In preparation for the launch of Remington College’s online campus, we were delighted to help with the strategic brand and message development for the Website.
We helped establish the core benefit messages, and developed the brand story for Remington’s new online campus. Additionally, I wrote content for the new Website, which launched in late summer (http://www.remingtoncollegeonline.edu). The key messages focus on the convenience and flexibility of the new online degree and diploma programs, as well as the high level of personalized service and support provided to online students. We also developed a digital brochure for the online programs.
The majority of Remington College’s students are working adults who may be supporting a family. The new online programs cater to this audience by offering a flexible learning format and course structure for a more manageable learning experience. Students have the opportunity to achieve a more balanced life with a flexible online learning system designed to fit their busy schedule with work and family.
In support of the College’s online marketing initiatives, we have also provided the strategic messaging for audience-specific online campaigns. With the goal of increasing leads for specific degree and diploma programs, individual campaigns were created to capture online leads from targeted audience groups.
This was one of our favorite projects! We created a brand and Website for Acorn Teaching Solutions, an education company dedicated to helping reluctant readers and children with learning disabilities grow into successful adults with bright futures. Snapters is a reading software program unlike any other. Designed by educators for reluctant readers, Snapters combines visual and audio prompts to guide students through each chapter of a book.
Teague Marketing developed the overall brand including the logos and taglines for Acorn Teaching Solutions and Snapters, the identity package, the Website and the strategic brand theme/messaging. The company just launched its newest edition of Snapters: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Congratulations!
We have created our own student lifecycle—representing the categories of students, where they fall in the “learning phase” of their life, and how to craft a message that resonates at that critical point.
Lesson #1—Know where your target audience is in the student lifecycle.
As you know, the key messages for the career changer and the working adult learner are far different than the high school senior, or even the transfer student. We can examine barriers to enrollment and highlight the relevant key motivators, which may include career advancement, self-fulfillment, increased pay and better overall quality of life as a result of higher learning.
Lesson #2—Message is critical.
We rely on many years of education marketing and campaign development experience to craft and communicate the relevant key messages to your specific target audience. Messaging and copywriting is one of our greatest strengths, based on a strong strategy and supported with compelling design. Equally important, we can help identify the differential advantage of your college or university and/or specific degree program.
Lesson #3 — Placement is paramount.
A great message is wasted if it doesn’t reach your prospective students where they live, work and play. Again, depending on where they are in the student lifecycle, we can help you select the most effective marketing channels.
If you haven’t produced that YouTube video you’ve been talking about, now’s the perfect time! YouTube just launched a new section specifically for colleges and universities, called YouTube Edu. From complete courses to campus events to information about schools, this distinct channel will make it easier for potential students to find you.
From a branding perspective, you can use this channel to create a video viewbook or video news releases. For those in online learning, it provides a great venue for demonstrating how online learning works. And, of course, student success stories are more impactful in video than print. Going green on campus? Why not share some of the activity with a video diary of progress. Plus, this is another channel that can integrate well with your overall social media initiatives on Facebook and Twitter. As video continues to grow in the online space, it will become a mainstream component of our education marketing strategies moving forward.
Today, the competition in higher education is growing faster than ever before. Think about it. You are competing with rising tuition costs, a recession, the growth of online education, and the “mobile” student (with multiple target segments beyond the traditional student of yesterday). At the same time, many students are choosing quick certification training in steady growth areas like medical, rather than pursuing 4-year degrees.
No matter which student audiences you target, everyone has the same problem: How can we differentiate our institution from the others? A great place to start is with a brand story. According to the (book) “A brand’s story puts a face on a brand, adds a personal touch and can bring a brand to life.”
Beyond the unique story of your college or university, here are a few questions to get you thinking about how your brand is distinctive:
What does your school (brand) stand for?
What are the key/core benefit messages for your brand?
What are your brand principles (top 5 ideals to live by)?
How is your school different?
What is your unique value proposition?
What is your brand promise?
How is your institution perceived by students, parents, alumni & contributors?
By consistently communicating the brand message, you can reinforce the distinctive and unique brand assets that make your school different. And, as part of an overall integrated marketing plan, it can lead to increased awareness and drive enrollment.
This won’t come as a surprise to the “for-profit” schools out there that have based their enrollment management procedures around rapid, personalized response from highly trained enrollment counselors. The model works well for several reasons, many of which have been validated in a recent survey of nearly 2,000 prospective students.
From an enrollment perspective, the research shows that a speedy response to student inquiries is important, but it doesn’t replace an engaging discussion with an enrollment counselor who can explain how their particular offering addresses the student’s specific needs and concerns. Sound familiar? This is a basic marketing principle in which we demonstrate to potential customers how they can benefit from a specific product or service. It’s further proof that selling education is becoming more “productized” than ever before.
