SimpsonScarborough: Intelligent Marketing for Higher Education

A Reuters news story posted February 25th detailed a leaked Starbucks corporate memo from coffee Chairman Howard Schultz on his perceptions of the “watered down” Starbucks brand. The concept got me percolating! While the country is captivated with the gossip filtering from the Anna Nicole and Britney sagas, I find myself equally mesmerized by the concept that Starbucks’ homogenization has led to the “sterilization” of the Starbucks experience and opened up the door for the latte-fast food competition in their market.

In an attempt to grow quickly, Starbucks’ brand has become commoditized so sufficiently that even McDonald’s now is considered a competitor. To add insult to injury, a recent Consumer Reports study (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16951509/) rated the quality of McDonald’s coffee above that of Starbucks. Who would have guessed that tidbit five years ago when buying a $4 venti skim latte?

Why do I share this cup of knowledge? It is a wake-up call to all of us to think carefully when we launch our brands and expand the scope of our influence. Make sure that your unique educational experience is not lost to a mass produced look and feel, ensure that your logo doesn’t overshadow your institution, and guarantee that your brand and messaging stay true to your roots. Also, periodically review your list of competitors both from a quality standpoint and from a consumer standpoint. Although you may scoff at those you view as lesser competitors, periodically ask yourself: do students value your superior product and view an education from your institution as money well spent?

The article concludes by quoting again from Chairman Schultz’s memo: the ‘“current state of affairs” had allowed competitors “to position themselves in a way that creates awareness, trial and loyalty of people who previously have been Starbucks customers. This must be eradicated.”’ A parallel to a college or university’s current students, alumni and donors can be made. Is your credibility with those closest to you a mug half full or a mug half empty? Maintenance of relationships can be time consuming, but it is much easier than rebuilding loyalty or trying to attract new customers. Just ask Starbucks.

(For full disclosure purposes, I have to admit that I am addicted to Starbucks coffee, and even my five-year old daughter can rattle off her favorite drink: “kid’s hot cocoa barely warm with extra whip.” Chairman Schultz—you had me at “hello.”)

-- Teresa Valerio Parrot

Posted by Teresa Valerio Parrot at 03:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just returned from attending and speaking at my first National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education (NAPAHE) conference (February 9-11, 2007) and am I pumped! This was one of the most focused, attentive and dedicated group of individuals with which I have ever had the pleasure of working. The weekend began with a reception hosted by The George Washington University and while attending I received my first introduction to the mission, vision and values of NAPAHE. If I did not realize the importance and influence of presidential assistants before, meeting and discussing the roles of the participants leaves little doubt of their necessity to the success of a president. I was awestruck by the breadth and depth of the information and institutional day-to-day activities they impact. The sessions that followed on Saturday and Sunday merely confirmed my initial impressions.

I had the opportunity to present a session on the Future of Marketing in Higher Education. While I have spoken on this topic before, I couldn’t help but feel the message was being heard by the right people. The audience asked great questions and were enthusiastic in their participation. After my talk I lost count of the number of people who informed me they “couldn’t wait to share the information with their presidents.” At this point in time it struck me how important presidential assistants are in shaping the future direction and strength of our institutions. The individuals are trusted completely by their bosses (indeed, this is why they are chosen for their positions). They serve as the eyes, ears and many times gatekeepers to the office of the president.

Anyone who has talked to me about marketing higher education or heard me speak on the topic understands my enthusiasm for the message. I am passionate because I truly believe marketing is a tool that will help serve the public and our institutions more effectively (and an underused tool at that). The audience I spoke with are the opinion leaders that can get the message across to the right people. I am most grateful for the opportunity to share my passion with this group. In particular, I would like to thank Wendy Belzer Litzke from Goucher College, Beth Brooks from Colorado College and Rod Daniels from NAPAHE for their invitation, kindness and hospitality. I hope to be back next year and bathe in the excitement that is NAPAHE.

