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AUGUST 2016 •
PPB
• 41
EDUCATION
Colleges Are Paying More
Attention To Marketing
Higher
Education In
The U.S., By
The Numbers
Fall 2014 Enrollment
17.3 million
undergraduates,
full time and part time
9.6 million
Caucasian
(7-percent increase from 2000)
3 million
Hispanic (119-percent
increase)
2.4 million
African American
(57-percent increase)
1 million
Asian
100,000
Native
American/Alaskan native
100,000
Pacific Islander
More than 4,000 degree-granting
institutions accepted first-year
undergraduates in 2014, includ-
ing 2,603 four-year schools grant-
ing bachelor’s and postgraduate
degrees. Of those 4,000-plus
schools, 1,583 were public, 1,366
were private nonprofit schools
and 1,258 were private for-profit.
Source: National Center for
Education Statistics
WHETHER IT’S FOR ALUMNI SUPPORT,
faculty
retention or student involvement, colleges
and universities are looking for new and bet-
ter ways to reach audiences. Here are a few
marketing trends to keep in mind when pitch-
ing to the education market:
Social media plays a big role.
A university’s
largest target audience—the student body—is
decidedly digital-first in its approach to
engagement. Universities are now beginning
to better position themselves on social media
to stay top of mind with current and prospec-
tive students, taking advantage of the ability
to communicate through emotive storytelling,
photos and videos on Instagram, Snapchat
and Facebook.
Direct interaction and on-site events are
the most effective strategies.
Though intu-
itive websites and native apps are among the
most-wanted digital tools for many educa-
tional institutions, live events that bring stu-
dents to campus such as open houses and
high school visit days still offer the most
potential for marketing success.
Brand partnerships are on the horizon
.
Starbucks made waves when it teamed up
with Arizona State University online to pro-
vide discounted tuition to the coffee chain’s
employees worldwide. Industry partnerships
can offer many advantages, says education
policy designer Bernard Bull, including
broader appeal to prospective students and a
more favorable public perception for the
brand itself. The partnership works best when
brands and schools share similar goals and
values.
Non-traditional student populations are
growing.
By 2019, colleges can expect to
see a 28-percent increase in adult learners.
Unlike traditional students, adult learners are
more likely to seek out an enhanced learning
experience than make time for social activi-
ties. Marketing tuition assistance, com-
mutability and scheduling flexibility can bring
about greater enrollment for this sector.
Adult learners are more likely to be older,
and therefore more receptive to personal
contact than their digital-first Millennial
counterparts.