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. 5, no. 16: The Elevator Speech
In this issue.
PRESIDENTS' INSTITUTE ON INTEGRATED MARKETING AND BRANDING
Please make plans to attend the Stamats Presidents' Institute on Integrated Marketing and Branding. This seminar is designed for presidents, deans, and board members.
Details can be found at the close of this newsletter or register at www.stamats.com/seminars.
AMA MEETING IN CHICAGO ON NOVEMBER 10-13
I will be giving two, three-hour workshops on integrated marketing and brand marketing at the upcoming meeting. If you are interested in attending one of the workshops, please contact the AMA www.marketingpower.com.
If you would like to meet sometime during the conference to discuss how Stamats might be able to help you with your brand marketing strategies, or other needs you might have, please drop me an e-mail at bob.sevier@stamats.com.
ON STRATEGY: THE ELEVATOR SPEECH
Imagine that you are on the ground floor of a 30-story building. As you enter the elevator someone says to you, "tell me about your college." You have 30 seconds to give the elevator speech; the succinct overview of your college's most salient points. Let me ask you three questions?
First, do you have an elevator speech for your institution? If you don't, you are missing an opportunity to briefly convey your mission and vision when an opportunity arises. When you run into someone in an airport, at an association meeting, or even in church, having a speech in hand will give you a solid foundation for future conversations.
Second, do you give the same speech each time? If you don't, then you are undermining your brand's consistency.
And third, do all major administrators and trustees give the same elevator speech? If not, then you are not creating synergy across multiple channels and opportunities. A consistent, well-used elevator speech is a powerful tool in your brand communication tool box. Write it. Test it on major audiences. Memorize it. And make sure your people give it as often as they can.
By now, I think everyone in America knows that I am a proud holder of a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. More so this year as the Buckeyes are ranked number five in the nation. And while I am proud of their successes in football (finally), I am astounded by something else they did this fall—they developed a relationship with Lands' End. It played out like this.
Two weeks ago, my wife, a loyal Lands' End customer, received a small catalog in the mail. Nothing unusual here. What was unusual, however, was the catalog's cover (see below). It featured an OSU hat. What was really amazing was that every article of clothing in the catalog featured an OSU or Ohio State logo or insignia. Generally, I can resist Lands' End catalogs, but I found myself putting little yellow stickers on every other page. My wife was ecstatic because she had found the answer to the "what to get Bob for Christmas and his birthday question" that seems to plague her every year about this time.
The more I thought about the catalog the more amazed I became. I eventually teased out one difficult question. I know that Lands' End could purchase a list of OSU graduates. That's a no brainer. What amazed me is that the catalog was sent to my wife. So, the question is this: How did Lands' End determine that my wife was married to an OSU graduate? After all, she is the big Lands' End customer, not me.
The story gets better. We received the catalog on a Saturday morning. That night, Stephanie, a student volunteer from OSU, called about the annual fund. I told her about the Lands' End catalog and how impressed I was. She responded, without missing a beat, "surely you would like to increase your annual fund contribution to such a clever school." My wife and I did; we doubled the size of our gift. Good call, Stephanie. Go Bucks.
WHAT
THE @#*!%!! DOES STRATEGIC MEAN?
By Barbara O'Malley, Principal
Consultant
I was recently conducting some on-campus integrated marketing workshops, when a member of the marketing committee asked with a level of honest frustration: "So what the @#*!%!! does strategic really mean?" What followed was an interesting discussion.
Strategic planning. Strategic enrollment management. Strategic marketing. Strategic communication. Does "strategic" mean anything or is it just another corporate term thrown loosely around by consultant-types to make things appear more complicated than they really are? Is it really any different from plain old planning, enrollment management, marketing, and communication? I would argue yes. Let's take them one by one:
Planning vs. Strategic Planning
Planning is a sequential problem-solving process that can be applied to just
about any situation. Planning can be done in a silo. For instance, John the
"systems guy" can sit in his office and draw up a technology plan without getting
feedback from anyone. While John might end up with a plan, it's not a strategic
one. Why? Strategic means that you consider internal and external influences.
