strengthening your value messaging

Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 1

STRENGTHENING YOUR VALUE MESSAGING

©ROBERT E. JOHNSON, PH.D. 2015

Improving Your Strategic Recruitment Communications Plan

Academic Impressions

Houston, TX

June 1-3, 2015

Bob Johnson Consulting, LLC 2

Why we are talking about this today…

For the private sector…

• Increasing concern re cost, especially as percent of income.

• Concern over load debt levels.

• Interest in concrete outcomes information

• Why pay private sector money for a degree?

For the public sector…

• Rising tuition as public financing decreases creates PR problems.

• Perception that schools don’t seriously work to control costs.

• Some challenge to value of any college degree.

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THE MESSAGING ENVIRONMENT…

Reluctance to directly use the “value proposition” in recruitment communications continues.

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A TALE OF TWO AUGUSTANAS…Augustana College… Sioux Falls, SD

Augustana College… Rock Island, IL

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Value message at S.D. home page…http://www.augie.edu/

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Not so much in Rock Island…http://www.augustana.edu/

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“VALUE PROPOSITION” WEBSITE CONTENT…Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD

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Opening view of the competition…http://www.augie.edu/value-proposition

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“Exceptional” quality at lower price…

• “Among these colleges and universities that claim similar outcomes relative to graduate and professional school admission and job placement, Augustana provides exceptional academic quality and the best value.”

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7 claims + evidence links…

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“Authentic”…

• Augustana hired a marketing firm to do a “Brand Audit” to “reveal” the “distinctive nature of the Augustana community.”

• Is this credible?

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“Undergraduate research”…

• Summer science research opportunities

• Average of 55 students per summer since 2006

• “Unlimited opportunities” in biomedical research in Sioux Falls area

• Is this credible?

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“Measurable outcomes”…

• Graduates are well-rounded (88%)

• Graduates leaders (86%)

• Graduates effective communicators (90%)• Survey of employers

hiring Augustana graduates

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SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES…Consistent “Exceptional Value”

theme.

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A LinkedIn message connection…

• Opening text notes “reasonable cost” and “exceptional value.”

• “See more” includes URL (not live link) to the “value” page.

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“Exceptional Value” also on Pinterest…

• “Augustana College (SD) is a community where challenging academics, a caring environment and reasonable cost come together to create exceptional value.”

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On Twitter…

• “Augustana College (Augie) campus & student life - where challenging academics, a caring environment & reasonable cost come together to create exceptional value.”

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And on Instagram…

• “Augustana College (SD) Official Augustana College (Augie) campus & student life — challenging academics, a caring environment & reasonable cost create exceptional value. http://www.augie.edu”

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“WORTH CLAIM,” NOT “VALUE PROPOSITION”…Augustana College, IL.

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“Value proposition” is not enough…http://www.augustana.edu/x57491.xml

• “Value propositions too often assume students can intuit worth, recognize the full range of meaningful differences, trust what they're told without question, and as a result will make decisions that are in the student's best interest.

• “This is why value propositions as they are understood today are not enough.”• W. Kent Barnds, Executive Vice President & Vice President of

Enrollment Communication and Planning, Augustana College• “The Worth Claim: Beyond Brand,” July 31, 2013 at

http://www.augustana.edu/x57491.xml

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Market first, mission second…

• “The worth claim at its core should be centered on something, or some things, for which students and families will be inclined to pay more. The worth claim has to be market-smart first and mission-centered second.”

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Worth claims #1 and # 2

• “You will have access to a premier alumni career network, creating professional and social connections to reinforce your knowledge base and help you find your first job, your next job, and your best job.”

• “You will have greater access to experiences and services that will equip you to stand out to employers and graduate schools.”

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Worth claims #3 and #4

• “You will develop and gain the skills employers want most.”

• “You will work side-by-side with faculty who specialize in one-on-one and small group teaching, to the benefit (of) your undergraduate education and your future success.”

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Traditional scholarship page…

• Better heading:• “$2.5 Million in

Scholarships”

• 3 good points in one place:• Amount of the award• Criteria to win• Criteria to continue

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Small extra “Ways to Save”…

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SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGES…“Worth claim” content is not apparent.

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Twitter: Traditional brand message…

• “Augustana is a private, selective liberal arts college on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River.”

• Nothing on “worth claims”

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Pinterest: no brand message at start

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EMAIL RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN CONTENT…Augusta College, Rock Island, IL

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1st response… visit usMay 30

• “Visit us” theme is common.

• 3 scholarships for visiting are different.• $1000• $500• $500

• 500 word essay required.

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2nd response: “Cheat sheet” notes… June 4

• Help to craft the best letter of recommendation

• Profile of a graduate• Graduation video & link to YouTube channel

• Poll

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3rd response… visit usJune 12

• Duplicates the first email.

• Subject line is more personal: “Ryan, it’s you we are looking for”

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4th response… visit deadlineJune 24

• Sent on June 24 to note deadline for June 27 visit day.

• Continues the scholarship offer.

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5th response… 5 college search tipsJuly 7

• Subject line: “College search tips, foreign languages and visit days”

• Foreign language video & link to YouTube channel

• Alumni profile• Poll

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6th response… visit usAugust 20

• After a long hiatus, a prompt to visit in the fall.

• Scholarships “exclusive to visitors attending one of the visit days” continue.

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11 more email responses…August 29 to January 2

• Follow on Facebook• Visit, apply, succeed• Visit… September deadline• Join FB group, win $50 card• Visit, win $50 gift card• Visit in November• Visit in November• Student learning trendsetter• January weekend visit• Christmas video• Visit + scholarships

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A critique of the series…

• 9 of 17 emails are visit prompts• None speak directly to either “value proposition” points or “worth claims”

• No email speaks to the academic program preferred at time of inquiry• An almost universal omission

• None speak to cost and affordability concerns• Average of 2.1 emails, June to January• Is the long summer contact gap wise?

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STRATEGY SUMMARY…

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Strategy + Tactics…

• Create cohesive “value” or “worth” content at your website.

• Make sure people easily find the content.• Make sure people can quickly scan content.• Avoid marketing hype.• Validate claims.• Use real people when credible, especially video.• Integrate with social media.• Speak “value” or “worth” from first inquiry contact…

email (online inquiry) or personal (college night).

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Email recommendations…

• Build inquiry response contacts on “worth claims.”• 1st response links learning about preferred academic

program to a campus visit.• Link “worth claims” to academic program outcomes in

the series.• Alumni network from Biology• “Experiences and services” that relate to Biology• “Skills employers want most” & how Augustana delivers

them• Satisfaction levels and post-grad placements for Biology

• Minimum frequency of 3 emails per month.

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THANKS FOR BEING HERE IN HOUSTON!Bob Johnson, Ph.D.

bob@bobjohnsonconsulting.com

www.bobjohnsonconsulting.com

@highedmarketing

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APPENDIX 1: WARTBURG COLLEGE ON VALUE

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4 key points to start…http://www.wartburg.edu/admissions/value.aspx

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Starting & mid-career salary levels…

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Compare sticker prices w/ net prices…

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Compare graduation rates…

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Faster graduation = faster earning…

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APPENDIX 2: LAFAYETTE COLLEGE ON VALUE

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Return on investment theme…http://launchyourlife.lafayette.edu/value/

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High graduation, employment rates…

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Testimonials…

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5 skills employers value…

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Alumni success…

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Call to action w/ options…

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APPENDIX 3: TWO SOURCES TO REVIEW…

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HubSpot on value propositions…http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/write-value-proposition

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Email frequency… don’t be shyhttp://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/email-open-click-rate-benchmark