from bland to bold: redefining an entire marketing strategy. overnight
DESCRIPTION
Enrollment marketing campaigns targeted at working adults seem to hammer home the same messages. Some combination of affordability, convenience, online, and accelerated. If it sounds familiar, it's because it is. We've all come to rely on a similar set of messages. But, what happens when we're all telling the exact same story? What ever happened to differentiation? As marketers, it's our responsibility to tell stories that resonate and are unique – stories that impact people on a deeper level. When Regis University, a Jesuit school in Denver, was faced with declining enrollment in their professional studies program – hampered by outdated messaging that wasn’t resonating with their target audience – they decided to shift directions. Rather than falling back on the same messaging consistently used by others, Regis decided to lead with a bold platform that is empathy-based and customer-centric Launched in the spring of 2014, in just the first 8 weeks its outperformed aspects of what the previous campaign had achieved in a year. This presentation was first given at the UPCEA Marketing and Enrollment Management Seminar in November, 2014.TRANSCRIPT
From Bland to Bold: Redefining an Entire Marketing Strategy.Overnight.Kim Frisch: Regis University | Jeff Johnson: Primacy
From Bland to Bold:
Redefining an Entire
Marketing Strategy.
Overnight.
Introductions
Kim Frisch
Regis University
Dean of Admissions
Jeff Johnson
Primacy
SVP, Education Practice Lead and Strategist
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Tweeting today?
#UPCEAMEMS
@RegisUniversity
@zigzagJeff
@thePrimacy
Setting the Stage
EM campaigns hammer home the same messages.
– Some combination of affordability, convenience, online, and accelerated
Same story = no differentiation
Regis University
– Declining enrollments
– Outdated messaging
Lead with bold platform: empathy-based and customer-centric
End result: A shift to how we market to adult audience
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What to Expect
This presentation will demonstrate how Regis University challenged
convention and changed enrollment marketing with “working-adult-non-
traditional-continuing-education-learners”.
Three Key Learning Objectives:
1. Developing an authentic message platform that that resonates with
working adults
2. Determining the right media mix for your budget
3. Test and learn approaches to campaign optimization
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Situation
Leader and innovator with
adult market 40 years ago
Online leader
Even though residential
have over 11,000 adults
Peaked at 14k,
dropped to 10k
Regis brand in an evolutionary process
First the website
If there’s one project to undertake to help you learn everything you need to know about your institution… redesign your website.
Website Redesign
regis.edu/
Educational Offerings
Achievements / Outcomes
Nuts and Bolts
What How
Why
Informational Transactional
Experiential
Evolution of university-wide identity emerges
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Redefining Enrollment Marketing at Regis University
First up…Traditional Undergraduate
Two Big Challenges Embracing our own identity
Translating “Regis” to range
of prospective students
Redoing all the “stuff”
Like changing the tires on the car while it’s going 60 MPH!
The Insight
Ignatian spirituality considers everything an important element of your life.
That includes religious services, prayer, and charitable works, to be sure, but it also includes friends, family, work, relationships, suffering, and joy, as well as nature, music, and pop culture.
First Wave
Second Wave
Identify unmet
needs in the
journey
Objective: Optimize activities to align with, and enrich, stages of journey
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Orient
Discover
Inquire and
Evaluate
Visit
Apply
Admit / Consider Accepts
Select / Deposit
The Student Journey
AWARENESS
GA
IN IN
TE
RE
ST
CONSIDER SCHOOLSSTART TO TAKE ACTION
MAKE DECISIONINTERESTED
Freshman Sophomore
Junior
Se
nio
r
ARRIVE ON
CAMPUS
In-Person Touchpoint
Note: Doesn’t include email contact sequence 19
• Populate awareness-driving content in
channels where audience is already
engaging (e.g. Vine, Facebook,
Instagram, hangouts, etc.)
• Leverage M&C messages
Carnegie
Ads
College
Fair
Scholarships (M&C)
1. Exp., Reflect, Art,
Repeat
2. Science Brain
3. Desk
Thank You
Postcard (M&C)Spring Visit
(M&C)
College Fair
Info Cards
Road PieceGeneral Visit Mailer
Visit
Visit
Presentatio
n
Financial aid
Workshop
(M&C)
Incentive
Postcard
Accepted
Letters &
Frames
Accepted
Visit
Brochure
Visit
Visit Days
Science
Trifold
The Journey: Now
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Results!
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more inquiries – up 12% more applications – up 3%more campus visits – up 57%more deposits – up 32%
great feedback from focus groupsgreat feedback from parentsgreat feedback from campus great feedback from awards shows
So what does this have to do with adult audiences?
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Effectively addressing the adult market
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Year Over Year Decline
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0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14
[CPS] ENROLLMENTS
Changing Landscape: A recipe for challenging times
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Review of Strategic Plan, Message Platform and Creative Execution
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LAY IT ALL OUT: WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT’S NOT.
Message platform didn’t resonate
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Wrong Message, Wrong Plan
Some good research but executed poorly
Outdated media plan
Message platform and ad execution didn't resonate with audience
Budget spread too thin with no frequency in the right channels
Spent huge investment in wrong markets
Lack of understanding of ROI measures
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…And the downward spiral continued
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PAUSED, REASSESSED, MADE A CHANGE.
