Stamats' QuickTakes
Insights into Research, Strategic Planning, and Integrated Marketing for Colleges and Universities by Dr. Robert A. Sevier, Senior Vice President at Stamats (quicktakes@stamats.com)
Vol. 6, no. 2: Planning for Quality
In this issue.
A NOTE ABOUT DASHBOARD INDICATORS
Nearly a dozen people sent in their dashboard indicators. We are assembling them and will run the list in the next issue of QuickTakes. If you would like to add yours to the mix, forward them on to bob.sevier@stamats.com. Thanks
ON STRATEGY: THE FALL OF ADVERTISING AND THE RISE OF PR
Over the holidays, I had a chance to read Ries and Ries latest book that chronicles the fall of advertising, especially as a brand-building tool. Their book, The Fall of Advertising & The Rise of PR (New York: Harper Collins, 2002) stresses that advertising is the self-serving voice of a company anxious to make a sale and, as a result, has no credibility with its target audiences.
Intuitively, I agree with that statement. They go on to say that, while PR has credibility, consumers are increasingly skeptical of advertising claims and, whenever possible, are inclined to reject its messages. However, they also note that most advertising is simply not noticed because it is lost in the background clutter of the 3,000 or so messages that are beamed at us each day.
The authors go on to say that advertising has lost its function as a brand-building tool but it lives on as an art and has almost no connection to sales. In fact, the motivation of most ad agencies, insist the authors, is to win awards, not consumers, and that no award, no matter how picayune, becomes the focus. Ries and Ries continue that the average advertising agency spends more money on award entries than on independent consumer research. In a particularly damning statement, they say the goal of advertising is not to make the product famous; the goal of advertising is to make the advertising famous. Potent stuff.
Countering their opinion that most advertising fails, the authors stress that PR (a term which they never really define beyond "publicity" and "third-party-endorsements)** is an extremely important brand-building tool. They cite a number of examples supporting their claim but perhaps their most credible insight comes when they point out that advertising agencies almost never advertise. Rather, they depend on PR, especially mentions in the trade press, to build their own brands.
All-in-all, this is a thoughtful read. It could have been condensed and sometimes the main points are obfuscated. To sum their main points:
**At the AMA meeting in November, Philip Kotler presented on the topic, "Why Colleges Should Do More PR and Less Advertising." In that session he outlined the tools of PR using the acronym PENCILS:
If you are interested in a download of my extensive notes on the book, click on v6n2supplement.
PLANNING
FOR QUALITY
By Barbara O'Malley, Principal
Consultant
Visit with college presidents around the country and each says his or her institution offers quality. Quality programs. Quality professors. Quality education. But the questions remain, what is quality? And who defines it?
Malcolm Baldrige, Secretary of Commerce from 1981 until his death in 1987, fathered some "best-practice" thinking in the area of quality. Baldrige was committed to quality management as a key to long-lasting strength and prosperity in the United States. After his death, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was named in his honor. Each year, the U.S. President presents this award in the following categories: manufacturing, service, small business, education, and healthcare. Education and healthcare were recognized as distinct categories in 1999.
So far, only one four-year college or university has received this distinguished award—The University of Wisconsin - Stout (2001).
So, how does the Baldrige criteria define quality? It doesn't. It's not quite that easy. Baldrige provides a 7-step framework for quality improvement without telling you exactly what to do. The criteria describe an integrated management approach (all-inclusive) that defines the institution, its operations, and its results. The criteria recognize that all institutions are unique and focus on common requirements, rather than on specific tools or procedures. This allows for flexibility and usability by both large and small institutions. And most importantly, the criteria are evaluated and adapted annually to embrace leading-edge management practices.
Baldrige Education Criteria for Performance Excellence Framework
1) Leadership: This category examines institutional values, directions, and performance expectations
2) Strategic Planning: This category examines how your institution develops strategic objectives and action plans and how well those plans are carried out and measured
3) Student, Stakeholder, and Market Focus: This category examines how you identify opportunity and respond to the needs of students, stakeholders, and markets
4) Information and Analysis: This category examines your organization's information management and performance measurement systems and how your organization analyzes performance data and information
5) Faculty and Staff: This category looks at how your institution motivates and enables faculty and staff to develop and utilize their full potential in alignment with institutional overall objectives
6) Process Management: This category examines recruiting and retention practices, including design, delivery, student services, and support processes. It can encompass all key processes
7) Institution Performance Results: This category examines student and stakeholder focused results; budgetary, financial, and marketplace performance; faculty and staff results; and operational effectiveness. Competition is also identified in this category
Getting Started in Planning for
Quality
A glance through the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence can be quite
daunting. Don't be intimidated. Consider the criteria the next time you are
involved in a strategic planning or marketing planning exercise. Even though
the criteria are designed to be all-inclusive, it doesn't mean you have to have
a perfect process down to get started. Simply use this as a tool to help you
think about quality from the different lenses identified by Baldrige.
