SimpsonScarborough Blog

Q&A with Mark Van Tilburg, Office of Marketing and Communications, Youngstown State University

2010-03-09T15:22:41Z

SimpsonScarborough talked with Mark Van Tilburg, Executive Director, Office of Marketing and Communications at Youngstown State University about the image and identity study we recently conducted with them.

Q. Tell us about the various research SimpsonScarborough has conducted with Youngstown State University.
A. Initially, we working with SimpsonScarborough in a qualitative context to: 1) Review existing research, information, and data; 2) Analyze all marketing, communications, and media plans, including the current identification and segmentation of key audiences, and budgets; 3) Review digital communications including Web site and other key outreach efforts; and, 4) Conduct competitive analysis of three peer institutions that are in the same cohort as Youngstown State University, and three aspirational urban research universities.

Once completed, two members of the SimpsonScarborough team visited Youngstown State University to tour campus and the community, and to conduct a plethora of group and confidential one-on-one interviews with YSU's leadership and campus representatives focusing on the campus' impressions of marketing and communications operations. Messages and themes they share, both internally and externally, were compiled for analysis and recommendations. SimpsonScarborough also conducted 40 in-depth interviews (20-25 minutes in length) with prospective traditional undergraduate and prospective adult students in anticipation of and preparation for the in-depth qualitative study to follow.

In Fall 2009, we again teamed with SimpsonScarborough, this time to conduct an in-depth quantitative study of 600 college-bound high school seniors and 300 parents of college-bound high school seniors.

Q. Why did YSU decide to do this study?
A. When I arrived at YSU in Fall 2008 I learned that the last comprehensive marketing research data dated back to 2002. Add to that the fact that the University is faced with a significant market repositioning challenge precipitated by the Ohio Board of Regents' "Strategic Plan for Higher Education 2008-2017," calling for YSU to transition from being an open-access, comprehensive regional university to being an "urban research university," and you can appreciate the BIG NEED for actionable research data. As we transition, we need to have a sense of what organic messages and descriptors resonate with our audiences, and how tightening admission requirements might impact our enrollment cycles and our marketing.

Q. What are the unique challenges of your competitive marketplace?
A. Ohio has more colleges and universities than almost any other state. For the past 40 years Northeast Ohio, where Youngstown is located, has faced major economic challenges as the steel industry and the manufacturing jobs associated with it have largely vanished. Having relied primarily on high-paying blue-collar employment for the last century, there has been little appreciation for the advantages of a college education until relatively recently. This has created a situation in which many of Youngstown State University's students are first-generation college students. Within this context, the University has maintained an open admissions policy. With its new charge from the Ohio Board of Regents to become an "urban research university," YSU faces a re-thinking of its admissions policies and an appropriate market repositioning, both of which are creating considerable debate and consternation internally and with our traditional public.

With the launch this year of a new community college in our traditional service area, it is hoped that students in need of remediation in one or more academic areas in order to become "university-ready" will be served by the community college, and then will be ready to transfer to the University. If successful, this will allow us to focus more resources on the development and marketing of more rigorous academic offerings that are associated with the nation's urban research universities.

Q. Do you recall anything surprising to you that was revealed by the research? If so, what?
A. The fact that most college-bound students in our region seem to have made up their minds on what school they want to attend by the end of their junior year. I was also interested in the wide disparity of impressions that inquirers and non-inquirers have about YSU's academic reputation.

Q. How do you plan to use and apply the findings of this study? What is next for YSU?
A. Obviously, we have to invest more in targeting freshman and sophomores. Also, our findings revealed that five messages resonate well and help showcase the distinctive nature of Youngstown State University's educational environment:

     1. YSU students work on projects with real clients in the community and online as a
         teaching tool;
     2. At YSU, many undergraduates do graduate-level research in their junior and senior
         years;
     3. Youngstown is in a "university town" where many of the activities in the area revolve
         around the University;
     4. YSU is very diverse in terms of the racial and socio-economic profile of our students;
         and,
     5. Most YSU students are able to manage part-time jobs in addition to their coursework.

Toward this reveal and to support a market repositioning of the University to support its new mission as an "urban research university," the Office of Marketing and Communications is focused on creating communications strategies and products that showcase these messages. We are also moving toward new efficiencies by migrating resources and activities away from the department's spending in traditional print and broadcast media to a far more robust investment in the University's Web site, new media, and Web 2.0 content creation.

