Insights into Integrated Marketing, Communication, and Research for Colleges and Universities.
Vol. IV, no. 2: Sail or Steam: Lessons from the Thomas Lawson
Prepared by Dr. Robert A. Sevier, Vice President for Research and Marketing at Stamats (bob-sevier@stamats.com)
UPCOMING PRESENTATION AT NAICU ON JANUARY 30TH
I will be at the NAICU meeting January 28-30, 2001. If anyone is interested in discussing marketing or branding please drop me an e-mail at bob-sevier@stamats.com and we can set up an appointment. Thanks, Bob.
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In this issue.
STRATEGIC PLANNING CORNER: THE THOMAS LAWSON SYNDROME
In one of my favorite books, Leapfrogging the Competition, Oren Harari introduces us to the Thomas Lawson. He begins "Toward dawn on Friday, December 13, 1907, the sailing ship Thomas W. Lawson sank . in the English Channel."
The Thomas Lawson, a huge, unwieldy seven-masted ship, was the Rube Goldberg-like ship the sailing establishment put forth to compete against the new steam-powered vessels that had increasingly taken cargo business away from sail. The last-gasp effort to deny technological advance was futile, of course, and the age of commercial sail ended with the Thomas Lawson, and steamships began to rule the seas.
Says Harari, "The Thomas Lawson Syndrome is the tendency for organizations to tenaciously prop up current products, services, and processes in the face of technological advance that often spells the obsolescence of what the organization is currently protecting."
He goes on, "By hindering managers from discarding the old technologies and embracing the new, the Thomas Lawson Syndrome prevents organizations from transcending the status quo and looking ahead to the future."
Harari then goes on to describe how DuPont clung to nylon, its cash cow, in the early 1960s, despite the scientific evidence that a new product-polyester-was superior for tire cords and despite the fact that Goodyear, its leading customer, had publicly come out in favor of polyester.
"Meanwhile, Celanese, a competitor whose position in the tire industry was small relative to DuPont's, faced far fewer internal barriers to polyester. Celanese had no nylon investments to protect, no nylon tire-cord facilities whose cost had to be justified. Nor, I suspect, did Celanese have managers and researchers whose career success, reputation, and egos were tied to nylon. While DuPont poured R&D money into improving nylon, Celanese, unencumbered by its past, began to turn out polyester tire cord. The product was quickly adopted by tire manufacturers, and within five years Celanese had captured more than 75 percent of the market.
"Unsurprisingly then, the Thomas Lawson Syndrome often causes those who appear to be best positioned to get into a new business actually to be among the worst. This often yields huge opportunities for new-entry competitors and entrepreneurs who are burdened with considerably less old baggage."
Are there any lessons here for colleges and universities? I expect so. Consider, for example, our last issue of QuickTakes, when we were introduced to Arthur Levine's three types of institutions: bricks, clicks, and bricks and clicks. Of the three, which ones are most likely to be a Thomas Lawson?
A SLIGHT MODIFICATION TO THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE BRAND
Last December we introduced the four essential elements of an effective brand promise:
Sharp-eyed reader and good friend Bob Smith, the provost at Slippery Rock University, suggested that the third element should be "Live your promise." This simple word change implies both an institutional and personal commitment. He's right. Thanks, Bob.
YOU STILL NEED TO DRIVE THEM TO THE WEB
Colleges and universities are spending thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of dollars making their Web sites better (more interactive, more customized, more community-building). Unfortunately, most "drive them to the Web" strategies seem to focus solely on four words plastered on every ad and publication: visit our Web site.
Web-marketers know that it does little good to simply say, "visit" without an inducement. While we do in fact want students to visit, we need to look at it from their perspective: they are being asked, encouraged, cajoled, and bribed, to visit hundreds of college Web sites. Why should they visit yours? Will they?
There seems to be the feeling that if we just slap our Web address on everything, we have done our job driving traffic. But remember the words of Web guru Vince Bank. Writing in "Dear Ad Geniuses: Give Us a Reason to Visit Your Site" in the January 2001 issue of Revolution, he says, "If you don't give me a reason to visit your site, I won't. Period."
He suggests that instead of simply mentioning your address (and hoping the magical Web fairies will steer traffic to your site [his words]), that you should pop your URL in the middle of this basic formula:
Visit our Web site at www.yourcollege.edu and receive/learn/get __________.
