A record 1,100 higher ed marketers took Austin by storm for the 25th annual AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education. It was an honor to serve as a co-chair on this year’s planning committee, and we are excited by the feedback that you’ve shared through social media and more formal methods.
We’ve heard from many of you that you felt the conference was insightful and entertaining and inspiring as you returned back to the ongoing work at your institution. In reflection on this year’s conference, here are a few of my key takeaways:
Importance of place: I think we all can agree that location and the importance of place resonated as a theme throughout the conference. The opening keynote from Pentagram partner DJ Stout and songwriter Darden Smith spoke about the importance of staying true to your roots and using it to your advantage as evident in both their individual successes and work together displayed on the AMA stage. While it may certainly seem easy for some over others, it is really true for all of us. Whether your campus is located on the beach or your students share a common bond of frigid weather, don’t be hesitant to embrace those strengths and unique characteristics. It will lead to a new level of authenticity in your branding efforts and storytelling.
The most important audience: Lumina Foundation’s Jamie Merisotis encouraged us to put the needs of students first. For higher ed marketers, this means our brand and everything we do should benefit and tie back to the student. Think about their perspective and the service that you are providing to them as you form your campus story. Particularly as higher education becomes more of a buyer’s market and as your brand continues to grow and evolve, it is less about your objectives and goals and more so about the needs of the students, their experience and enabling them for their futures.
Carrying through your brand: We often prioritize efforts to build, express and strengthen the brand, but carrying it through to the location where it really resonates and comes to life – our campuses — falls off. As our focus turns to recruitment materials, advertising spreads, digital platforms and other executions, there is a need for marketers to think beyond traditional materials and envision how the brand can stretch and translate to engaging campus experiences that make your students want to live and breathe the brand.
If you attended AMA this year and haven’t had a chance to share your thoughts please do. We are so appreciative of your feedback, particularly as we begin to think about next year’s program in Chicago – I hope to see you there!
For a peek into the conversation, skim #AMAHigherEd on Twitter or check out AMA’s Storify of the event. And in case you missed it, the full opening keynote by Smith and Stout is now available here on YouTube.
