This document discusses strategies for minimizing student attrition or "melt" in higher education programs. It addresses topics like differentiation, authenticity, student experience, relationship building, and different generations. Participants were asked questions like how they could improve authenticity in marketing, remove roadblocks for adult students, solidify pre-enrollment relationships, and embrace parents/families. The goal is to help institutions retain more students through enrollment to graduation.

1. Minimizing Melt
Brian Wm. Niles, TargetX
Erin Nickelsburg, University of Wisconsin
Amanda Carlson, Columbia University
Krista Larson, York University
Camila de Wit, GMAC

2. www.slideshare.net/
targetx

3. Differentiation
Authenticity
Experience
Relationships
Generations

4. Differentiation
Crowded market?
Little differentiation?
Trending to commoditization?
Use the same marketing language?
Benefits not clearly articulated?

5. If your program
was a car, retail
or restaurant ...

6. Authenticity
Authenticity in marketing reduces
post-purchase surprises.
Authenticity reduces uncertainty in
customer’s purchase decision.

7. What’s the most
inauthentic thing you
do in marketing your
program?

8. The Experience
Customer Service is King
Understanding Adult Student Needs
Part-time vs. Full-time Student
(Registration, parking, dinner, career
guidance, housing, activities)

9. What is one roadblock
your institution puts
in front of your
adult student?

10. Sustaining Relationships
Primary point of contact
One-stop-shop in Admissions
Deposit = Part of Community
One-stop-shop to Graduation

11. Sustaining Relationships
Make the student a “customer”
before classes begin.
(Access to services. Invites to
events. Contact with faculty or
students.)

12. What is one thing you
can do to solidify the
relationship before
classes begin?

13. Generations
Millennials (enough already!)
Parent’s Generational Shift
(Boomers to Xers)
Connection with Family

14. What is one thing you
can do to embrace
parents and/or
families/spouses?

15. Minimizing Melt
Brian Wm. Niles, TargetX
Erin Nickelsburg, University of Wisconsin
Amanda Carlson, Columbia University
Krista Larson, York University
Camila de Wit, GMAC

16. 1. If your program was a car, retail
or restaurant ...
2. What’s the most inauthentic thing you do in
marketing your program?
3. What is one roadblock your institution puts in
front of your adult student?
4. What is one thing you can do to solidify the
relationship before classes begin?
5. What is one thing you can do to embrace
parents and/or families/spouses?

17. Minimizing Melt
Brian Wm. Niles, TargetX
Erin Nickelsburg, University of Wisconsin
Amanda Carlson, Columbia University
Krista Larson, York University
Camila de Wit, GMAC