First, what the press is saying: “Facebook has turned all the people who rooted for it into a lynch mob….from media darling to devil. The most interesting thing about Facebook right now is who will replace it.” My take: Millennials at their core are civil libertarians, but not in the way Boomers are. Unlike Boomers,…
Category Archives: admissions marketing
Millennials' webnetworking and ethnicity
Interesting research at Northwestern finds a connection between ethnicity and the sites millennials choose for their social networking activity. The research surveyed just over 1000 freshmen at my daughter’s school, UIC — which is in the top 10 nationally in terms of student ethnic diversity. Facebook enjoys 80% usage, 75% frequently. MySpace is used by…
The Mystery in Love/Lovemarks
One of the 3 elements of a lovemark in theory is “mystery”. Dreams, symbols, metaphors, stories. Yep, I love stories etc. but let’s be serious about how it applies to the college marketing challenge. Think about love for a minute. Does love revolve around mystery, or does true love grow with knowledge and emerging reality?…
Ranking rancor
USA Today did us all a service with a balanced treatment of NSSE rankings versus USA Today rankings. Be sure to peruse the database they supply … easily the most valuable piece for recruiting professionals. I especially appreciated the page on “What schools across the USA are doing to engage students” High points: Appalachian State’s…
How to build brand respect
As you try to build respect for your brand, be careful. You are seeking honor for your own institution. Increasingly, a jaded audience doubts any self-seeking claims, and looks for a self-effacing, even humorous kind of honor. They are looking for authenticity, and the best way to see that is in the praise of outsiders…
Lovemarks are for alumni
Here’s my take on how to apply lovemarks theory to college admissions or advancement. The X and Y axes increase in value as you go up and to the right. If a college does promotions, creates buzz, projects hipness, starts fads, engages in window-dressing, etc., the students who respond will be showing love in the…
Lovemarks and College branding
Kevin Roberts of Saatchi & Saatchi has championed the idea of lovemarks as the ultimate level of brand loyalty. Think Apple or Harley-Davidson. His definition is “Loyalty beyond Reason.” With a brand, there is high respect. With a fad, there is high love but low respect. With a lovemark, there is high respect AND high…
Harder and harder to impress
In his book, Convergence Culture, Henry Jenkins of MIT writes, “…the American viewing public is becoming harder and harder to impress.” (I always love it when I find authors who state the obvious in such a dead-pan tone). In this context Henry is speaking about the American Idol phenomenon, and my embellishment of his argument…
"Exploration of identity"
NPR took on the college admissions imbroglio in an excellent 7-part series last February. (Sorry but I just discovered it!!!) One of the things I enjoyed in reviewing their work relates to a great interview of Beverly Daniel Tatum, the President of Spelman College in Atlanta. When asked if the 10 to 15% of black…
Hottest thing since coed dorms
Sierra says “Big Green” is “the hottest thing since coed dorms”. Eco-friendly campuses that integrate a commitment to sustainable living into campus life are attracting students. Millennials have the sense that “environmental problems, especially global warming, [are] the challenge of their generation”. Colleges that respond creatively to this groundswell of feeling are also noticing an…