By Published On: July 1, 2013

INTEGRATIING TECHNOLOGY WITH TRADITIONAL MARKETING TOOLS is the major challenge of marketers and recruiters who took d.trio’s 2013 Higher Education Survey.  Over 54% cited the merging of new with “tried and true” channels as their #1 problem AND opportunity.

Regardless of an institution’s size or student demographics, colleges and universities are grappling with how to build, market and nurture brand identity and differentiation in the user-driven social and digital domain.

MARKETING BUDGETS DON’T MEASURE UP
More than 57% of all post-secondary students today are non-traditional:  part-time students, adult learners or both.  However, 88% of our survey responders say they are spending the same amount on undergraduate vs. graduate/non-traditional recruitment.   Budgets are not clearly not aligned with the opportunity and competition for adult students OR the complexity and scope of marketing channels in use.

WHY A SURVEY???
We wanted to know how colleges and universities meet the challenges of a growing population of non-traditional students.   d.trio wanted to deepen our understanding of our college clients’ perspective.  We knew that a more cohesive view of our client’s world would help us offer the most relevant services and expertise for non-traditional recruitment marketing.

Instead of turning to published, traditional sources we went directly to college admissions and marketing professionals.  By conducting a custom survey to a highly targeted group at diverse institutions, we gained perspective and began a dialogue that we hope will continue to evolve. And by sharing peer responses, our survey participants gleaned their own perspective and useful benchmarks.

d.trio’s strategy utilized direct mail and email campaigns to engage and generate response.   We asked public and private institutions a wide range of questions about their marketing strategies – from recruitment marketing to brand positioning and the impact of online learning. Over 48 public and private colleges and universities responded, from over 21 states.

In this case, going directly to the source was the best option for revealing our client’s greatest marketing needs.

For survey results or more information on our higher education marketing services, please contact Victoria Hoshal at victoriah@dtrio.com.

About the Author: cat-tonic

cat-tonic
Born of curiosity and enthusiasm, we’re a scrappy group of smart, passionate marketers who work hard and play hard. We show up every day and fight for our clients who are making the world a better place. We listen with curiosity, explore deeply, ask hard questions, and sometimes put forth ideas that might make you squirm. Because we believe the status quo is good for growing mold but not much else. The way we see it, change is the way forward and the magic happens when curiosity, math, science, instinct, and talent intersect.
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