It means you plan, not in a vacuum, but taking into consideration the dynamic
forces in the external and internal environments. You simply cannot do this
without input from your potential students or stakeholders.
Enrollment Management vs. Strategic
Enrollment Management
Enrollment management fundamentals take into consideration admissions, financial
aid, student services, and hopefully, retention. Once again, each department
can draft its own "enrollment management" plan designed to provide optimum service
to students. But unless these plans are consistent and complement one another
by responding to real needs and opportunities, it is not strategic. Strategic
enrollment management means the leaders in each department meet, talk, discuss
issues, and conduct research to examine the external and internal environment.
Strategic enrollment managers develop a cross-functional dynamic plan to meet
the needs of prospective students, current students, their institution, and
their community.
Marketing vs. Strategic Marketing
Have you ever been involved in a "marketing committee" that met to put together
a "marketing plan," yet did so without conducting any research to understand
who your potential students really are and what they want? Did they discuss
"marketing" without discussing the four Ps/Cs—Product/Customer; Price/Cost;
Place/Convenience; and Promotion/Communication? That's not strategic. Strategic
means you look beyond promotion to business practices. It means you proactively
conduct market research; you listen. It means you understand what is going on
in your community, your institution, and with your prospective students. Strategic
links marketing activities together in an integrated fashion. It's the glue
that holds your entire marketing program together and is flexible to the demands
of the changing marketplace.
Communication vs. Strategic Communication
Producing a viewbook, developing a Web site, drafting an article for the local
newspaper. These are all forms of communication. You might even have a communication
plan, which involves multiple audiences, multiple media channels, and multiple
messages. This alone is not strategic. Strategic communication is when you tie
your communication messages together with a consistent look, feel, tone, and
message. Strategic communication integrates your various messages to support
your strategic marketing efforts. You do so in a way that dynamically listens
to your audience. This means you need to conduct research to learn what the
most effective communication channels are for your audience in your marketplace.
Some Consistent Themes
It appears there are three consistent themes that support the use of the word
"strategic."
1. You must link your practices to the needs of your potential students, current students, stakeholders, and needs of the environment.
2. You must proactively conduct research and listen to others.
3. Eliminate siloed thinking and approaches to getting things done. Work to collaborate and build bridges across departments.
HEY
LOVECAT
By Barbara O'Malley, Principal
Consultant
One of my colleagues recommended I read the book Love is the Killer App, a quick, clever read by Tim Sanders. My initial reaction to the book was amusement. Sanders extols the virtues of love and sharing in the workplace. That's nice.
You see I'm a planner. I help colleges and universities with marketing plans and strategy. I work with them to decipher research and use it to really help meet their goals. I live and breathe measurable outcomes. There's no room for love. Or is there?
Sanders says that if you really learn to share three things with everyone around you, you'll be more successful, you'll be happier, and you'll build stronger relationships. Those three things are your knowledge, your network, and your compassion. Get good at sharing all three, and you are dubbed a "lovecat."
Knowledge. You have valuable knowledge about what does and does not work on your campus. Do you share this information with your colleagues? Or do you guard it close to you so that no one else will have it? Learn to give it up and you're on your way to becoming a "lovecat."
Network. All of us have a valuable web of relationships that we've built over the years. Our networks are filled with colleagues and friends who each have a wealth of knowledge and skill in a particular area. Do you introduce colleagues to each other? Even if it's over the telephone, you can put people in touch with one another.
Compassion. This is when you can really feel the pain of what your colleagues are going through. It's the personal quality, the eye contact, the warm handshake, and the slap on the back. It's the admission of "we're in this life together, so we may as well help one another." By sharing compassion, you share more of yourself.
At first glance, this looks like a touchy-feely, feel-good book. But another look makes you realize Sanders might be on to something. In my line of work, I really do have to share my knowledge, my network, and my compassion, or I'd be nowhere. My guess is it might be the same for you.
Love is a Killer App is a fun, easy book to read. But sorry Sanders, I'm going to have a tough time ever saying, "I love you man. You are a rock star."
DIRECT
MARKETING MATTERS
By Sabra Fiala
DoubleClick Q2 E-mail Trend Report
While permission-based e-mail marketing continues to gain acceptance in the marketing community, resulting volumes present additional challenges. Click-through rates are down and bouncebacks rates are at an all-time high.
