dlsgroup.net Blog

Sally Stone Richmond, Occidental College
Garett Gruber, DLSgroup

Admission and outreach budgets are being slashed; therefore, each dollar must go further.We’re all being asked to do more with less. What’s the solution: scale back? No. Work smarter. Leverage your workload and make your marketing efforts more intelligent. Keep an eye on your competition, but focus on your story. Remember, advertising is an anti-recession tool, and economic downturns reward the aggressive advertiser. And by simply maintaining your presence in a receding market, your efforts can standout even more. Don’t think of it as a cost, but an investment. This is an opportunity for your institution to gain market share. Be prepared. This session will pay particular attention to harnessing your marketing efforts through honing your institution’s messages, harmonizing print and online communication, and effectively working with external vendors to save cost.

I. Message Management— To your prospective students, their families, the media, alumni and your employees, all of your internal and external communications must work together to define your institution and effectively convey your message. Ask yourself a few questions:

1. What story do you wish to communicate about your institution?
2. Do your materials support that?
3. Are there any mixed messages, competing designs and/or color palettes?
4. Do your publications accurately reflect the lived student experience?

A. Authenticity Over Utopia— Students and families value authenticity over perfection. Ensure that your materials truly reflect the student experience. You don’t have to show rain, but be careful of having all your photos staged. That being said—do not show them eating food either. Trust me, it doesn’t sell your school. While students want to be reassured they will be fed, they don’t need an ‘action’ shot for proof.

B. Know Your Audience — Stay true to your school, but be aware of who you are trying to attract. Make certain your efforts are appealing to that demographic. A little bit of style goes along way. And always, table test your materials. Because whether it’s at a conference or at home on the kitchen table, your audience will. You want your materials to stand out, but for the right reasons. Make certain your materials pop.

C. The Real Cost— Higher education is a considered purchase, not an impulse buy. And it is not a decision made solely by the student—family is highly involved. Invest in your materials just as a family plans to invest in education. The same argument they are using to justify the cost of tuition, you should use for your publications: it’s not a cost, but an investment. Remember, your publications are advertisements for your school, make certain you are sending the right message. Saving a few dollars can cost you thousands down the road come decision time. Focus on four things, which will get your point across and attract prospective students.

1. Copy — Speak to your audience in the appropriate tone and voice. Don’t attempt to speak their language. Tell your story, but put them in it.
2. Design — Keep your look fresh, across all mediums. Nothing is more of a killer then outdated and uninspired design. This an exciting time in a young man or woman’s life, the design should reflect that.
3. Photography — It’s not enough to be current with your photos. They need to support your overall tone and message. And the right shots can make or break any publication. This is a visual age. Even if your audience does not read the copy, they will absolutely view the images. And they will be asking, “can I see myself there? How is this campus environment distinctive?”
4. Packaging — Should mirror the college’s standards. Pay attention to the look and feel of a message (both online and off ) and the length of time a potential student will have to spend to navigate through your piece. They have busy lives, and more than likely will be looking at more than just your school’s collateral. However, the more succinct and nimble your piece is, the better chance it has of being read. If for nothing else, it’s less daunting to pick up and investigate. Furthermore, it’s easier to control content, cheaper to publish and allows you more opportunities to interact with them.

II. Harmonizing Print and Online Communication—In short, brand management. First and foremost, make sure that everything looks like it belongs together. Again, “table test it”. Whenever and wherever possible, design, imagery, and copy should correspond with one another to support your overall brand. Separate print and web identities can look disjointed and disorganized, and can severely weaken the efficacy of your overall message.

A. Marry Publications with E-Communication — It’s easy and cost-effective. Don’t let anyone tell you different. Print will never disappear, simply because it allows for another point of contact with your audience; however, some projects can move entirely to the web. College catalogs epitomize this migration. However, don’t think that information can be simply uploaded instead of printed. Well-designed and
corresponding communications, whether online or in-hand, sends a strong message that you are engaged in their decision.

1. Tell your audience what you’re doing. Nobody is going anywhere if they don’t know what to do or where to go. Announce your web presence wherever appropriate. Whatever you post online needs to be supported offline—via emails, postcards, newsletters and visa versa.
2. Relevant printed publications, at some point, need to migrate to the web (Tracks). Remind them where they can find past issues via email, or alert them that one will be arriving shortly.
3. 3. When harmonized, communications can quickly be disassembled/reassembled to become something entirely new on the web.

