Massachusett's Proposed Free Tuition Fuels a Need for Marketing Messages
At the University of Massachusetts at Boston commencement in May, Governor Deval Patrick outlined his $1 billion “cradle to career” education plan, which the Boston Globe described as “provid[ing] preschool for all children, extend the school day and year, and guarantee two years of community college paid for by the state.” With my liberal tendencies, I am leaping with joy at the thought of extending free education for the masses and strengthening the public education available to students during the critical P-12 years.
But having said that, if Governor Patrick’s plan comes to fruition, it will have a tremendous impact on the numerous colleges and universities in the state. I heard anecdotally last week while working with a college in Boston that there are over 200 institutions of higher education in the greater Boston area. Each institution is in a fight to cut through the clutter and make themselves known to prospective students. With the governor’s plan, they will need to make the case for their institution that much stronger for graduating high school seniors and then again for community college transfers. More than ever, if the institutions in Massachusetts haven’t yet launched comprehensive integrated marketing and branding plans to build their images and reputations, they should start now. If they wait for the outcome of the new governor’s plan, it might be too late.