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. 4: The Key Is Integration
In this issue.
ON STRATEGY: THE KEY IS INTEGRATION, NOT MARKETING
Lately, I have had a chance to do some serious thinking about one of my favorite topics: integrated marketing. Over the past couple of months I have realized that the most important part of the phrase is not marketing, but integration.
We can get distracted and razzled and dazzled by all kinds of marketing gizmos including the Web, e-mail, advertising, prospect this, and profiling that, but if we are not prepared to integrate, to think "whole system," then we will not make much progress.
According to our friends at Webster's, integration means "to make into a whole by bringing all parts together. To unify, or unite."
This is an amazingly powerful concept. The image that comes to mind is of a racing shell with all the rowers pulling in the same direction with the coxswain at the back calling out the cadence. For the team to win, everyone must row together. A well-crewed shell will not suffer a rower who is out of time, not pulling her or his weight, or simply does not want to row. Rowers who are out of synch are a tremendous drag on the rowers who are in synch.
From a marketing perspective, integration means:
In addition, somewhere in the background, there is a coxswain calling out the cadence and everyone is following the beat.
If dollars are tight and the market demands are plenty, then the need for integration increases. In some respects, integration, stewardship, and synergy are all synonyms.
Remember, the opposite of integration is dis-integration and dis-integration is really not much of a marketing strategy.
Each year, we publish a number of White Papers for colleges and universities on topics related to integrated marketing, brand marketing, student recruiting, the Web, and related topics. If you are interested in receiving past copies, they are downloadable at no cost. Check out White Papers.
10
THINGS NOT TO DO IN AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
by Lorna Miles Whalen, Principal
Consultant
The news is bleak, the weather awful and the country is on high alert. Time to tuck in? Not really. For those of us old enough to remember the late eighties, that too was a time of political and economic uncertainty and concern over deep cuts to higher education budgets. Did we live through it? Yes. Was it easy? No.
Did we learn anything? We'll see. I've collected some business and education perspectives on the current situation and will share some of the best counsel here. Using hindsight, horse sense, best practices, and collective experiences, here's the list of things to avoid during the current economic downturn.
DON'Ts
1. Don't panic. Panic takes three forms: rash, poor and no decision-making. Avoiding decision-making may be the worst. Do not stop moving forward while you are waiting for the economic and political dust to settle. Higher education cannot afford to stand still. The paying public will continue to expect high levels of performance from colleges and universities.
2. Don't rush to "across the board" cuts. Broad-based cuts may appear democratic; in actuality they are anything but. Across the board cuts can perpetuate poor performance at one end and stifle creativity and innovation at the other. If you work hard to ensure that your tough economic decisions reward performance and ferret out complacency, you will find yourself optimally positioned to move forward rather than merely return to "business as usual" when times improve.
3. Beware the impact of the "tenured" administrator. Every campus has a collection of people who exert negative pressure. At one institution, we referred to these folks as the "thousand points of veto"! During tough times chronic naysayers can wield influence that is two to three times greater than their usual wet blanket weight. Beware of intransigence masquerading as financial stewardship. One senior administrator continuously reminds staff that "all oxen be left at the door" in fair times or foul.
4. Don't lower expectations. People only give more if you expect more. Particularly in higher education economic challenge should give rise to more creative approaches and solutions. Tough times call for creative solutions that reduce waste, summon creativity, and encourage risk taking. Ask staff how they might contribute five extra hours of productive time each week without adding to their current workload or increasing capital budget items. You'll be surprised how quickly even the most efficient offices can eliminate time consuming, cumbersome practices if encouraged.
5. Don't be afraid to try new things. Tough times call for creative measures. Ask each work group to cut time consuming low impact tasks from the "work budget" and replace these with more productive activities. Encourage each group to try out their time/energy-saving suggestions after collaborating with others whose work objectives may be affected by changes. Recognize and reward good ideas by institutionalizing changes in your area and "selling" your new ideas to other departments.
6. Don't simply look out for yourself. Collaborative ventures can save time and money. A friend recently told me how his telecom group saved their Ivy League institution so much money, the group was cited in the annual report. Saving money—whether on message units, toilet paper or fossil fuels—may not seem as exciting as generating it, but the impact on the bottom line can be highly significant. Consider the efforts of pioneer collaborator Colleges of the Fenway, models of cooperative purchasers stanching the flow of institutional overhead spending.