A university Web site is the absolute number one tool administrators have that centers all their marketing and communications work; it is at the very core of their brand and must be managed with great content and design dexterity and integrity. This is why we are redoubling our efforts in this area to ensure that the rich content that is systemic to our institution can easily find its way to our Web site. Toward this effort we have invested in a new content management system that gives the real content experts (for our academic departments, that's the faculty, and for the administrative divisions, that's usually middle managers) a tool they can use themselves without hours of complex, rigorous training. Because it is so easy to use, we are finding that with this new system, people enjoy creating new content (including Web 2.0 applications) and updating old stuff. I believe this could represent a new paradigm shift in the way universities manage Web sites, helping give everyone that should and want to be involved real ownership and pride in creating and maintaining their Web sites.

- Renee Kart

Video Case Study

2010-02-23T19:11:30Z

Check out this short video about the work we are doing for Kogod School of Business at American University.

Kogod Feb 2010.wmv

Elizabeth Scarborough

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Amazing Ad Supporting Seatbelt Use

2010-02-20T16:35:40Z

A little known organization in the UK called the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, has broken out with an ad promoting seatbelt use that has become an internet phenomenon. I saw it on CNN this morning and went to YouTube to check it out; almost 1.4 million views so far. Three were me.

The ad is wonderful in so many ways. First, it focuses on a life saved rather than one lost; most seatbelt ads I've seen in the past try to scare drivers. Second, the way the driver's wife and daughter use their own clenched hands to mimic the position of a seatbelt is beautiful and poignant. I also though the way the silvery colored confetti symbolized the impact was brilliant.

I challenge you to watch this ad without crying, or at least getting choked up. It reminds me how much I love advertising and the power to stimulate an emotional reaction with our marketing communcations.

Elizabeth Scarborough

Click here to follow me on Twitter

The Good Old Days

2010-02-19T20:25:02Z

I have read two articles this week that both hit home and makes me a little sad. They both deal with the changing nature of academia. The first is an article entitled "The Thrill is Gone," written by Jeffrey Williams in the Chronicle of Higher Education. This article focused on the feelings and perceptions of faculty within the academy. The point of the piece is that the role and status of a university professor is not what it used to be and many are depressed and feel marginalized within their institutions. Some of the causes are more of a reliance on part time faculty, the inability for many to find jobs and the pressure to work toward the bottom line of the school.

The second article looks at some of the same issues from another perspective. "Slipping (Further) Off the Pedestal" read in Inside Higher Ed, deals with a survey by Public Agenda and National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education that cites an increasingly wary public of university intentions and strategy. This article and the original study suggests that while the public is "increasingly convinced that higher education is essential to a successful career and life but are growing more doubtful that college is affordable and ....viewing them as 'just another business'."

First, I have no doubt that universities are acting more like a business. In fact, I applaud these efforts. What makes me sad is that institutions of higher education are making the mistake of only looking at the cost side of the equation and not necessarily taking into account the human side.

The non-academic service industry teaches us that organizations are made up of people that serve people. Without taking into account how cost containment (or price increases) impact employees and constituents, strategy typically leads short sided measures that feed the bottom line but alienate the audience. A more marketing based strategy would be focused on adding value rather than purely cutting costs.

A disengaged and depressed faculty cannot possibly deliver the level of education that energizes and inspires students. Students that feel that universities are more focused on their money than their welfare will not long support the school.

I sincerely hope that that some of the decisions we see being made now are temporary and an indication of college leadership not "schooled" in business making rookie mistakes. Hopefully, the next generation of leaders will understand planning and marketing as much as they understand the academy.

Top 50 Social Media Innovators

2010-02-10T17:07:30Z

From Tufts, to Johns Hopkins, to Ithaca College, check out The 50 Social Media Innovators in Higher Ed. These schools were recently recognized by collegesurfing.com for having "active Twitter feeds, fan-packed Facebook pages, creative YouTube videos, and compelling blogs" that capture the attention of their target audiences and promote their school in a compelling and technologically up-to-date way.

Congratulations!

-Jeff Papa

You Go Davenport!