-- Tom Hayes

Posted by Teresa Valerio Parrot at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As newspaper readership and TV news viewership plummet in a converse ratio to presidents and chancellors clamoring for more front page good news, a sharp, easy to navigate and comprehensive faculty resource guide can be invaluable to colleges and universities. But only if done well. Few things turn reporters off more quickly than faculty expert resource guides that are more difficult to navigate than a map in a foreign language, or are little more valuable than a Rolex watch purchased on eBay.

A well executed faculty expert guide can be a tremendous help, but it is essential to plan well before you charge ahead. Remember the audience you are targeting and then move ahead strategically with their wants, needs and desires squarely in the crosshairs. Find below four sample expert guides that are arranged quite differently, but each hits the mark in being simple, effective and near invaluable. Use these guides to help you think about how best to organize the tremendous talent on your campus in a way that will resonate with the community and the media.

UT-Austin

Not only can you search their media guide for areas/disciplines/names, but you also can visit the “hot topics” area which is also a way to drum up interest for your experts who can address current events. This type of format and specifically a “hot topics” area is a great way to drive stories—it would help you to get you’re your experts out there, provide experts on regionally/nationally hot topics, and provide advance information on upcoming events of note (not just all events which dilutes the events you want to publicize).

When you search their expert listings, the site provides general areas of expertise and contact information, with a hyperlink to the expert’s bio. Very nice. This saves the reporter or an event organizer from having to gather this information and saves you from having to supply it.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Their online guide provides a search engine for both keyword and names. One downside to a keyword search is that you will have to make sure that the key words used to describe your faculty encompass all levels of understanding on a given topic to ensure a better range of hits.

When you perform an expert search, this site provides information on “topics” of expertise and contact information.

The University of Virginia

This site provides a visually appealing mix of general categories (useful for quick searches) and a keyword search.

Kennesaw State University

KSU lists general categories and has an A-Z listing of faculty names along the bottom of the screen. Again, this is only works if you have people cross-referenced in ways that appeal to both the general inquiry and those “in the know.”

Regardless of the format you use to share the expertise of your faculty, note the one commonality of all four of the sites— they provide information for, and an offer of help from, their media relations offices. That is the best suggestion I can offer.

--Teresa Valerio Parrot

Posted by Teresa Valerio Parrot at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Odd though it is in a space dedicated normally to the vagaries of marketing in higher education, I want to join the gaggle of pundits in penning a piece on the death of Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner whose passing last week garnered more ink than Hillary’s first post-presidential-campaign-announcement trip to Iowa.

What does the horse that riveted the attention of many as it battled back, temporarily, from a debilitating injury in the Preakness have to do with higher education? The answer is rooted in the litany of beautifully written columns and Op Eds that dotted our nation’s newspapers and websites after the horse was euthanized mercifully by its owners. Most parodied today’s college and pro sports world and concluded that Barbaro was a welcome respite from these athletes, many of whom appear on local police blotters with growing frequency. All of us in higher ed should take notice of the impact our sports programs have on our institutions – and work to make the impressions more positive.

The best of these columns ranged from Sally Jenkins in the Washington Post to Jeff Neuman in the New York Times. Both wrote eloquently that our imaginations were captured by the horse simply because it was a world-class “athlete” without the ubiquitous foibles of today’s college and sports world.

Neuman’s column said, in part, “He never talked about himself in the third person...He didn’t trash talk, taunt or hang on the rim… His only tattoo was discretely hidden…He never dated Paris Hilton…. he never claimed he had been disrespected…. He did not attribute his victories to the glory of his personal Savior... He never claimed he was misquoted in his autobiography… He never fathered multiple off-spring out of wedlock.”

Are there sports marketing lessons our institutions should take from Barbaro’s passing? Should we redouble efforts to teach media training to our football and basketball players and coaches? Should we follow the lead of the NCAA, which is trying increasingly to rein in sports programs that are little more than the minor leagues for the NFL and the NBA? Perhaps some food for thought.

-- Christopher Simpson

Posted by Teresa Valerio Parrot at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)