Download or request a copy of the 2002 Education Criteria for Performance Excellence at www.quality.nist.gov/Education_Criteria.htm.
Do you have any quality improvement success stories? Share them with me at barbara.omalley@stamats.com.
The folks at AACRAO launched a new publication, SEM Monthly, in November. It is a subscription newsletter focused on strategic enrollment management. You can take a look at the premier issue at www.aacrao.org/publications/sem_monthly.htm. The first issue covered such topics as retention, one stop student services, possible new NCAA standards or eligibility, the lack of resources directed at students who are parents, and Internet security.
While cruising the Net one cold January day (well, actually, we had a record high of 61; balmy for Iowa), I happened to run across Collegeways: The Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice (collegeways.com). Rather than a basic newsletter, Collegeways describes itself as a scholarly, refereed, quarterly journal.
Decidedly theoretical and data driven, the publication, according to its Web site, is designed to provide the educational community, federal and state government officials and the public with the latest research findings regarding the retention of students in higher education.
The site goes on, in spite of all of the programs and services to help retain students, according to the U.S. Department of Education, Center for Educational Statistics, only 50% of those who enter higher education actually earn a Bachelor's degree. Retaining students remains a top priority of colleges and universities.
Perhaps the best part of the Web site is a great slide show that provides a detailed overview of retention stats. The slideshow can be found at (http://collegeways.com/retention_slideshow.htm).
MEDIA BEHAVIOR AS PART OF CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
Last fall, a friend, Raymond C. Jones of Media Ink Communications, sent me a copy of a presentation he did for the International Association of Business Communicators in Tulsa. Unlike the typical, 10 things to keep in mind during a crisis, Ray offered some guidelines for understanding media behavior. In the other words, understanding how to deal with the media, their expectations, even their motivations, during a crisis. This is a great companion to more traditional articles on crisis communications. The 10 guidelines he offers include:
1. Time management
2. Press conference format
3. When to use the CEO
4. Physical settings
5. The problem with spin
6. The media will test you
7. Credibility shaped by day-to-day experience
8. Anticipate questions
9. Media focus on liability
10. Personal composure
Obviously this list is a little cryptic. Ray has graciously made copies of the entire article available to anyone who drops him an e-mail at joneswriter@good-press.com.
BY
THE NUMBERS: MORE RETENTION DATA
Just when we think we are getting a clear picture on retention, we run across another report. This one, actually published in April 2001 by ACT, indicates that while the number of first-year students at four-year institutions who return to become second-year students is increasing, the overall five-year graduation rates are declining. Furthermore, the first to second-year rates and overall graduation rates both fell at two-year institutions.
The complete report, including some exportable graphs, can be found at www.act.org/news/releases/2001/04-26-01.html.
IDEA EXCHANGES
Join Eric Sickler and Anne Parmley as they host 2 of Stamats' popular Idea Exchanges, first in Minneapolis on Wednesday, February 5, at the Courtyard Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport, the second in Chicago on Thursday, February 6, at the Marriott Chicago Suites O'Hare.
The Idea Exchange brings together a handful of current clients, colleagues, and friends who are interested in exploring such issues as:
The day will be relatively unstructured. We may lead some topics of discussion with a few thought-prompting scenarios. But mostly, we're interested in creating an environment that supports dialogue and conversation among bright people.
Our goal is to expand the collective wisdom of the participants, explore some leading-edge tactics, and perhaps bring home an idea or two we can all use.
There is no cost for the Idea Exchanges but attendance is limited to 15 for each session. Reservations can be made by contacting Suzanne Schloss at suzanne.schloss@stamats.com. We will be limiting the number of people from each institution to two.
The Idea Exchanges begin at 8:30 and end in mid-afternoon. Stamats will provide a continental breakfast and lunch.
BUILDING
A BRAND THAT MATTERS
Bob Sevier has recently published, Building a Brand That Matters: Helping Colleges and Universities Capitalize on the Four Essentials of a Block-Buster Brand. The book covers such topics as:
Information on the book, and its companion volume, Thinking Outside the Box, is available at the Strategy Publishing Web site: www.strategypublishing.com.
NEW CLIENTS
Stamats would like to welcome the following new client(s):
STAMATS SEMINAR SCHEDULE FOR 2003
Our tentative 2003 seminar schedule is now available on our Web site. In 2003 we will be offering a mix of one-day seminars and two-day conferences on topics ranging from brand and integrated marketing to interactive media and direct marketing.
