As we celebrate another Earth Day this April, I have noticed that more and more colleges are starting to offer degrees with a focus on sustainability. Considering this fast-growing industry, it makes sense from a marketing perspective. It also provides an opportunity to sustain a “greener” messaging strategy.
Arizona State University launched the first School of Sustainability, which was featured on NBC Nightly News last year. According to its Website, “The School of Sustainability, together with the Global Institute of Sustainability, provides innovative, interdisciplinary education and research opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, to better prepare them to identify and solve sustainability challenges.”
Green Mountain College offers an MBA in sustainability that can be taken 100% online. Hummm . . . no need to drive to class? That certainly helps reduce that carbon footprint!
Degrees in sustainability really aren’t “new”; however, they are more marketable to a wider audience now thanks to a bright spotlight on “green” living and business practices moving into the mainstream.
Here are some of the unique ways you can get the word out about degrees in sustainability:
- Sponsoring green events in your community/on your campus
- Consider placing signage on local recycling bins in parks and community areas
- Co-sponsor dealer cars that are hybrids (this hybrid vehicle is sponsored by – your degree)
- Plant trees in public parks and ask park officials if you can provide signage and educational info next to each area
- Consider running inexpensive cable TV spots on Discovery Channel’s Planet Green
More Ideas from a prior post:
- Add a section to your Website that keeps tabs on the progress your organization makes. Consider a green blog to follow the progress.
- A great reason to Twitter!
- Find those green ambassadors—people who are excited about the cause and will enthusiastically tell your story to everyone they know.
- Do something unique and get the local press to cover it.
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.