SimpsonScarborough is the data-driven partner for higher education marketers. 

Each year, the brand consultancy Prophet releases its Brand Relevancy Index. By their definition, relevant brands fall into four categories:

In the last few weeks, a number of colleges and universities have made announcements to remove statues and artwork with racist lineages. The news has been received positively by many but, as expected, was accompanied on social media with swift and hateful commentary. 

When the marketplace gets cloudy or uncertain, I go back to MKTG 301: Intro to Marketing at Auburn. I want to remember the basics and how they are applicable today. I thought a lot about the 4 Ps over the weekend. We all remember them – product, price, place, promotion. These are as relevant in higher ed marketing today as ever, but a new "P" is more vital to the mix — packaging. Outside of the health of their students, faculty, and staff, there may be no more critical a task for colleges and universities than getting the package of product, price, and place correct. And not just getting the packaging right for the 2020-2021 school year, but forever. 

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, experts throughout the higher education industry are predicting radical reorganization and shifts to a more sustainable business model for our nation's colleges and universities. Academic departments will be consolidated. Entire institutions will merge. The traditional academic calendar is in a continual state of evolution. While all this change is enormously disruptive, we should probably admit some of this change should've happened a long time ago. Though none of us are enjoying the toll that coronavirus is taking on our industry, there may be a few silver linings.

The other day, one of my coworkers shared a video on our company's Teams channel that was making the social media rounds. She posted it with just one word of commentary: "Savage." And it was. Posing as a brand anthem for a nameless corporate Everybrand, the video's voiceover goes for the jugular right away: 

A friend from college sent me a direct message on Twitter with a thought about this article on the coming disruption of college from New York magazine. 

In between Zoom calls yesterday with family and watching  The Fab Five 30 for 30, I remembered my first college visit. Specifically, April 5, 1993. I was sitting on the edge of a hotel room bed in Raleigh, NC, despondent. Chris Webber had called a timeout his University of Michigan Wolverines did not have, handing the national championship over to Dean Smith's UNC squad. I was in Raleigh touring NC State, one of four college visits my mom had meticulously mapped out that spring break. We also hit Clemson, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech — which my mom would tell me years later, "you weren't smart enough for Tech." She was right because moms always are. Thanks, mom.

Today is May the 4th. Which is either Star Wars Day or the first business day after May 1, depending on your priorities. While many schools have pushed the traditional enrollment deadline, most institutions are still monitoring their classes against this date. This makes every school one of three Luke Skywalkers. The Luke from A New Hope, who is feeling good but unsure about the new voices in his head. The Luke from The Empire Strikes Back, who is down a hand and processing some pretty troubling news. Or the Luke from Return of the Jedi, who is triumphant and partying on a distant forest moon.

Each morning the past several weeks have started the same for most of us. We climb out of bed, scroll the news websites, or turn on the TV and see how things have evolved over the few hours of sleep we got the night before. It’s a constant barrage of information and difficult to sift through alongside figuring out how to balance work, family, and your own sanity.