Building Your Case for Change

9

6,000 ft.600 ft.

6 ft.10

6,000 ft.

The Perfect Storm

11

High School Graduates.

12

13

Questions We’re AskingHow have you prepared for the decline?

Have you prioritized the adult market?

14

Generational Shift.(students & parents)

15

GI Generation (84-107)Silent Generation (66-83)Baby-Boomers (48-65)Generation X (27-47)

Millennials (5-26)New Silent Generation (0-4)

16

Born in 1982

“New Silent Generation”

Boomer Parents GenX Parents

Graduate

College

High School

Elementary School

17

Questions We’re AskingHave you actively engaged parents?

Have you promoted the ROI?

Are graduate & continuing studies ready?

18

The Economy.

19

20

Last 12 Months CPIEnergy +17.4%

Transportation +8.1%

Food/Beverages +5.0%

Medical Care +4.1%

(First five months equal all of 2007)

21

Questions We’re AskingWill students go to school closer to home?

How will you encourage them to visit?

Will offering more online courses help?

Will your recruiting staff travel less?

22

Lending Crisis.

23

“Loan crisis goes to college.”CNN Money.com, February 2008

“Credit crisis make college loans more costly.”Washington Post, March 2008

“Credit crisis his student borrowers.”The Boston Globe, April 2008

24

Questions We’re AskingWhat is your college/you doing to cut costs?

How is your financial aid strategy adjusting?

Are you prepared to answer cost questions earlier?

How well trained are your recruiters on aid?

25

600 ft.

The Shift of Control

26

The Internet.

27

Millennials +the Internet =_________ ???

28

Traditional RecruitingUndergraduate Recruiting in Junior Year

Direct Mail Search Campaigns

Letter Series-Based Communication Plans

Viewbooks, Roadpieces, Department Brochures

Large Open Houses, Info Sessions and Group Tours

High School/Company Visits & College/Graduate Fairs

29

Where Most Colleges Are Today

Special Thanks to Bob McCullough, Ursinus College

30

31

Sharing & ConnectingWeb 2.0 is about making connections & sharing

Thoughts. Pictures. Videos. Places. Products.

32

Facebook MySpace Google Yahoo YouTube iTunes Flickr eBay ESPN

FemalesMales

Top 10 Web Sites Ages 17-25Youth Trends and eMarketer.com, October 2006

33

96%Teens Using Social Networking Tools

National School Boards Association, 2007

34

22%Teens Have Uploaded Video they Created

National School Boards Association, 2007

35

9 HrsSpent on Social Networking Sites per Week

(compared to 10 hours watching TV)National School Boards Association, 2007

36

Email What We Use to Talk to “Old People”

IMSMS

Casual Written Conversations with

Friends

Medium Choices of TeensPew Internet & American Life Project, Teens and Technology, July 2005

37

Pew Internet and American Life, 2005

0

25

50

75

100

12-17 18-28 29-40 41-50 51-59 60-69 70+

Send Email Instant Message Research a School Text Message Read Blogs

Generational Online Activity Differences

38

ConsumerAttitudes

39

64%Believe Advertising is “Dishonest” or “Unrealistic”

Consumers 18-65 years old, Ad Age 2006

40

Marketing Immunity3,000-5,000 Daily Messages

Neurological Blockades

41

Building Brand RecognitionHasn’t Been Harder

42

6 ft.

The Recruiting Revolution

43

The Communication PlanDifferentiation/Disruption

Aversion to Change

44

The New Communication

Plan.

45

Undergraduate Trends.

46

71%Started their College Search Before their Junior Year

Eduventures, 2007

47

50%PSAT Takers Were in the 10th Grade or Earlier (2% in 8th Grade)

College Board, 2006

48

13%Started their College Search in Eighth Grade or Earlier!

Eduventures, 2007

49

>25%First Point of Contact was the Admissions Application

Informal TargetX Survey of Undergraduate Admissions Clients & Noel-Levitz E-Recruiting Practices Report, April 2006

50

75%Students Spend Researching Colleges Online

Harris Interactive, 2004

51

84%Use the College’s Website Most Heavily in their Research

Eduventures, 2007

52

Activity Do Want

Financial Aid Estimator 24% 90%

Online Application 22% 86%

IM with Counselor 6% 70%

Campus Visit Request 25% 84%

Tuition Calculator 33% 88%

Faculty Profile 26% 69%

Student Profile 31% 63%

Forwarded Page 34% 63%

Online Survey 50% 72%

Personalize Site 39% 58%

Inquiry Form 72% 73%

Navigating Toward E-Recruitment, Noel-Levitz, Inc.