©DoubleClick's ©DARTmail aggregate data shows click-through rates for overall industry levels are down from 6.8% in Q1 2002 to 4.9% in Q2 2002. While it may be too early to suggest a trend, marketers should continue to test offers, copy and target audiences to maximize campaign effectiveness.
Consistent measurement and tracking processes offer the best method for connecting the right offer with the right audience. If you're light on data to establish trends relevant to a target audience, consider referring to case studies to reveal the methodologies of successful campaigns.
Bounceback rates are at an all-time high in Q2 2002. Coming in at a staggering 12.6%, the percentage of bouncebacks has steadily increased every quarter since Q3 2001. Increased e-mail security allows administrators to place restrictions on everything from return addresses to subject words to e-mail content. In addition, new size limits on inboxes hinder the delivery completion rate.
Continued refinement of the e-mail database is a good start to easing the pain of bouncebacks. However, as users and administrators gain more control of over-receiving options, consider bouncebacks as a data refinement process of its own. Track the bouncebacks and analyze the data. Perhaps there's an alternative form of communication necessary for this group. A quick postcard or outbound telemarketing survey to this group may reveal a solution.
The DoubleClick Q2 E-mail Trends Report contains aggregate data from DoubleClick's DARTmail e-mail delivery technology. The Q2 data is based on 1.7 billion e-mails from hundreds of clients and the trends are derived from the data analyzed over the previous six quarters. All categories/data reported represent a significant sampling of customers. (September 2002 DoubleClick Q2 E-mail Trend Report. © 2002. DARTMAIL and DOUBLECLICK are trademarks of DoubleClick Inc.)
STAMATS
STRIKES TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE WITH SCOPE 1
In response to increasing client demand for variable digital printing (VDP) and print-on-demand (POD) applications, Stamats has forged a strategic alliance with Scope 1 (www.scope1.com). This alliance allows for personalized, database-driven messages through text and graphics and reduces required inventories of printed recruiting brochures and literature.
For an example of how Scope 1 applies its proprietary technology for higher education, visit the demo at www.scope1.com/demos.htm. Click on "Information" in the box with the scrolling header. Take time to complete the form to see how the Web-enabled technology can work for your institution.* You can also view a case study for Manchester College at www.scope1.com/casestudies.htm#.
Kevin Marquardt of Scope 1 will be speaking at future Stamats seminars and has conducted product training at Stamats.
If you would like more information on how Stamats and Scope1 can help you with your variable digital printing, please contact Dick Damrow at Stamats via dick.damrow@stamats.com.
Please note that the Central College used in the demo is not located in Pella, IA. It is a fictitious name Scope 1 used for the demo.
BRAND
MARKETING LESSONS FROM THE WORLD'S TOP UNIVERSITIES
Last fall, I ran across an article on brand marketing by Patricia Tan of Interbrand on the major brand marketing lessons she has learned from the world's top universities. Most of what she writes fits neatly into our on-going discussion on brand marketing.
1. Focus on the experience, not
on the product.
As in most industries, universities offer very similar "products" at first glance.
But the best universities define a world of difference behind the B.A., M.B.A.,
M.Eng, or Ph.D. In fact, many of the best universities offer terrible undergraduate
education. Students have little or no contact with the illustrious faculty who
grace the university's academic catwalk. Instead, their educations are typically
guided by teaching assistants eking out a living.
No worry. The students from the top universities will tell you that the degree is merely an excuse for the overall experience, in the same way "I need new shoes" really means, "I want those Nikes." No one remembers the mathematics class, or even that groundbreaking seminar on the Middle East. They will remember the annual football game, the "Full Moon on the Quad" tradition, the fountain-hopping, and the breakfasts with the President.
2. Stick to one idea.
The best universities stand for a single idea, one so simple that it lends itself
to transposition into each stakeholder's individual world. This facilitates
a sense of complete ownership, which in turn catalyses loyalty to the brand.
