increasing Enrollment
:
Jeanne Frazer
President of vitalink®
Branding Expert, Speaker + Author, Cancer Survivor
Top 50 Entrepreneur, Mover & Shaker – Business Leader MediaTM
A Founding Partner of HBCUgrow
3. A service of vitalink®, AndiSites + Universal
We help HBCUs make the most of their
website, brand, and marketing campaigns.
4. A great brand is like gold
…or green (100 = $1M)!
A service of vitalink®
5. 2016
Google
Reports:
A service of vitalink®
1. Dixie State University (issues)
2. Illinois Tech
3. University of New Mexico
4. University of St Thomas
5. University of Akron (under fire)
6. Kent State
7. University of Arkansas at Little Rock
8. Wright State University (rejected)
9. Mount St. Mary’s
10. Arkansas State University
11. University of Vermont
12. Missouri State
13. MichiganTechnologicalUniv (1st rebrand)
14. Durham University (licensing issues)
15. College Isle of Man (UCM)
16. Mississippi State University
17. Canadian Universities Governing Body
18. University of Nebraska Lincoln
19. Ohio Polytechnic (attempt)
20. Detroit Mercy
21. Towson University
22. University of North New Mexico
23. Murray State
24. UNC Housing
25. Apple University Village
26. University of Mobile
27. University of Houston
28. University of Mobile
29. Augusta University
30. Cleveland Clinic University Hospital
31. University of Houston
32. University at Buffalo Stadium
33. Univ of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
34. Oxford University Innovation
35. DeVry
36. Grand State University
37. Temple University
38. North Dakota State University
39. Minnesota College & University System
40. University Afghan
7. Staying
relevant
A service of vitalink®
Increasing enrollment in today’s
environment often means updating
your brand platform to meet the
changing needs of students.
9. The Key to
Getting it Right
A service of vitalink®
Research
Engaging Stakeholders
Gaining Buy-In + Champions
10. A service of vitalink®
Students Adult Learners Alumni Business Faculty, Staff
Stakeholder Engagement
Listening sessions help create buy-in
A service of vitalink®
16. A service of vitalink®
“Jackson State in the Midst of All-Time Great HBCU Branding Campaign” ~ HBCU Digest
Fastest growing HBCU in the country.
8,819 to 9,802 | 983 students $9.8M
24. #LEADHBCU
11:10-12:10p Concurrent Sessions B
> Integrated Marketing Strategies to Increase Enrollment without
Busting Your Budget (Don Bean) - 002
> It Started with a Hashtag (Asia Johnson, Charlene Balewa,
Learning Resource
Center
WIFI = TSU (no
PW)
Editor's Notes
How many students do you need to gain $1M for your university?
Presentation will be posted on hbcugrow.com after the conference
We specialize in branding higher education institutions. JSU, NC A&T, Shaw, St. Augustine’s, NC State, University of North Georgia – multiple colleges, and more…. And we were a founder of HBCUgrow with our other partners AndiSites & UP.
Competition is tougher, there are more options, institutions are getting more aggressive – all for the same pool of applicants.
In order to attract prospective students, talented faculty and donors, your value proposition must be clear and must be communicated to target audiences.
Are you seen as relevant? Can you afford to keep doing biz as usual?? 100 students = 1M (low)
HGTV – house hunters stuff – people can’t look past furniture. If your brand isn’t together, they might assume your school won’t be as well.
Why is engaging stakeholders and gaining buy-in important?
Spring it was 15 and 4 of 15 REPORTED issues….now 40+
Takeaway……improvements, freshening up, can you afford to be seen as outdated????
Are you updating? On the list?
ISSUE: They nixed this. Said it looked like Wilbur was left behind. Came up with multiple options, now a version of this is on the website.
- This was 1/31/15
- 2/11/16 new options
- 11/1/16 back to this (2 YEARS part of $522,200 contract)
What does that mean?
Students judge you based on your weakest piece.
Would you say this (ANY) university is:
Big town or small town?
Old school or new school?
Tech savvy?
Modern?
