True Brand Strategy for Continuing and Professional Education

Every time I open my email box or an industry magazine, I get an announcement for "Recession Proof Strategies for ..." conference, workshop, whitepaper or webinar. Without diving into negative message or strategy, I wanted to contribute in some way, shape or form to the education field or discussion. Here are my thoughts and some items I anticipate needing to address in the near future regarding how the recession impacts higher education:

• High end brands: So, if you've been at the top of your segment, such as a University of Maryland, UMass or Penn State regarding distance education or Harvard, Yale or NYU regarding academics or higher cost private institutions such as Wesleyan, Babson or Middlebury, then your recession strategy might be creating more value. During challenging economic times, history shows that consumers are less likely to buy homes, cars or make luxury purchases. The fix-it-yourself market tends to thrive and people hold on to previously acquired high end items longer. While one can argue that education is different, it still shares the realm of a complex or information-dependent purchase. Therefore, to survive or thrive, one needs to combat the notion of deep discounting with the creation of value. It might be about saying what the return on investment is with a premier degree, as opposed to a degree from a state university ... or saying the message louder. Bag the feel-good, pretty "image" campaigns (i.e. I saw one premier brand university advertise passively the message of convenience, when in today's economy, that message needs to be translated more directly into dollars and cents for the student) in favor of the benefit message. Short answer: You need to say it better and louder with a potential message of great quality but with a long term return on investment.
• Middle end brands: Seize the moment. While I can appreciate the budget crisis you are in, now is the time to invest if possible. Invest into market share by attacking the high-end brands with better value and return on investment. Short answer: You need to seize the day, but in a strategic manner that can gain market share. Time to hit the big guys below the belt with some smart spending creating a message of good quality and great value.
• Lower end brands or new entrants to the marketplace: Inhabit where the middle end brands are leaving and where the high ends are failing. Given the economic changes, distance education is becoming more acceptable not only to the consumer, but also to the business professional. While the manager once would not allow his or her employees distance education, he or she might now accept it. In addition to this, lower or newer brands can also be quick and nimble ... beating out traditional, larger and slower institutions to the punch. Some community colleges have shown their ability to respond faster to workforce development initiatives. Many online universities are marketing a stronger message of work continuance to the busy individual while completing the degree. Short answer: Acceptable quality, but at a great price. Why waste your money over-paying for middle or higher end brands? It's almost the generic soup or over-the-counter medicine approach ... same product, but less obvious brand.

Depending on where your college or university is, now is NOT the time to over-think, over-process or get caught in committee work. It's time to have a strategy, a plan and to move swiftly (although not stupidly). I believe I have succeeded in avoiding negativity around the recession message! Now is the time for action.

More on Marketing Metrics, Buyer Beware!

Everybody’s a marketer. In a room full of Ph.D.s, as well as even the assistant of the assistant who’s brother’s cousin is a marketer, the continuing education marketer is often faced with a disadvantage as everyone becomes a marketer. The true marketer needs to have at least one or two things others do not have. One is exceptional, visible talent and experiences while another is a track record of success. If these are not obvious to the crowd of critics, the next best thing is to have data … performance metrics. Of course, it would be great to have all the above, as well as a Ph.D.

Metrics are the great equalizer, however, if you don’t have the knowledge on how to use them or derive them, then they can be dangerous and discrediting. At the 2009 UCEA Management and Marketing Seminars, I just made a big stink for metrics, return on investment (ROI), customer relationship management (CRM), dashboards and marketing scorecards. However, I didn’t offer up a warning.

Not all marketers are created equal. An inexperienced, undertrained marketer using metrics for leverage is like a med student performing surgery. Reporting and deriving metrics requires some level of skill or training. If done incorrectly, it could result in a marketing unit or director being discredited. Reporting metrics with skill can shift the power back toward marketing … when a marketing director needs the benefit of doubt or needs to take an occasional risk, having a little bit of power might help a new initiative or marketing effort. Marketer beware, a little bit of power can kill you … or can move you miles ahead.

UCEA 2009 Management and Marketing Seminars

I just returned from the UCEA Management and Marketing Seminars. Below are some of my presentations. Enjoy. My takeaways:

• For those who went to the management seminar on enrollment management ... kudos to you, as you care about probably one of the top three issues or opportunities for continuing education marketing or revenues. In this economy, we're not going to spend more money on marketing. We are going to get smarter about how we do things. We are going to become more efficient. What better way than putting the science back into marketing. Creativity and design will only get you so far ... you'll still wander around not knowing whether it worked or not unless you actually quantitatively and consistently measure.
• Thank you Tim Copeland of SunGard Higher Education for some outstanding sessions and from Stephanie Platteter of the University of Minnesota and Nora Lewis of the University of Pennsylvania for putting theory and strategy of enrollment management to work. Also, thank you to the University Continuing Education Association and Kay Kohl for putting this back on the radar screen.
• On the marketing side, I presented a new whitepaper on the what continuing education deans and directors think of their marketing function. I thought it was challenging as did others. The solution is a two-way street. Deans need to better understand marketing, but marketers need to help them get there. Marketers do need to get better at reporting ROI, develop strategic marketing skills and stay up on e-marketing tools if they aren't already doing so. Deans will be faced with immense pressure, so if you are a marketer planning to do the same ole' same ole', you're going to have some challenges in front of you.

Overall, it was a good conference. Good takeaways from some of the keynotes and concurrent sessions, but a lot of good discussion with other vendors, especially my friends at Destiny Solutions, Intelliworks and SunGard. While I came from academia and Penn State, I can't say how valuable external parties can be. Not that I am biased, but there's a lot of great value from vendors that truly care and desire partnerships (as opposed to the ones who just take your money and run). Having worked at Penn State and as a consultant to other colleges and universities, there's a lot of value from some outsourcing relationships ... although the shoe has to fit.