This was brought home to me when I attended my brother's graduation at MIT this
year. The idea was simple: Live for technology. While waiting for the ceremony
to start, friends tapped busily at their Blackberrys, keeping in contact with
their friends. Occasionally, they would look up to inform the over-anxious parents
whom they had been appointed to chaperone that the graduate they were awaiting
was "turning onto Mass Avenue right now."
The class of 2001 chose Strauss' "Thus Spake Zarathustra" as the processional, in tribute of Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece. A roar of approval met the Commencement speaker's quip that he looked forward to the day an astronaut would plant her boots on Mars. A giggle wafted through the solemn ceremony as a bunch of silvery NASA balloons was let loose over Killion Court. I couldn't believe it. Everything said that technology was a way of life; being a geek was almost cool.
3. Speak in one voice.
Keeping it simple also means presenting yourself clearly and coherently to your
stakeholder. Oxford and Cambridge have more trouble than Harvard or Stanford
in encouraging alumni involvement for this reason. It is true that British universities
have, traditionally, larger endowments and more support from the government,
making business development a lesser priority. It is, however, not the lack
of need that has inhibited the development of these university brands.
The problem, from a branding point of view, lies within the decentralized college system of Oxbridge. Students are simultaneously members of the university and of a college. This arrangement splits loyalties, confusing the claims of ownership over the fond memories of those youthful days, fragmenting the power of the brand.
The muddle is further exacerbated by the perceptual disjunction amongst internal and external stakeholders. To the insider, the college (e.g. Trinity) is the true hub of social and academic activity, with which members are wont to build lasting relationships. The university is merely the aggregate of the different college. To the wider public, however, the name with the cache is the university (Cambridge or Oxford). Consequently, external stakeholders such as corporations and foundations support university-wide initiatives, while the colleges work at delivering the brand promise. The lack of clear brand architecture is clearest in the international arena, where the distinction between the college and the university is dimmest. Flip open the Economist to see Templeton College battling with the University of Oxford for centerstage within the same advertisement for executive advancement programs.
4. The brand exists in the people.
The critic would argue that universities are not as generic as I characterize
them to be, that they provide unique environments of learning and challenge.
I agree. I also suggest, however, that the brand is a key component of this
offer. And the brand is particularly potent because universities almost always
celebrate the key element of the brand: its people.
The community that develops around the university is, its true distinguishing factor. The "inspired environment" unique to a university is not to due to an institution per se—its walls, architecture, gardens, its ivy and spires—but to the other individuals who, by a shared notion of mutual affirmation, collectively create that very matrix the organization is supposed to provide.
Universities are motley collections of individuals who, somehow, come together to define and redefine an idea, an ideal. By building strong emotional bonds between disparate groups of independent-minded students and professors, universities transform themselves into universes of unmistakable loyalty. This spirit transcends the individual "product" of the organization—the educational experience and degree.
Tan concludes, "The best universities succeed because they live and breathe that cardinal rule of branding - that its value exists solely in the minds and hearts of its community - more successfully than many corporate organizations. Moreover, the university brand thrives on the persuasive power of received understanding - because a university stands for certain values, it will attract people who share in those values, who in turn perpetuate and strengthen the brand. That's the genius of it all. Well-managed, the university brand best displays its potency by its remarkable self-perpetuating, evolutionary properties."
CONFERENCE DETAILS
STAMATS
PRESIDENTS' INSTITUTE ON INTEGRATED MARKETING AND BRANDING
November 7-8, 2002
Washington, DC
Stamats will hold a two-day conference on integrated marketing and branding for college and university presidents (or deans). Cabinet and board members are welcome to attend along with their presidents.
Sessions to be included:
Presenters will include:
The cost for the Institute is $395. It will be held at the Hyatt on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C.
For information about either of these conferences, please contact Suzanne Schloss (info@stamats.com) or visit Seminars to register.
JOB OPENINGS
Stamats Consulting, the higher education research, planning, and consulting side of Stamats, is expanding our staff and is looking for a principal consultant. If you are interested, please e-mail joann.binzen@stamats.com for a copy of the job description.