Progressive?
Caring?
Up to date on the latest?
Different?
Potential students will judge you….let’s give them a better brand to judge
Doing this kind of research really requires an impartial 3rd party (or people tell you what they think you want to hear) – faculty and staff can be suspicious, so the set up has to be good so they may speak freely
Community
High school teachers
Guidance counselors
Churches
What other groups?
Then you have to know what to do with the information….bring it all together to define your value proposition…..
We tested new brands with stakeholders and had them judge the options based on several criteria.
This was a decision made with input.
Not all liked it, but it was accepted.
This is on the heals of bad morale, declining enrollment….turnaround can happen.
Your brand isn’t just your logo, it’s the entire experience. Graphics and marketing alone can’t do it, but that can raise the energy.
Messaging: Excellent education/experience, Nurturing, technology, diversity
Internal – iPad Initiative, changes to teaching style, new buildings, customer service
It’s not always what you think…..Are you a green apple, seeing red?
Leaders/alumni see history, do students?? A&T story
First step to defining your value proposition is finding it – the real it.
What is the perception and reality of this?
11+ logos, diff colors, 200 websites
How can we recognize the institution if it has so many faces? Brand confusion.
Think JSU, they are big…..wasn’t always great!
Disconnected. HOT MESS…..how are prospects expected to immediately recognize the school. WORSE yet, respect it as professional.
We needed a brand that reflected the quality of the school. We had to redefine what JSU meant to the stakeholders….the why
We’ve all seen institutions who say they are something they aren’t. It may work to get folks in the door, but then you have a backlash.
Defining your value proposition means finding the sweet spot of reality….where you are really good in everyone’s eyes.
Build your core truth story (may be slightly different by group)
What happens when you get it right? Even in a bad situation?
This is on the heals of bad morale, declining enrollment….turnaround can happen.
Your brand isn’t just your logo, it’s the entire experience. Graphics and marketing alone can’t do it, but that can raise the energy and PERCEPTION.
Messaging: Excellent education/experience, Nurturing, technology, diversity
Internal – iPad Initiative, changes to teaching style, new buildings, customer service
Real look at the numbers and attitude!!!
2012-2013 8819
2013-2014 9134 +315 (3.15M) Successes came almost immediately after launch
2014-2015 9508 +374 (3.74M)
2015-2016 9802 +294 (2.94M)
Our work June 2012 – May 2013
Describe how your mktg & em work together…
Unnamed U…..lots of $ getting the messaging right and consistency. To find enrollment mgmt was brainstorming their own campaign….
1st time enrollment person was involved in the process.
She usually got materials that didn’t work as much for her.
Some create their own….YIKES
Storytelling – students want to see themselves in others. So we didn’t focus on faculty. We focused on student success and how faculty helped get them there.
“Gretchen’s advisors worked with her to customize her degree program to suit her passions. As a result the Dept of Forestry and Environmental Resources created a new concentration in conservation biology.”
Jerry is a first generation college student. His academic coach calls him an “extreme doer – instead of waiting, he jumps right in” Jerry says “you’ll rub shoulders with people who may not have anything in common on the surface, but you’ll share experiences that will help shape your future.
REACH – have to have right target audiences. Beyond basic demographics – understand the “why” (U + target) – RESEARCH
FREQ – 3-7x min (more for launch/relaunch) – diff messages, start the counting over (spend $$)
MESSAGE – “why” that will resonate w/target – RESEARCH
WSSU defined their brand pillars – message specific for their target
Enrollment Management creates diff message – will it work as well?
Can you afford to keep doing business as usual??
This is what gets us excited. Helping an institution find core truth + connecting that w/target
Advertising without meaning is a broken promise. Your brand is your promise – the “why” someone chose you.
Competition is tougher, there are more options, institutions are getting more aggressive – all for the same pool of applicants.
People have a choice, you have one disconnect and they could be onto the next non-profit option……
Simply - make it hard to recognize you…..Disconnect + DERAIL
Dress for the job you want. It’s time to dress our HBCUs for the role they want to play in the world.