In particular, you might want to mark the dates of these major conferences on your calendar:
Additional conference details can be found at www.stamats.com/seminars. Please check the Web site often for changes in times or locations.
JOB OPENINGS
Senior Consultant, Marketing and
Public Relations
Stamats Communications
Stamats Communications, one of the nation's most experienced higher education
research, marketing, and consulting companies, is seeking an individual to provide
marketing and public relations counsel and planning to colleges and universities.
This senior level, support position requires five years of experience in higher
education and significant management experience. Extensive travel, exceptional
writing and presentation skills, and a high degree of computer literacy, are
required. The ideal candidate should be an aggressive self-starter and be willing
to relocate to Cedar Rapids, IA. Please send a cover letter, resume, portfolio,
salary history, and references to: Jo Ann Binzen, at Stamats (joann.binzen@stamats.com),
615 Fifth Street SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406.
Principal Consultant
Stamats Communications
Stamats is looking for a principal consultant to sell and manage research, planning,
and consulting projects for colleges and universities. This person should have
at least 10 years of higher education marketing experience. Individuals who
have successfully sold and managed these kinds of projects are of special interest.
You will need a graduate degree. This position requires someone with exceptional
phone, interpersonal, writing, and group communication skills and the ability
to juggle multiple projects and meet deadlines. Compensation will include a
base salary, commissions, and a bonus based on meeting and surpassing sales,
profitability, and client retention and satisfaction. To submit a confidential
resume or to request further information on this position, please contact: Jo
Ann Binzen, Stamats Communications, Inc., PO Box 1888, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406,
joann.binzen@stamats.com.
Research Director
Stamats Communications
Stamats is looking for a seasoned market research professional to develop and
manage the Stamats market research staff, tools, and resources. This Research
Director will build, manage the research team, assist staff and consultants
with proposals and reports, develop new research tools, and continually refine
Stamats' research methodologies. A Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
in field utilizing statistics (business, marketing, marketing research, or a
related field); at least five years of experience in a market research environment;
demontrated, expert level skills in focus group moderation/facilitation, instrument
design, report writing (for quantitative and qualitative studies), SPSS analysis,
and statistical interpretation. This position involves travel. E.O.E. No calls.
Send resume to Jo Ann Binzen, Stamats, 615 Fifth Street SE, PO Box 1888, Cedar
Rapids IA 52406-1888, joann.binzen@stamats.com.
Associate Director of Alumni Relations
The University of Louisiana
at Monroe (ULM)
Reports to the Director of Alumni Relations and is responsible for increasing
alumni involvement in support of the University and student enrollment. Requirements
for the position include a Bachelor's degree (ULM Preferred); experience in
alumni relations or a related area; leadership, organizational, and communication
skills; and an ability to manage multiple projects while working with volunteers
and students. Travel and evening and/or weekend work required. Competitive salary.
The evaluation of applications will begin immediately. Mail cover letter, resume,
and three references to: Alumni Director, ULM, 700 University Ave., Monroe,
LA 71209. ULM is an Equal opportunity/Affirmative action employer and a member
of the University of Louisiana System.
Director, Personal and Professional
Development
Ohio University Zanesville
Implement graduate academic programs and graduate professional development courses
for teachers, provide training for business and industry, promote personal and
professional development programs, and undergraduate workshops. Master's degree
required, with three to five years experience in academia and two years experience
as a supervisor. Grant writing experience helpful. Position available April
1, 2003. For full consideration, apply by February 14, 2003. Complete details
available on the Web at www.zanesville.ohiou.edu/positions.
AA/EOE
Director of Admissions
Eckerd College (FL)
Eckerd College, the only private national liberal arts college in Florida,
seeks a Director of Admissions. The Director oversees a staff of ten and reports
to the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid. Candidates must have an understanding
of private liberal arts colleges and experience in managing staff. Knowledge
of current web and data technologies is expected; familiarity with Banner is
a plus. Eckerd is located on a 267-acre campus in St. Petersburg, just three
miles from Gulf of Mexico beaches. Enrollment is 1600. Visit www.eckerd.edu
for more information. Send a cover letter and resume by e-mail to: Sandy Ware,
Lahti Search Consultants, sandraware@earthlink.net.
Visit www.lahtisearch.com for a complete
description.