B. Maintain Your Professional Integrity— Quality should still be foremost in your decision-making when thinking about digital mediums, not e.g. Twitter. Hone your message offline, then, when appropriate, migrate it to the web.

C. Pay Attention to, but Don’t be Driven by, Trends— Let them enlighten your efforts, e.g. students creating Class of 2014 Facebook pages. Meet students at their desired points of entry, where they are prepared for your presence. Otherwise you appear desperate and the interaction is unwanted. New media is untested and should be used for opt-in mediums, such as Facebook groups or blogs. Do not bombard them with emails and/or text. That is considered personal space. Keep it professional and invite them to “opt in” to your digital offerings.

III. Vendor Relationships— In a time when most budgets are receeding, it’s imperative to
circle the wagons and form a close bond with a specific vendor. Someone that understands the entire scope of your marketing picture and can make sound financial recommendations while executing projects. Think of them as an extension of your office. They should jump at the opportunity to keep you on time, on target, and on budget.

A. Cultivate the Relationship— You and your vendor should work collaboratively not combatively. To that end, you have to invest time and energy in communicating your marketing history, goals and message. They aren’t mind readers. Direct them, but allow them to do their job. Give them the time and creative space to absorb and translate your message into better quality products. You’ll find that the more
confidence you display towards your vendor, the more efficient the relationship becomes. And that can lead directly to savings in you bottom line.

B. Communicate — Strategically plan and budget with your vendor. Be honest about your expectations and budget, but be flexible about how to best use the funds. If your vendor knows what you are trying to accomplish over the entire season, it allows them to leverage their contacts. And don’t be afraid to say “No” or accept “No”. Your vendor should know what they are doing. It’s their job. Trust their judgment.

C. Be Realistic— Don’t be afraid to address challenges, but recognize the realities of the work. And if you’ve spotlighted a specific vendor and developed the relationship, rest assured that they’ll be willing to tackle any project thrown their way. Consider where you are willing to be flexible and where you are firm. For example, is it more important to meet a deadline or see various drafts to collect feedback? Only you can know the pressure points of your office. However, delays, rush charges and last minute changes can be extremely costly. This is where a good partner earns their keep. If they know your business, they should be helping you stay on track, triple checking proofs to minimize changes and working tirelessly to create the publication you deserve.

D. Merge Your Communications— Or at least your publications! This alone can often save your budget and help you maintain or even increase your presence in the market. It’s a buyers market. Leverage the relationship you have with your firm. One vendor can simplify communication; ensure the consistency of look and message, and, most importantly, stretch your budget. Lean on them. They should be happy to support you. You may think you’re saving money by subbing out your projects to many vendors, but in reality you risk wasting valuable marketing dollars, disparate messages and lost brand equity.

1. Paper Cost— One third of your cost is paper. And if you’re working with a broker, or letting your design firm handle print buying it’s more. Best case scenario, find a hybrid of a print shop and a communications firm.
2. Tracking — By spotlighting a specific vendor, it allows you to have all your files in one place for quick and easy access. Which, in turn, allows for near instant generation of new comps, new material for the web, or the ability to quickly pull photos/articles from past issues for the media.
3. Integrated Marketing — Your marketing projects can be developed over the course of many months, even years, so it’s easy to think of them as separate, independent projects. Nothing can be further from the truth. Make sure your vendor knows the difference between single-shot productions versus a multi-channel comprehensive campaign.

Effective marketing is challenging in any economy, a down one even more so. Now is the time to be creative. Evaluate your materials. Update and hone your message to make certain it is creating the desired impact. Investigate what’s out there and working. Evolve and/or migrate publications to support your web presence. Develop the relationship with your vendor. Be open and communicate. Let them know your goals and the challenges you are facing. Allow them to present solutions. Lastly, it’s a buyers market. Take advantage of it.
Spotlight a vendor and bundle as many publications across campus as possible. You’ll save cost, maintain quality, and you just might get promoted for being a marketing genius.

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