High School Students: College Website Activity Discrepancies

53

Adult & GraduateTrends.

54

64%Prefer Website vs. Brochures

E-Expectations: Graduate Edition, Noel-Nevitz, 2007

55

63%Prefer Email vs. Direct Mail

E-Expectations: Graduate Edition, Noel-Nevitz, 2007

56

71%of Prospective Graduate Students use Instant Messaging

E-Expectations: Graduate Edition, Noel-Nevitz, 2007

57

Activity Do Want

Financial Aid Estimator 27% 93%

Request Campus Visit 18% 80%

Completed RSVP Form 20% 77%

Emailed Current Student 13% 71%

Read Faculty Blog 16% 72%

IM with Admissions 13% 68%

Read Student Blog 19% 66%

Downloaded Podcast 6% 41%

Downloaded Video Podcast 6% 38%

Online Chat Event 11% 35%

Graduate Students: College Website Activity Discrepancies

E-Expectations: Graduate Edition, Noel-Nevitz, 2007

58

TakeawayPreference for Electronic Communication

Want Details on Cost and Financial Aid

Desire to Connect with Students and Faculty

Use “New” Communication Tools (Blog & IM)

59

Recruiting 2.0You are no longer in control of the conversation.

who, when & how

60

Differentiation& Disruption.

61

AvailabilityCost

QualityAuthenticity

62

Quality.No Longer Differentiates

Difficult to Define in Higher Education

63

Everyone Looks the SameColleges not being true to themselves (inauthentic)

A “me-too” product development philosophy

Leadership not providing clear vision

64

Stories not Stats.People not Programs.

65

66

67

68

69

71%Campus Visit was the Most Trusted Source of Information

Eduventures, 2007

70

You must design the customer experience

or the customer will design it for you.Tom Peters

71

Change Adverse.

72

73

Requires a Change in Campus Culture.

Starting with thePresident and Faculty

74

Retention begins with being authentic in recruiting.

75

I just wasn't happy with NYU, Spradlin says as she sits in a coffee shop after a morning of classes. Despite the fact that

they don't have a campus, they said “we make up for it; we're still a community; you see students all the time.”

And I really didn't get that.

I'd go out on the weekends, and I'd be with 30-year-old men at the bars that knew college girls were going to be

there and stuff, and it just wasn't very appealing.

Miranda Spradlin, NYU Student

76

SuggestionsPower yourself with data & research

Talk to students - they’ll tell you

Trust your gut instinct

Calculate the ROI (when possible)

Ignore your competition - be who you are

77

Students Speak!

78

“Don’t Flirt With Me”Study done for SACAC 2008 Presentation

Traditional Age College Bound Seniors

“Textbook” Millennials

79

Most colleges gave too much of a glossy image of themselves. The end result is that they all come to look

inherently the same.

80

When schools over advertise, there must be

something wrong.

81

Be real, honest and straightforward.

82

Bulk and mass-mailing are offensive. Personalize - it’s

about me, not you.

83

You look desperate for a date - chill out!

You’re hurting by flirting so much.

84

If I’m not a candidate, leave me alone.

85

Reply to my requests more quickly.

86

Hard to navigateOutdated or unprofessional

Too busy or confusingToo basic

Too many links

87

Final Thoughts.

88

Today the most important conversation

is not the marketing monologue but

the dialogue between your audience.

89

Rethink the BudgetDistribution Print vs. Web, On-Campus vs. Off

Stop the “have to” Activities (hint: start with travel)

Avoid the many online marketing fads - calc ROI!

Focus on what WILL work - Not what ALWAYS worked

Doesn’t necessarily mean additional funding

90

Start EarlierBrand Recognition Begins in Freshman Year

College Search Starts in Sophomore Year

Short List is Made Before Junior Year

Enhance Junior Year Recruiting Activities

91

Let go.Remember, you’re not in control.

Remember, they don’t trust marketers.

Remember, they are talking about you anyways.

Remember, they want to figure out the truth.

Remember, their parents are talking about you too.

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Brian’s Bookshelf

93

Brian’s Podcasts

94