The lesson is simple: be sure to have your core brand messages clearly defined and that everyone in your institution understands why and how to utilize them. From answering the phone to greeting students (in person, on campus), to writing personalized emails to prospective students, don’t forget the attributes that make your college or school unique. Speed and personalized attention is expected, however, telling your differentiated brand story in a compelling way is what can make you distinctive in the mind of a future student
So, answer inquires quickly with a high level of personalization, and focus on what makes your offering unique and relevant to each student.
Many schools fear the cost of “branding,” especially right now. But over the long term, effective branding initiatives can actually save money. How? I’m so glad you asked.
By establishing core messages and communicating them consistently, you can make an impact on your audience faster than sending fragmented, inconsistent messages (which can be more costly to create and disseminate). If you are consistently sending out the core brand message over and over, you will spend less money reinforcing the message in the long run.
Another way consistent branding saves money? There’s no need to reinvent the wheel every year with another branding initiative. Stick to the core brand messages that differentiate your school—those shouldn’t change (unless you make significant changes to your school that warrants a rebranding program). I should clarify that your ad campaign can change year-after-year to keep the message fresh, but the essence of the brand generally remains the same. We can freshen it up, update it, but the personality of your institution is timeless.
While the traditional transfer student moves from a two-year university to a four-year institution, “reverse transfer” students are leaving four-year universities to attend community colleges. According to a recent article in Inside Higher Education, “reverse transfers” may be an overlooked growing student population. As cited in the article, according to the American Association of Community Colleges, about a third of all two-year students attended a four-year institution prior.
As tuition continues to increase and the recession goes on, many students are returning to the less expensive two-year option closer to home. Many community colleges see this as an excellent opportunity to market to this often overlooked segment. Remember, when a student decides to leave a four-year program, they have a number of choices as to where they will continue their education including online programs, community colleges and vocational/technical schools. This is the time to create that differentiating message about your institution.
The key marketing message to this audience should not only be about affordability (because everyone in your category can claim that), but also about the personal and more engaging learning environment (with smaller classes, etc.). What sets you apart? Why are you the best choice for a “reverse transfer” student? What services do you have in place that will cater to their learning needs? How flexible are your course schedules? Can you make the complicated process of transferring credits easier? Asking a few simple questions can help you determine where you may need to “fill in the gaps” to capture the attention of this fast-growing population of students.
Have you been tasked with a branding project at your school, college or university, but have been given a shoestring budget (no money to bring in a branding agency-wink-wink like www.educationbranding.com)? No worries.
Here are some guidelines to get you started. These steps were pulled from the wonderful book by Duane E. Knapp, The Brandmindset™. I highly recommend you read this book before starting any branding project!
Step 1: Brand Assessment
How is the brand perceived today?
Gain an understanding of where we are and where we want to go.
- Review current communications
- Look at competitive brand positions
- Discuss industry trends and impact on brand
- Review current marketing activities
- Analyze current business environment
- Answer “brand principles” questions
Step 2: Brand Promise
What does our brand stand for?
Create and communicate a long-term value proposition.
- What is our unique selling proposition (our differentiator)?
- What business are we really in?
- What is superior about the value we offer our customers?
Step 3: The Brand Blueprint
How will we communicate the brand?
Create the architectural building blocks for the brand’s communications.
- Graphic representation & visuals
- Tagline (positioning statement)
- Brand story and messaging
Step 4: Brand Culturalization
Everyone will follow the same written roadmap to ensure a consistent brand experience.
- Brand principles formerly defined (top 5 ideals to live by)
- Brand integration in everyday practices
- Communications/marketing outline
Have you noticed more TV ads for colleges lately? As competition for students in higher education is heating up across the nation, more and more universities are dedicating resources to branding. In many cases, this includes broadcast advertising. According to a recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune, there are three universities in Utah that are investing in media campaigns to build enrollment and enhance public image. Weber State University, Utah State University and Utah Valley University are among the first to take the lead in branding via mass media.
Before you consider any type of mass media advertising, make sure you have defined the top key brand messages you want to convey. Be diligent about sticking with these messages consistently to keep your brand strong and effective throughout all your communication channels. With limited marketing dollars for media expenditures, make every message count! You can do this through a well-defined brand story and consistent delivery.
Remember, the brand story encompasses your core messages and brand promise—the expected emotional and functional benefits of the educational experience you offer . . . the guiding star for your institution to use in order to stay on track and stay consistent.
