Most people in the room that came from corporate life have been in higher ed for less than three year

Moderator says that higher ed is just learning to market itself - not sure I agree

Words that work in corporate but not in higher ed: 

  • branding
  • company
  • customer
  • recruitment (we select students, we don’t recruit them)
  • marketing

I’m getting the sense that the corporate people feel they need to “teach us” - as a career-long higher ed person, I find that a bit condescending. Not all of us are scared of “marketing”.  I think those that are end up mostly being faculty and, really, they’re uppity about everything. 

How have corporate folks been able to successfully convey things? 

  • Do great work
  • Communications building/internal champions
  • Start with saying you’re going to do research

If the President and Board buy it, don’t worry about other nay-sayers with marketing having a seat at the table. 

Instead of “brand”, one participate uses the term “service delivery”

One participant says “they don’t understand what return on investment is”….I beg to differ!

Moderator says she is saving the school money by producing viewbook in house instead of outsourcing it….but is she really?  How much do the salaries of all the people required to produce a high quality viewbook cost?  What else could they be spending their time on that is more high-value?  You’re spending money on it either way.

And with that, I’m off to the networking reception!