Using this formula, we get:
Visit our Web site at www.yourcollege.edu to receive a free planning guide on how to get into the college of your choice.
or
Visit our Web site at www.yourcollege.edu and receive a 25 percent off coupon to use in our bookstore when you visit.
To borrow and modify a phrase from Field of Dreams, if you offer it they will engage.
PUBLISH THESE PUBS ON THE WEB AND SAVE A FEW BUCKS
Interested in saving some serious money on your publications? Then, instead of printing your academic catalog and alumni directory, put them on your Web. There is almost no reason-save tradition-to print these publications any more. In fact, putting them on your Web will actually increase their accessibility and make them much more searchable. In addition, it makes it extremely convenient and cost-effective to complete and convey changes and updates. Estimated savings: $20-25K per year in printing costs and perhaps an equal amount in saved time.
PROTECTING YOUR NAME AS PART OF YOUR BRAND STRATEGY
We learn from the 1/3/01 USAToday that Harvard University certainly understands the value of its brand. The article reports that Harvard, like many colleges and universities, is continuing its efforts to block the use of its name by unaffiliated companies and organizations.
In 1999 the University forced online educator not-Harvard.com to change its name. It became Powered, Inc. Harvard has "at least a couple dozen" active lawsuits around the world, says spokesman Joe Wrinn.
One case-Harvard Bioscience-however, may provide a bit more difficult than most. Harvard Bioscience was founded by a former Harvard professor, William Porter, in 1901, and has used the Harvard name without challenge the entire time. The school also objects to the company's Web site, which uses Harvard's distinctive crimson color and a similar typeface to Harvard University's Internet site.
BY THE NUMBERS: STUDYING ABROAD
The Institute of International Education offers us the following numbers on American students studying abroad:
Bob Sevier just published his third book—Strategic Planning: Theory and Practice: Theory and Practice—with CASE. Designed as a "how to do it" book, it opens with a review of the major trends shaping higher education and makes the case for a strategic response to the opportunitiesopportunities and problems these trends represent. The book then outlines a highly customizable multi-step strategic planning process that balances campus involvement and speed. Special attention is paid to the undertaking of a comprehensive situational analysis and on implementing strategies that will help build ownership on campus and circumvent campus politics.
To obtain your copy of this wire-bound book, contact the Council for Advancement and Support of Education at (800) 554-8536 or visit CASE Books online at www.case.org/books.
NEW CLIENTS
Stamats would like to welcome the following new client:
STAMATS SEMINARS SERIES
2001 Stamats Seminar Schedule
Partners for a Solid Future: New
Strategies for 4-year Public Colleges & Universities
Where: Tampa, Florida
When: March 11-13
Recruiting & Marketing Strategies
for 4-year Private Colleges & Universities
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
When: May 13-15
Taking Command of Interactive
Media in the Higher Education Marketplace
Where: Seattle, Washington
When: June 10-12
Generating Successful Integrated
Marketing & Branding Strategies for Colleges & Universities
Where: Boston, Massachusetts
When: August 12-14
Recruiting and Marketing Strategies
for Graduate and Professional Schools
Where: Miami, Florida
When: Mid-October
Recruiting and Marketing Strategies
for 2-year Institutions
Where: Chicago, Illinois
When: December 2-4
Check out www.stamats.com/seminars to register or receive more information!
JOB OPENINGS
North Carolina State University
PR Professional
NC State's College of Physical & Mathematical Sciences seeks PR professional
to market its strengths and accomplishments. BS/BA, proven writing ability,
5 years experience required. Background in science desired. Contact astallin@ncsu.edu
If you have a short position description you would like posted, please forward it on to info@stamats.com. There is no charge for this service.
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Stamats QuickTakes is published by Stamats For more information, contact Suzanne Schloss at info@stamats.com. QuickTakes is distributed to our clients and colleagues in higher education at no charge. Contents (c) 2001 by Stamats Please feel free to forward copies of Stamats QuickTakes in its entirety to colleagues either electronically or on paper.
ABOUT STAMATS
Every year, enrollment management professionals at more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide rely upon Stamats marketing and communications programs to help them keep their promises. Stamats' services include research, consulting, publications, interactive media, and advertising. We can be reached at (800) 553-8878 or bob-sevier@stamats.com.