On the last day of 2008, I thought I would offer up a light-hearted post that’s a little different. As you know, every dog lover out there is talking about the new movie, Marley & Me. I read the book, but with a new puppy of our own at home (and an older yellow Lab like Marley), I haven’t made it out to see the new movie just yet.
While Marley was called the “world’s worst dog,” we all know most dogs are good at heart. Call me crazy, but I thought it would be fun to see how our furry friends compare to good brands. So, this is for all the dog-loving brand and marketing professionals out there!
How are good brands like good dogs?
- Authentic/honest—Dogs don’t try to be something they are not. They can’t help but let their true personality shine through. Your brand should do the same.
- Obey—Good dogs listen to their owners. Good brands listen to their customers.
- Loyal—Dogs are loyal to their owners. Customers are loyal to their favorite brands.
- Evoke emotion—Dogs make us laugh, cry, and bring us happiness and comfort. Great brands do this too. The best brands in the world have a strong emotional connection with their customers—an unbreakable bond, if you will.
Keep these simple branding guidelines in mind, and customers may develop an unconditional love for your brand!
Our Holiday Card
If ever there was a year to send out a humorous holiday card, this is it! With all the bad news out there, it’s our job as marketers to evoke positive feelings of joy this holiday season. At Teague Marketing, we designed a card that we truly hope will bring you some holiday cheer. For those of you who aren’t on our mailing list yet, please download it here.
Download a PDF of our holiday card here!
Our goal with the card is to make you smile, while we educate you on the top 5 holiday hazards to avoid this year. Happy Holidays!
With the growing popularity of Facebook and other social networking sites, it’s no surprise that more high schools students are “pointing and clicking their way through the college search.” According to an article in the Boston Globe, future freshmen are seeking out a mix of new social networking pages, as well as traditional college guides.
In fact, the article reports that 40 percent of students are finding college Websites (for the first time) on Google and other search engines. Also, the article names a few of the college matchmaking sites such as http://www.cappex.com/ as a cost-effective way to reach students.
What’s the takeaway here? Assess your 2009 Web budget, and consider embellishing your Website with helpful blogs and video to reach these Web-savvy students (mostly Millennials) who “live on” the Internet. Take some time to research the “matchmaking” sites and consider incorporating them into your online marketing efforts in 2009.
Another interesting point from the article is that even though the way students obtain information is changing, what students are looking for in a college hasn’t changed. Experts say students are still seeking the “feeling that this is where they belong.” From an education branding perspective, some version of this key message should be integrated into both your offline and online presence.
For-profit colleges are experiencing significant enrollment growth, while public colleges are suffering. This is the main focus of an article published today by Inside Higher Ed. It reminds us that in difficult economic times when people lose their jobs, many will take the opportunity to return to school. Some will pursue that degree they never finished, or others will obtain training to change careers altogether.
So, why do for-profit colleges get the lion share of these new-found tuition dollars? Well, marketing is a huge part of it. For-profit colleges (and career colleges) have tailored their marketing and branding efforts to reach adult learners. They offer more convenient class times, more flexible learning options, and they base their core messages around “how easy and convenient” going back to school will be at their college. The message is clearly about the benefit to the adult student, and rarely “brags” about the school itself.
Another important aspect of reaching the adult learner is the availability of online courses. Whether it’s a blended program (courses offered both in-classroom and online), or 100% online, for-profit schools have continued to be on the forefront of bringing this technology to the higher education market.
My closing thought is for public colleges—consider retooling a few of your degree and/or certification programs and gear them toward adult learners. If the marketing message is strong, and the program is backed up with more convenient learning options, you can tap into some of these increasing tuition dollars.
The December 2008 issue of University Business has published an article titled, 50 Best Branding Ideas—How colleges and universities are successfully creating and communicating their brands. As this excellent article points out, with tuition increases, the growth of online education, and the mobility of students, it is more important than ever to differentiate your college or university with a brand strategy. It’s called institutional branding and it’s becoming more widespread.
After reading the article, here are my top 5 favorite ideas from the 50 listed (these are all explained within the article):
#1. Ground your brand in truth.
#14. Adjust the brand message to the audience.
#22. Jumpstart your brand campaign internally.
#25. Show your sense of green.
#35. Show you deliver on a promise.
And, I will add IDEA #51 that was not specifically listed, and I think has great value here. Do not underestimate the power of a great story. Develop your brand story and stick with it! Need help crafting your brand story? E-mail me at heather@teaguemarketing.com
PS. Special thanks to the University Business writers for developing such a wonderful article and putting the spotlight on the importance of branding for colleges and universities!
