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

A competitive usability evaluation is a user experience (UX) research method we use to quantify how a site functions relative to its competitors. There are different ways to conduct this type of study: the competitive review can be holistic, scoring targeted, high-value pages by overall site-usability metrics, or it can be more focused, comparing features or global elements across sites.

The Higher Education CMO Survey is officially open for data collection!

Editor's Note: Our ongoing series about the Future of Higher Ed MarComms is focused on all of the topics that we believed were important pre-pandemic, but in a world permanently transformed by covid, have evolved to imperatives. Web accessibility may not immediately come to mind when thinking of the future of our industry. But as many institutions are redesigning their digital strategies to meet rapidly shifting consumer behavior, it's all the more important to consider how those assets ensure your institution remains equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all. More than ever before, a significant portion of our lives are experienced, managed, organized, or accessed online. From work emails to Netflix binges, paying bills to staying connected to old friends — we're online, almost constantly. But for users with physical and mental impairments, some barriers prevent the web from being totally accessible. While there are some helpful methods, tools, and devices that help eliminate some of these barriers, in order to maximize their effectiveness, websites need to first be built with web accessibility in mind. Building an inclusive and accessible website from the outset is not just a strategic and ethical choice — it's also pragmatic, as it's far easier than trying to remedy a site built without accessibility standards.

We're thrilled to introduce three new members of the SimpsonScarborough team: Dempsey Ewan, Osmond Curtis, and Scott Smith. Beyond their obvious talent, experience, and passion for higher education, they all bring what makes them unique — their curious nature, strategic thinking, and palpable enthusiasm. They're remarkable additions to our team's culture and have already hit the ground running on a myriad of new client work. 

In-person visit days for admitted students have long been considered the anchor of the spring recruitment event lineup. Many students make their final college choice immediately after attending these deal-making or deal-breaking events. Just three years ago, I remember going with my son to back-to-back 'admitted student days' at his top two institutions. Just an hour into the event at the second campus, he decided he wanted to attend the school we had visited the previous day, Franklin & Marshall College. He couldn't explain why — it was just a gut feeling.

Editor's Note: Our ongoing series about the Future of Higher Ed MarComms is focused on all of the topics that we believed were important pre-pandemic, but in a world permanently transformed by covid, have evolved to imperatives.  After all, one of the lasting impacts of the pandemic has been the acceleration of digital disruption across all industries — higher ed notwithstanding. But, this isn't just a time to react and adapt, it's a time to innovate and think strategically about what's next.  Gaming. It's been popular for decades but has taken a lead spot in hobby lists and quarantine pastimes in the past 12 months for people of all ages and backgrounds. Gaming unifies people around the globe, enabling them to enter new worlds, ignite their imaginations, and find some reprieve from the daily grind. Feels like a win-win during a time of incredible anxiety.

We're extremely proud to announce the promotion of Lex Hade to Director of User Experience (UX).

We're extraordinarily proud to announce the promotion of Perrie Howes to the role of Director, Project Management Office. 

Early in my career as a higher ed market researcher, I never would have imagined working with provosts and deans to study the demand for potential new programs. Decision-making related to new programs rested squarely with the academics among the administration; the opinions of marketers were rarely factored in. Assessment criteria included organizational fit, investment requirements, operational costs, and possibly some broad secondary data on job trends. The most important factor seemed to be the existence of a strong and effective champion for the program among the faculty. From a marketing perspective, the attitude seemed to be, "If you build it, they will come." Marketers, of course, know that only happens in the movies.