Vice President for Enrollment
Management
LaGrange College (GA)
LaGrange College is looking for an experienced enrollment professional to fill
the newly-created position of Vice President for Enrollment Management. LaGrange
is a private college of liberal arts and sciences affiliated with the United
Methodist Church. The College enrolls 1000 students, has an endowment of $61
million and is located 65 miles southwest of Atlanta. If you are a creative,
results-oriented, strategic thinker who enjoys a collegial atmosphere in a mission-driven
setting, you may wish to consider this opportunity. Visit www.lahtisearch.com
to learn more about the position and www.lagrange.edu
to learn more about the College. Send a cover letter and resume by email to:
Mary Lahti, Lahti Search Consultants, mary@lahtisearch.com.
Director of Recruitment and Admissions
Becker College
Reporting to the Vice-President, Enrollment Management, the director provides
dynamic leadership in admissions, enrollment planning, and meeting or exceeding
enrollment goals, is responsible for all marketing and student recruitment activities,
and directs and oversees the daily operations of the Admissions Office. QUALIFICATIONS:
A Bachelor's degree in marketing, business or a related area and a minimum of
three years experience in higher education recruitment with a proven track record
in sales and marketing required. Familiarity with Microsoft Word, Access and
Excel, two to three years' supervisory/management experience and excellent written,
verbal, and organizational skills desired. Send cover letter, resume, and three
professional references to Human Resources, Becker College, 61 Sever St., P.O.
Box 15071, Worcester, MA 01615-0071. An Equal Opportunity Employer encouraging
women and minority applicants.
Director of Marketing and Public
Relations
Coe College
Coe College seeks a highly skilled marketing professional to assist with strategically
positioning the College, both internally and externally, with its many and varied
constituencies. Reporting to the Vice President for Administrative Services
of the College, the successful candidate will be responsible for creating and
implementing initiatives to enhance Coe's identity and image by increasing awareness
and understanding of the College and its programs. While the primary focus of
this position will be coordinating day-to-day activities of the Marketing and
Public Relations Office (including staff supervision and managerial responsibilities),
significant importance will be placed on continued improvement of institutional
visibility, reputation, and image enhancement. Emphasis will also be placed
on working with campus leaders and the College's marketing firm to finalize
and implement a broad-based, institutional wide marketing, and brand awareness
campaign. Candidates must demonstrate a strong record of accomplishments in
public relations and/or marketing. The ideal candidate will be a creative, energetic
leader with significant management and practical experience in all areas of
public relations and marketing with a proven record of success in developing,
implementing, and managing comprehensive marketing programs. A Bachelor's degree
is required and an advanced degree is preferred. To be considered, please send
an application letter, resume, three references, and writing samples to: Director
of Marketing and Public Relations Search, Office of Administrative Services,
Coe College, 1220 First Avenue, NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402. Review of candidates
will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. AA/EOE
Assistant Dean and Director of
Admissions
William Mitchell College of Law
The assistant dean and director of admissions are responsible for the administration
and management of the strategic and tactical operations of the admissions function
of the college. Qualifications include: bachelor's degree required in higher
education or a related field, master's degree preferred; 5+ years related experience
and 3-5 years previous management experience; previous experience in admissions,
financial aid, or marketing required; demonstrated effectiveness with enrollment
planning; demonstrated research and analytical skills that help identify market
segments and develop strategies to increase enrollment. To apply, please send
cover letter and resume, including salary requirements, to Human Resources via
mail to 875 Summit Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105, e-mail at hr@wmitchell.edu,
or fax (651) 290-6460. Members of under-represented groups are encouraged to
apply. AA/EOE
Vice President for Enrollment
Management
Mercy College
Mercy College, an independent college with campuses in Westchester County and
New York City, has an immediate opening for a VP, Enrollment Management. This
senior position reports to the President and serves as a member of the President's
Executive Team. The objective of the incumbent will be to support the College's
mission through leadership of the marketing, recruitment, and admissions functions.
Applicants should have prior experience as a director or dean of admissions
with marketing responsibility of undergraduate/graduate enrollment growth and
preferably, a Master's degree. Full job description can be viewed at Mercy.edu.
Send letter of interest and salary requirements to: The Human Resources Department
via e-mail: HR@mercy.edu or fax: 914-674-7578.
If you have a short position description (100 words or less) you would like posted, please forward it on to info@stamats.com. There is no charge for this service. Job listings available online at Higher Educations Careers.
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Stamats QuickTakes is published by Stamats and is distributed to our clients and colleagues in higher education at no charge. Contents (c) 2003 by Stamats. Please feel free to forward copies of Stamats QuickTakes in its entirety to colleagues. Visit QuickTakes for past issues. To subscribe, reply to this e-mail, send your request to quicktakes@stamats.com, or visit QuickTakes.
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.
Stamats. Promises kept.