7. Avoid putting on the dog for potential donors. Institutions always want to appear successful - even when they have their hands out. Prospective donors don't like to see ostentatious behavior during times of hardship. Make sure those board retreats and alumni functions strike the appropriate balance between lavish display and shabby chic. A couple of prospective donors recently revealed that when they and their companies are watching their spending they expect institutions to see colleges and universities doing the same.
8. Avoid the quick fix. As a rule, mission critical initiatives do not respond well to quick fixes. Suppose you are committed to providing students a highly diverse, world-class education and the INS is giving you fits. It may be tempting to alter your international strategy. Some schools have curtailed international recruiting or changed the objects of their geographic focus to more accessible targets. A local ESL provider cautions that ramp up time is costly and the loss of the investment in your former relationships may hurt you down the road. Try to stay the course, even if the current climate seems especially onerous. You may be better off nurturing your established investments and riding out the current storm.
9. Do not curtail your marketing. Most business folks and college administrators believe in staying the course during tough times—but most fail to do it. In this first quarter, we have seen a few marketing projects deferred, under-funded or simply scratched. Economic challenges require a more aggressive and focused approach to raising visibility, securing and sustaining mindshare. Now is the time to support the marketing initiatives you have and ramp up the new ones you have been considering. Consistency, confidence, and aggressive behavior will pay off in both the short- and long-term. Don't be afraid to work with your suppliers, vendors, and outside services to establish the best terms and payment schedules. Remember, most companies want your business.
10. Don't forget market research focuses time and money. Know your audiences and keep in touch with changes in needs, preferences, or interests. If you are considering adding, consolidating, or enhancing particular programs make sure you have the research numbers to support your moves. Numerous partnerships, mergers, and program consolidations have been advanced by institutions responding to financial challenges. Initiatives built on a solid base of market research (with plans for continuous measurement) stand the greatest chance of achieving objectives.
If you want to discuss the things you should do further, please drop a line to Lorna at lorna.whalen@stamats.com.
Colleges and universities are still in the throes of tagline development. While I have serious reservations about taglines, especially taglines that are developed without an overarching strategy, Stamats has created a tagline repository for clients and friends. The repository has nearly 400 tags from different colleges and universities. Check out the site to see what is already taken and add yours. The site can be found at: www.stamats.com/resources/taglinerepository.
Yes, it is time for an update on the indispensable marketer's bookshelf; the books I never lose nor loan out. Here is my latest take. Most are old stand-bys. There are a couple of new entries. Our goal is not to read every marketing book that comes out. Rather, our goal is to find a handful of books, learn some basic lessons, and execute.Here they are:
1. Collins, Jim. Good to Great.
2. Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference .
3. Harari, Oren. Leapfrogging the Competition: Five Steps to Becoming a Market Leader.
4. Katzenbach, Jon R. and Douglas K. Smith. The Wisdom of Teams.
5. Kotter, John. Leading Change.
6. Ogilvy, David. Ogilvy on Advertising.
7. Peterson, Marvin W., David D. Dill, Lisa A. Mets, and Associates. Planning and Management for a Changing Environment.
8. Ries, Al. Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It.
NEW CLIENTS
Stamats would like to welcome the following new clients:
STAMATS SEMINAR SCHEDULE FOR 2003
Successful Recruiting and Marketing Strategies for Public Colleges & Universities
Successful Interactive Media and Direct Marketing Integration to Make Your Job Easier
Additional conference details can be found at www.stamats.com/seminars. Please check the Web site often for changes in times or locations.
Marketing/Public Relations Associate
Manchester Community College
Under the supervision of the Director of Marketing and Public Relations, the
Public Relations Associate is responsible for implementing college marketing
and public relations activities, including production of press releases, newsletters,
web pages, advertising, photography, events management and copywriting. The
Public Relations Associate is also responsible for database management and some
desktop publishing. Send letter of interest, resume, transcripts, the names
of three references and two non-returnable writing samples to: Deborah Wilson,
Director of Human Resources; Manchester Community College; Great Path; P.O.
