1) It takes coordinated effort from the entire campus community to stage meaningful campus visit experiences for prospective students. 2) Prospective students and their families are looking for an authentic experience that gives them an ineffable sense that a campus is the right place for them through atmosphere, setting, or vibe. 3) Managing expectations, focusing on the experience over information, customizing visits, and creating signature moments are keys to persuading visitors that a campus offers the experiences they seek.

1. It Takes a Campus.
To Stage a
Campus Visit.
Indiana Tech Fall 2010
Jeff Kallay, VP Consulting, a.k.a. “Apostle of Authenticity”

9. Managing Expectations
Remember the context
You won’t agree with me
You’re educated and smart; take what is relevant to you
Not a tour, but a visit!
What does it means to you and Indiana Tech?
Questions and Answers
Download PDF at in www.targetx.com/slideshare

10. 4
1. Brighter students
2. Full pay students
3. Diversity
4. More of all the above

13. “Applications and yield numbers are down”
NACAC Study, October 2010
“Loan crisis goes to college.”
CNN Money.com, May 2010
“College loans are the new subprime crisis”
New York Times, June 2010

15. There is no
magic bullet!

16. It’s all about the
experience!

17. Recruitment and
retention is
everybody’s job!

18. And it takes a
campus to stage
the campus visit.

20. “The experience is the marketing.”
Arts & Science Group Student Poll 2004

21. The experience is higher
education marketing
- 84% use the web most heavily in
researching colleges
- 71% say the campus visit is the
most trusted source of information
Eduventures 2007 Survey of 7,867 High school junior and seniors.
Reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education “Prospective Students Rely on Campus Visits and Web Sites to Learn About Colleges, Report Says”

22. “Effectiveness”
Noel-Levitz 2009

23. Read the Chronicle Article

24. Read In Step with tradition: Campus Tours thriving

25. Read On vacation -- at a college campus

26. But most college tour
scripts are numbingly
similar, and information is
not really the point.
Students and their families
are looking for the ineffable
moment when, through
some alchemy of
atmosphere, setting or
vibe, they suddenly know
this is the place for them.

27. Read the New York Times Articles

28. Read UB October 2009 Online

29. Read the US News and World Report Article

30. Read the St. Louis Post Dispatch Article

31. Read the Washington Monthly Magazine

32. The Three “Kaitlins”
Kaitlin Caitlin Kate Lynn

33. Welcome to
The Experience Economy
Pine & Gilmore

34. The Experience Economy
is about:
1. Repelling commodization
2. Charging a premium price
3. Persuading consumers to pay
when they never did before
4. Selling “Memories”

35. The Experience Economy 101
on
ssi
gre Experiences
ro
cP
i
om
on
Service/Information
Ec
of
ry
eo
Th
Industrial
Agrarian

36. 10
Ten Tenets of TEE and
a great campus visit

37. 1. Integrate the four E’s
Higher Education is the experience economy: 4 E’s
Absorption
Entertainment Education
Passive Participation Active Participation
Esthetic Escape
Strategic Horizons, LLP Immersion

38. 2. Aesthetics, Esthetics & Cues
Fast Company, October 2010 Photograph Courtesy of McDonald's NDG Australia
"If you have a restaurant that is appealing, contemporary, and
relevant both from the street and interior, the food tastes better."
Don Thompson, COO

39. 2. Aesthetics, Esthetics & Cues
Elon University

40. 3. Authenticity
“Stop saying what your offerings
are through advertising and start
creating places--permanent or
temporary, physical or virtual,
fee-based or free--where people
can experience what those
offerings, as well as your
enterprise, actually are.”

41. 3. Authenticity or “Keep it real”
SACAC 2008 Survey of 200+ high school seniors
“I believe that imperfections show character. That's what I was looking for
in a college. A school that seemingly has no flaws during a one hour
information session (and tour) not only stands out negatively,
but it comes off as bland and ordinary.”
Read the complete survey results Password: sacac

42. 4. Customization
“What’s your drink?

43. 4. Customization
Hendrix College

44. 4. Customization

45. 5. Sensory Engagement

46. 5. Sensory Engagement
Miami University (OH)

47. 6. Emotional Engagement

48. 6. Emotional Engagement
Lehigh University

49. 7. Storytelling

50. 7. Storytelling
St. Edward’s University

51. 8. Signature Moment(s)

52. 8. Signature Moment(s)
Westmont College

53. 9. Theme

54. 9. Theme
Alfred University

55. 10. Memorabilia
The Ohio State University

56. 10. Memorabilia
West Virginia University

57. Aesthetics are Ground Zero
View campus, the tour route and your area with
“fresh eyes”
Help keep campus and your area presentable
If you see trash, pick it up and if you see something
that needs attention, report it

58. Support Admissions
Use the experience economy tenets when working
on open house, yield and accepted events
Support Admissions when they come a calling and
ask for your help with visit experiences
Cut Tour Guides some slack - they’re volunteers

59. Opportunity or Disruption?
Accept Demanding and Savvy Consumers
“They Want What They Want When They Want It”
Stop and Say “Hello” and “Welcome”
Remember requests to meet with faculty and staff
or sit in class are norm not the exception

60. Who stages Campus Visit
Experiences?
-The entire campus; admissions, interns,
ambassadors, students, administration and staff
“Whatever we accomplish belongs
to our entire group. A tribute to
our combined effort”
- Walt Disney

61. It Takes a Campus!
Indiana Tech Fall 2010
Jeff Kallay, VP Consulting, a.k.a. “Apostle of Authenticity”
kallay@targetx.com www.targetx.com/slideshare