Everyone eagerly awaited decisions
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Established clear strategic imperatives
@RegisUniversity | @zigzagJeff | @thePrimacy32
Tangible, measurable enrollment
marketing goals were established:
1. Drive Enrollment Impact
2. Synergize Marketing
3. Be Bold; Be Different; Be Relevant
4. More than Messages
Imperative 1: Drive Enrollment Impact
Strengthen the tie between investments and ROI
Revamp a university-wide measurement focus
Create a test and learn engine
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Imperative 2: Synergize Marketing
Align and harness investments, messaging, content, and
channels around common goals and unified calendar(s) to
drive scale and impact
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Imperative 3: Be Bold; Be Different; Be Relevant
Differentiate Regis in the “sea of sameness”
Strengthen value propositions and messaging for specific
audiences
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Imperative 4: More than Messages
Invest in experiences and content that not only provide
value to help the target with their journey, but create
ongoing inbound marketing value and differentiation for
Regis
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Developed a new university-wide EM strategy, and stuck to it.
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One University
Regis College
RHCHP
CPS
Passion-Aligned Programs
Business & Management
Computer & Information Sciences
Healthcare
Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Education
One University
FY 2014 College-Centric Approach FY 2015 Audience-Centric Approach
Shift in emphasis
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University
Programs
Audiences
Colleges
Audiences
Programs
Colleges
University
University
Programs
Disciplines
Audience Passion
Regis University offers comprehensive Undergraduate,
Graduate, and Certificate programs in Business,
Education, Healthcare, Leadership, Liberal Arts and
Humanities, Management, Science, Technology,
Engineering & Math (STEM).
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Identified what we offer
Regis University offers comprehensive Undergraduate,
Graduate, and Certificate programs in Business,
Education, Healthcare, Leadership, Liberal Arts,
Management, and Science, Technology, Engineering &
Math (STEM).
Study Online (wherever you are), On Campus (at our
residential Northwest Denver campus), or at one of our
regional locations (for certain programs).
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And how we deliver it
Regis is One University, with over 120 programs, across (six) areas of focus…
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Business & Management
Computer & Information Sciences
Healthcare
Education
Fine Arts, Humanities & Social
Sciences
Science, Engineering & Math
Its not just about you.Its about them, and their passion.
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We are One University, with over 120 programs, across (six) areas of focus…
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…which can activate your passion!
Business & Management
Computer & Information Sciences
Healthcare
Education
Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences
Science, Engineering & Math
I want to address fair trade issues
I want to stop hackers
I want to be a part of healthcare reform
I want to lessen the illiteracy gap
I want to lead a non-profit
I want to build something that matters
Empathy-based.Audience-centric.
Raise big issues which align with passions.
Underlying themes:-Passion-Transformation
A new manifesto for a new platform
Deep down, we all see ourselves as agents of change.
We believe we can do something positive to make a better life for ourselves,
our families, our community -- and maybe even the world. And while we
look outward to see where and how to create change for the good, we also
look inward to reflect on our capabilities, ambitions and passions.
At Regis University, we’ve been an agent of change since our inception. We’ve
got a passion for propelling students’ careers and helping them follow their
dreams. And for championing the social causes that are important to us all.
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Expression of Passion-Activation Theme Explored
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Campaign Platform Inspiration
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Look outward. Inquire within.
Revamped our media plan.
New approach is audience-centric and empathy-based.
Completely reimagined and aligned with the passions of our target
audiences
Talk to audiences where they are already consuming media, not where
you think they might be
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- Programmatic
- Retargeting
- Contextual
- Social
- Cable
- Broadcast
- Online Radio
Change in Media StrategyFY 2014 Media Plan FY 2015 Media Plan
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Paid Search Results
• For first time program is under the $100/lead goal
• Non-branded leads are at $125/lead
• Weekend leads drop almost in half to daily leads obtained during week
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Multi-disciplinary Focus Print Ad
Display Banner Campaign
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Display Banner Campaign
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Online Radio: Pandora and Spotify
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Social Media
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Healthcare
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Program-focused Admissions Videos
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Awareness Action
Broad
Specific
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…BUT ALWAYS WILLING TO ADAPT.
ORIENT ---*120,000
APPLY2.5%
(2,970 / 120,000)2,970
DISCOVER 49.5% (59,407 / 120,000)
59,407
INQUIRY 24.8% (29,703 / 120,000)
29,703
VISIT1.1%
(1,373 / 120,000)1,373
ADMIT1.8%
(2,118 / 120,000)2,118
ENROLL 0.3% (393 / 120,000)
393
Admissions
Funnel%RemainingVolume
DEPOSIT 424 0.4% (424 / 120,000)
$9.12
$368
$18.41
$36.83
$796
$516
$2,786
Marketing
Allowable/ Student
$2,578
---305.6 (1.0 / 0.3%)
2.5%7.6 (305.6 * 2.5%)
49.5%151.3 (305.6 * 49.5%)
24.8%75.7(305.6 * 24.8%)
1.1%3.5 (305.6 * 1.1%)
1.8%5.4 (305.6 * 1.8%)
0.3%1.0
1.1 (305.6 * 0.4%)
0.4%
2013 Actuals
%RemainingVolume
2013 Factored
Marketing “allowables” established by stage of funnel
Identifying and Addressing the “Celebration Points”
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Example: Acceptance Frame
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Example: Acceptance Frame & Social Initiative
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Continuous optimizations.
Be Nimble
Trust your media agency
Try new things but be willing to fail
Analyze performance frequently (in real time)
Adapt when something works
Adapt when something doesn’t
Test different ways to say the same thing
Invest in the right strategies to reach the right person with the right message at the right time.
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http://youtu.be/trYYSRcuVv0?list=UUbBpM7mXy2aTnmHq2Z1Jzbw
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RECAP
Key Learning Objectives
1.Developing an authentic message platform that
resonates with your audience(s)
2.Empathy-based and audience-centric
3.Determining the right media mix for your budget
4.Test and learn approaches to campaign optimization
5.Run toward brand, not away
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THANK YOU!
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QUESTIONS?