Box 1046; Manchester, CT 06045-1046.
Vice President of Administration
Northwest Iowa Community College
Will direct and manage the administrative operation of the college, which includes
business services, human resources, physical facilities, food services, bookstore,
printing, and technology/information services. Masters degree in business, finance,
accounting, or related field with minimum of five years directly related progressively
responsible experience, preferably in an educational field required. CPA, previous
experience in academic environment managing budgets, supervising building construction
projects, background in Human Resources development, knowledge of state and
federal regulations, knowledge of Excel spreadsheets, and familiar with technology
in education preferred. Contact Human Resources, Northwest Iowa Community College,
Sheldon, Iowa, at 712/324-5061.
Director of Financial Aid
United States Sports Academy
This position will be responsible for recruitment administration, admissions
processing, work-study administration and financial aid counseling. This position
will have direct supervision and file management of financial assistance programs,
student records and files. Candidate must have experience with administering
Title IV Federal Student Financial Assistance programs and experience with College
Work Study, Perkins and Stafford loans. Bachelor's degree required, Masters
degree preferred. Previous admissions experience in an educational setting required,
preferable at the graduate level. Strong business, marketing and accounting
skills necessary with a minimum of three (3) years at the post secondary level
recommended. Applicants should forward a cover letter detailing their qualifications
and interest in the position, resume, post secondary transcripts and three professional
references to: United States Sports Academy, Attention: Personnel Department,
One Academy Drive, Daphne, AL 36526, Phone: (251) 626-3303 ext 228, Fax: (251)
621-2527, Email: personnel@ussa.edu,
EOE Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. World Wide Web: http://www.ussa.edu.
Doctoral Teaching Assistants
The United States Sports
Academy
The United States Sports Academy, "America's
Graduate School of Sport", seeks applicants for doctoral teaching assistants
beginning in Fall Semester 2003. Teaching assistants receive a $10,000 annual
stipend, waiver of tuition, and work 20 hours per week. Prospective candidates
should call Dr. Bill Johnson, (251) 626-3303 ext. 156 for details or e-mail
your inquiries to bjohnson@ussa.edu.
The deadline for applications is April 30, 2003. Women and minorities are encouraged
to apply. For more information on USSA, visit our Web site: www.ussa.edu.
VP of Development and Alumni Affairs
United States Sports Academy
This position assists the President in the development and fund raising activities
for the delivery of the services provided by the Academy, and be responsible
for all alumni affairs which include the Alumni Newsletter, Alumni memberships,
Alumni events, Alumni development and Alumni relations. Also, the Vice President
is responsible for the recruitment, training, administration and evaluation
of all volunteers who work with the institution on various special projects.
Master's degree in business, education or a related field is preferred, bachelors
required. Strong verbal, written, communication and computer skills are required.
Must have a thorough knowledge of project design, development, implementation
and evaluation. Excellent public relations and entrepreneurial spirit are vital
for this position. Knowledge of and interest in sport is essential. Applicants
should forward a cover letter detailing their qualifications and interest in
the position, resume, post secondary transcripts and three professional references
to: United States Sports Academy, Attention: Personnel Department, One Academy
Drive, Daphne, AL 36526, Phone: (251) 626-3303 ext 228, Fax: (251) 621-2527,
Email: personnel@ussa.edu, EOE Women
and minorities are encouraged to apply., World Wide Web: http://www.ussa.edu.
Associate VP For Enrollment Management
University of Alabama at Birmingham
This position drives the planning, implementation and evaluation of enrollment
management initiatives to meet the University's enrollment goals. You must possess
a Master's degree and a proven track record in directing and coordinating campus-wide
enrollment management and implementing effective recruiting/marketing strategies.
Salary is commensurate with experience. Send a letter of application, resume
and three references with contact information to: Holmesr@uab.edu
or to: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Attn: Dr. Robert E. Holmes, Dean,
School of Business, BEC 216, 1530 3rd Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35294-4460.
Application reviews will begin on March 15, 2003. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity Employer.
If you have a short position description (100 words or less) you would like posted, please forward it on to brandy.huseman@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.
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