2010-02-09T19:25:43Z

Davenport University in Michigan has announced an agreement with the state's Office of Career and Technological Education to accept up to 24 academic credit hours toward a degree at its school. This is so cool on so many levels. First, it reinforces Davenports's brand position of "your career university." Second, it demonstrates the school's understanding of its market and the needs of the people of Michigan. Helping those that start out at a technical college make the transition to a university degree give new meaning to an "opportunity college." Third, Davenport University is showing itself as not only a competitor in the marketplace but one who is not afraid of taking a new tact.

The adage that "insanity is doing the same old thing and expecting different results" has been attributed to many people over the years. However, Davenport is leading the way to extend educational opportunities to those that, up to this point, have been marginalized in the educational process. They are willing to try something new and I am hoping for "different results" for their bold move.

The Emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution

2010-02-09T19:12:03Z

I recently read the above titled article in my web edition of Inside Higher Ed. I serve on the Hispanic Scholarship Committee here in Cincinnati and these articles always get my attention.

This article reinforces the adage that "you can't fight demographics."

According to the article there are now 265 schools designated as a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). These are defined as schools that have at least 25% of full time equivalent students that are Latino. Another 176 schools are on the brink of becoming HSI's and are referred to as emerging. The largest share of these were public community colleges (44%) followed surprisingly by private colleges and universities (31%) and THEN public four year schools (20%).

This article suggested that Congress provide grants that will help emerging HSI's plan for the shift in demographics. Such plans will enhance enrollment as retention of hispanic students. This in turn invest in the future of our country.

President Obama has stated that he would like to see the U.S. have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020 (an almost impossible task given today's support of education). This will never be accomplished unless we invest in the changing demographics versus fight them.

Contributions Down?...Your Focus Should Be Up!

2010-02-04T19:51:47Z

According to a recent report from the Council for Aid to Education (read on www.insidehighered.com), the charitable contributions to colleges and universities fell 11.9% in 2009 which represented the "steepest decline" since the Council started collecting national data on fund raising in 1969. The numbers were startling:

giving to private bachelor's institutions was off 18.3%
Giving to capital gifts was down 25%
annual alumni giving fell to 10%, the "lowest level ever recorded."

There is no question that many of you already felt the impact of the numbers and you may feel some solace in knowing that you were not alone. While the problem is definitely an impactful one, (Yale was off 26.4% and today announced staff and research cuts), dealing with the issue is not simple. Certainly, one component of addressing this issue is a sharpened focus of one's marketing and communication efforts. This is not the time to cut back on marketing but to invest in it.

A good marketing strategy will enable you to better compete for students, reputation and recourses. In particular it will help you:

more clearly articulate what you stand for and what is your position in the marketplace
express how and why you are relevant and should be supported
communicate your message to important constituents
engage your alumni so that you understand what they would wish to support and they understand how they can help make a difference in the health of the school, the community and the country.

Marketing must be used more strategically if your school wishes to survive and thrive in this difficult economic time. as our friends at Mercyhurst College would say..."Carpe Diem!"

To Tagline or Not to Tagline...

2010-02-04T19:34:20Z

I just read an excellent article entitled "Chevy Drops Its Tagline... Does It Matter?". The article focuses on the fact that Chevy has dropped it long time tagline of "An American Revolution." The author, Julie Roehm writing on the site "marketing.autos.aol.com", asks the question if taglines matter and she contends that they do...and I agree. Coincidently, I had just come from a meeting at St. Xavier High School (stxavier.org) here in Cincinnati where I sit on the marketing committee. We were having this very conversation and the use of taglines used consistently over time was decided to be a huge asset.

The article outlines six traits of a solid tagline. They are: "memorability, unaided recall (closely linked to memorability), simplicity (the fewer words the better), longevity (relevant for decades to come), ownable (you can't put a competitors brand name in there and have it work as well), benefit (shows some trait of the brand), and attitude/spirit of the brand (enough said)."

I would recommend putting the development of your tagline to the test of these six traits.

...and by the way, if you think your tagline is unique, I would also suggest visiting Stamats's tagline repository on their website (stamats.com) just to check!

