nsi 2014: hey colleges! don't forget the parents

NAVIANCE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2014 PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

NAVIANCE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2014 | PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Hey Colleges – Don’t Forget the Parents!

Brock Bair CMO, TeenLife Media

July 17, 2014

3

Agenda

•  Background •  Research •  What Parents See & Hear •  Top Parent Concerns •  Recommendations for Colleges •  Marketing Tactics •  TeenLife Media Opportunities

4

Background

•  Parents increasingly involved in the college choice process

•  Their perceptions may not be accurate or up-to-date

•  Surge in parental use of social networking, texting and cell phones

5

Research

•  Nearly 60 percent of prospective college students report they research colleges with their parents

•  61 percent of parents report that the final decision on where to enroll is made together

•  Parental influence is higher among families that do activities together and have higher incomes

Source: Noel-Levitz

NAVIANCE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2014 | PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

What Parents See and Hear

7

College Rankings

8

Newspaper Articles

9

Word of Mouth

•  College branding influences parents and their decisions:

•  Traditional college brands: Ivy League •  Flagship state universities •  Collegiate athletic brands

10

Top Parent Concerns

•  Campus safety •  Crime rate on campuses •  City safety

•  Student support •  Student tutors •  Mental support •  Professor support

•  Outcomes

11

Recommendations for Colleges

•  Conduct research to see how your college is perceived by prospective parents and students

•  Employ different communications strategies according to the level of parental influence

•  Educate and engage alumni to be ambassadors •  Build your communications flow early in high

school •  Communicate your outcomes data

NAVIANCE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2014 | PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Tactics

13

Tactics

Produce Expert Content: “5 Ways XYZ College Improves Student Outcomes”

14

Tactics

Social Media– Facebook Pages for Parents

15

Tactics

Parent Newsletters

16

Tactics

Web Pages for Parents

17

Tactics

•  Parent-centered email campaigns •  Parent-focused advertorials & webinars •  Presentations to parents at college fairs

NAVIANCE SUMMER INSTITUTE 2014 | PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

TeenLife Media Opportunities

19

Great listings on TeenLife.com

20

Promotion of Pre-College Summer Programs

21

More TeenLife Opportunities

•  Webinars for parents members •  Life with Teens Magazine •  Special Interest Publications

22

Questions?

Visit the TeenLife Booth at NSI Find TeenLife in the Naviance Marketplace #NSI2014