Dean of Enrollment Management
The College of Mount Saint Joseph
The College of Mount Saint Joseph, a Catholic college of liberal arts and sciences
located in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio, seeks a Dean of Enrollment Management
who will report to the President. This expanded position will be responsible
for the leadership, integration and management of the College's recruitment,
enrollment and retention efforts and for the oversight of the Offices of Admission,
Marketing, Planning and Research, Registrar, and Student Administrative Services.
The ideal candidate will be a results-oriented professional with significant
experience and a record of success in higher education. TO APPLY: Send a resume
and cover letter to: Mary Lahti, Lahti Search Consultants, 286 Jefferson Street,
Meadville, PA 16335. Phone: (814) 332-2993. E-mail: mary@lahtisearch.com.
www.lahtisearch.com
Dean of Enrollment Management
The University of Dallas
The University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, a private, liberal arts college that
follows the tradition of Catholic education, seeks an experienced enrollment
professional, who will report to the Provost and oversee the offices of admissions
and financial aid. The preferred candidate will have the ability to build and
sustain a successful enrollment management program using data-based decision-making;
a strategic understanding of financial aid leveraging; knowledge of integrated
information systems; and excellent communication skills. TO APPLY: Submit a
cover letter and resume to: Mary Lahti, Lahti Search Consultants, 286 Jefferson
Street, Meadville, PA 16335. Phone: (814) 332-2993. E-mail: mary@lahtisearch.com.
www.lahtisearch.com
Vice President for Institutional
Advancement
Converse College
Reports to the President, responsible for planning, organizing and implementing
fund raising. Manages Communications, Alumnae and Development areas. Bachelor's
Degree required and experience in leading an advancement team with successful
fund raising and management experience. Apply online at www.converse.edu
or mail a letter of interest, resume and three references to Human Resources,
Converse College, 580 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302.
Director of Development
Converse College
Oversight of the development program with special focus on major and planned
gifts, staff management, volunteer development and prospecting. Bachelor's Degree
required. Apply online at www.converse.edu
or mail a letter of interest, resume and three references to Human Resources,
Converse College, 580 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302.
Vice President for Enrollment
Monmouth College
Monmouth College, a thriving private, residential, national liberal arts college
in Western Illinois, seeks an energetic leader to become Vice President for
Enrollment, a position that reports to the President and provides leadership
in admissions, financial aid and retention. The candidate of choice will have
successful admissions experience in situations of increasing responsibility;
skills in directing, analyzing and using market research; an understanding of
prospect management; a collaborative leadership style; and excellent communication
skills. TO APPLY: Send resume and cover letter to: Terry Lahti, Lahti Search
Consultants, 286 Jefferson Street, Meadville, PA 16335. Phone: (814) 332-2993.
E-mail: terry@lahtisearch.com. www.lahtisearch.com
Director of Admissions
The University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a nationally competitive, student-centered research
university serving Arkansas and the world. We anticipate extensive qualitative
and quantitative growth over the next ten years and seek an experienced enrollment
specialist to lead this initiative. The Director of Admission reports to the
Dean of Enrollment and serves on the university-wide recruitment task force.
He or she is also a member of the Enrollment Services Directors Group, integrating
the efforts of Admissions, Financial Aid, Records and Registration, Data Management
and a new Student Information System to support the university's enrollment
needs and initiatives. The director must have a working knowledge of the technology
and strategies necessary to recruit in a highly competitive and technologically
savvy field. An advanced degree or commensurate experience is required as is
experience in making data-based decisions, marketing analysis, and supervising
and motivating a diverse staff and volunteer group. Superior communication skills
are also necessary. The director must be an effective team builder, planner,
and collaborator. This is an opportunity for a creative and energetic individual
to make a significant contribution to the university's future. Send resume and
a list of at least three references to: Ms. Nancy Simkins, University of Arkansas,
Division of Enrollment Services, 232 Silas H. Hunt Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701.
Or contact by e-mail at: nsimkin@uark.edu.
Applications will be accepted until a candidate is chosen.
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.
COPYRIGHT, DISTRIBUTION, AND PERMISSION
Stamats QuickTakes is published by Stamats and is distributed to our clients and colleagues in higher education at no charge. Contents (c) 2002 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, more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide rely upon Stamats research, planning, consulting, and communications services to help them keep their promises.
Stamats. Promises kept.