Q&A with Laura Vann; SimpsonScarborough Scholar Recipient

2010-02-04T17:25:19Z

SimpsonScarborough talked with Laura Vann, Public Relations Specialist at Lynn University and one of the inaugural SimpsonScarborough Scholars.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: My name is Laura Vann, and I am the public relations specialist at Lynn University, a small liberal arts college located in Boca Raton, Florida. I was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia and upon graduation of high school is 2004, I moved to Boca Raton to pursue an undergraduate degree from Lynn University. In 2008, I graduated summa cum lade from Lynn with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication, specializing in Public Relations and Advertising, and minored in Business Marketing (it's a mouthful, I know!). During my tenure as a student at Lynn, I worked in the Office of Marketing and Communications as a media relations intern for 3 years. In 2008, I was hired as a full-time media relations assistant and started my graduate studies at Lynn. In December of 2009, I graduated with a Master of Science in Communication and Media.

Today, as a public relations specialist in the Office of Marketing and Communication at Lynn my responsibilities include: being the University's primary liaison with the local press (print, TV, radio, and online); overseeing and facilitating coverage of University news, events, and people; leading social media efforts (via blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter); creating editorial and multimedia content for all channels, including Lynn.edu; and, I am the University's back-up emergency contact.

Q: Why did you decide to apply to the SimpsonScarborough Scholars program?

A: As a student, intern, and now employee of Lynn University, I have become very familiar with CASE and SimpsonScarborough. In fact, as a student intern in 2006 I was awarded a District CASE III Advancement Award for the development of a Broadcast E-mail Project for my work developing, implementing, and providing content for a weekly news tip sheet that I pitch to local media.

My colleagues, Jason Hughes and Carol Herz, are the individuals who brought the SimpsonScarborough Scholars program to my attention. They encouraged me to apply noting, "I think you have a real chance." After reading about the program, it didn't take much time before I applied for the once in a lifetime chance to be named a SimpsonScarborough Scholar, to take advantage of the wealth of networking opportunities provided through the program, and to advance my career in marketing for higher education - both personally and professionally.

Q: What was your reaction to being named on of the inaugural SimpsonScarborough Scholars?

A: Shock. Joy. Disbelief. Honor. Excitement.

I think those emotions sum up how I was feeling when I received the phone call from Brett Chambers, Executive Director of Volunteer Relations at CASE. Brett called me personally to tell me the good news. The word spread fast around campus after Brett e-mailed my supervisor Jason Hughes. In fact, the very next day the President of Lynn University, Kevin Ross, personally congratulated me on the honor and achievement.

Q: One of the goals of the SimpsonScarborough Scholars program is to establish a network of scholars over time who become mentors to other promising newcomers. How do you envision yourself in this role?

A: In my current position at Lynn University, I directly manage (and often mentor) four student workers on a daily basis that produce and manage multimedia content - two student photographers, a videographer, and a graduate assistant who monitors our social media channels. Helping these students realize their potential and thrive in the workplace is one of my favorite responsibilities. These students bring a fresh and creative look into all facets of Lynn University's innovative and effective modes of marketing and communication. As a SimpsonScarborough Scholar I hope to expand upon this role in marketing for higher education by seeking out the opinion and creativity of young people around the nation.

- Renee Kart

15 Things You Didn't Know About Marketing

2010-02-03T14:41:44Z

This is sorta old news because it's from the December issue of Marketing News, but I think these are cool facts anyway:

1. Twitter is not a teenybopper hangout. - Just 16% of Twitter users are under 25.

2. Marketers are all atwitter about Twitter, but consumers? Not so much. - Only 8% of consumers felt Twitter was very effective for promoting products and ideas.

3. Short-term financial ROI measures aren't the be-all and end-all. - There is still a place for softer metrics for things such as brand awareness and word-of-mouth.

4. Mobile marketing without the consumer's consent remains off limits. - This despite rumors that federal regulators have opened the floodgates to mobile telemarketing......it's just a myth.

5. Some "attention-getting" internet ads can do more harm than good. - 80% of respondents to a Harris Poll said expanding ads that cover online content are "very frustrating."

6. All days aren't created equal on Facebook. - Click-through rates are highest on Tuesdays.

7. Email marketing isn't dead. - Open rates actually increased 18% in 2009's second quarter compared to the same quarter in 2008.

8. About to look for a marketing job? Don't list your college first on your resume. - Employers would rather see a list of experiences.

9. (#9 was a dumb one about the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile......so I'm not even including it.)

10. There are more internet users in China (338 million) than the entire population of the United States (308 million).

11. Although it's the "it" phone now, the Apply iPhone only has 5% of the entire U.S. mobile market.

12. Hispanics are nicer than everyone else when it comes to rating products. - They give products, on average, a 6% higher rating than non-Hispanics.

13. Sometimes a good deal doesn't need much paid marketing. - Toyota didn't invest a dime in promoting "Cash for Clunkers," and was still the top benefactor from the program.

14. Only 2% of TV viewing happens online and on mobile devices.

15. Fewer than 75 people had returned new cars under the Hyundai Assurance program as of September. - It allowed people who lost the jobs to return their cars and contributed an estimated 10% of the company's sales in 2009.

-Elizabeth Scarborough

Click here to follow me on Twitter

Mind Blowing Social Media Stats

2010-01-30T18:38:37Z

I just finish reading reading this article from Econsultancy and am blown away by the latest social media stats. Did you know that:

- Facebook current has in excess of 350 million active users on a global basis. Six months ago, this was 250 million....meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year! And, Facebook claims that 50% of active users log into the site each day. This would mean at least 175 million users every 24 hours.

- Twitter now has 75 million user accounts.

- LinkedIn has over 50 million members worldwide; an increase of around 1 million members month-on-month since July/August last year.

- More than 700,000 local businesses have active pages on Facebook.

- 15% of bloggers spend 10 or more hours each week blogging and 70% of bloggers are organically talking about brands on their blog.

If we didn't believe it before, we can't deny the power of social media in marketing after hearing these stats!!

- Renee Kart

Just when I think I'm out.....

2010-01-27T19:30:10Z

......they pull me back in! Actually, I'm thrilled that I have been pulled back in to Chair the AMA Symposium for 2010. Due to family issues, BigBad's Ty Glasgow is going to replace me as Chair of the AMA Symposium in 2011 as opposed to 2010.

We have lots of new ideas for this year's program. My favorite is that we are going to encourage everyone to submit video paper proposals! The call for papers will be released in about two weeks and it will contain all the details you need about the option to make a video submission. Paper and video submissions will be due on April 2, 2010.

The dates for the Symposium are November 14-17, 2010. So, put it on your calendar right now and plan to join us in San Diego! Lots more info to come!

-Elizabeth Scarborough

Click here to follow me on Twitter

What lies ahead for for-profits

2010-01-20T21:36:16Z

I just read an article in the Denver Post about the potential for increased regulations for for-profit institutions. We all are aware of the great success that University of Phoenix, Walden University and ITT Technical Institute have all had in recent years, capturing part of the $12 billion in annual revenues for for-profits. The convenience offered to students is something that many working adults can't refuse. You can't help but see a commercial or billboard for these types of institutions as quite often they spend upwards of 25% of their total revenue on marketing. Senior marketing people at most traditional schoosl will likely never see the day that their budgets look like this. The high profit margins may become a thing of the past as the U.S. Department of Education has proposed reviewing recruiting and tuition practices within the for-profit industry. But Wall Street wants the excitement of higher enrollments, higher revenue and higher stock prices. These types of schools often rely on low-income students who receive government-sponsored loans and grants and the regulations have been few and far between. Regulators are now monitoring graduates who default on loads, retention and graduation rates. Future regulations may involve comparing student earning potential compared to loan debt and job placement rates. A profitable industry will most likely continue to be profitable but with these measures in place, it appears the student may be more protected in the future.

Dana Edwards

Financial Aid Strategies for 2010

2010-01-20T19:50:04Z

In this challenging economic time, Scannell and Kurz offer ten very helpful financial aid strategies that will help you prepare for 2010:

1. Identify metrics that reveal how you're performing, then track them against the same or a similar period in the prior two years.

2. Benchmark annually on sticker price, discount rate, and prestige indicators with top competitors.

3. Help admissions recruiters make the case for affordability, value, and career outcomes.

4. Make sure financial aid counselors can talk comfortably and accurately about financing/payment plan options as well as financial aid programs.

5. Keep admissions and financial aid staffs on the same page by using net tuition revenue goals as the common denominator.

6. Use an analytical, not anecdotal, approach to adjusting aid policies.

7. Be as transparent as possible about awarding policies.

8. Watch out for policies that stack merit awards on entitlements, need-based aid, talent-based aid, etc.

9. Make sure renewal policies are not negatively impacting retention.

10. Be transfer friendly.

-Jeff Papa