Marketing Masterclass

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Marketing Masterclass Investigating the wider
significance of branding at the University Paul
Starkey Communications, Media and Public
Relations PG Administrators Conference 30 March
2006
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University of Manchester
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Objectives

• Consider and appreciate the importance of your
  individual contribution to integrated marketing
  and reputation and brand building
• Discuss branding as a concept and why it is
  important in higher education
• Look at the Manchester Brand and how it came
  about
• Discuss the benefits and unique selling points
  of the university and how these are best
  communicated to different audiences
• Look at the various aspects of branding and how
  these can be integrated into your everyday work
• Review how you should be working with the brand

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Spend 5 minutes thinking about each of these
companies and think of words that characterise
their image and the type of customers they appeal
to
Exercise 1

• Harrods
• Asda
• Marks and Spencer
• Kwiksave
• Boots
• Spar
• How have you built that impression? Have you had
  any moments of truth?

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Now, just for fun, match these institutions to
the stores they most closely resemble
Exercise 1
Spend five minutes thinking about each of these
HEIs and think of words that characterise their
image and the type of customers they appeal to

• University of Leeds
• Thames Valley University
• University of Bolton
• Imperial College
• University of Oxford
• Manchester Metropolitan University

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What is a brand?
Some of the theory

• The brand is the lasting impression created by
  any form of contact with an organisation, whether
  through people, the media or any form of
  transaction
• it is the product not just of pro-active
  communications and marketing, but of peoples
  direct and indirect experience and perception of
  an organisation, its services and products

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Some of the theory
The process
organisation
customer
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Some of the theory
The process
organisation
customer
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Some of the theory
The process
organisation
customer
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Some of the theory
In short.
communications products behaviour
environments
organisation
customer
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Why branding in Higher Education?

• The big debate has been whether branding is
  appropriate to educational institutions
• .while that debate is taking place consumers
  already have or are forming a perception of
  institutions they have formed a BRAND IMAGE in
  their minds
• The real question is based on what? How much
  of that image is a result of central marketing,
  school marketing, personal experience and UNKNOWN
  factors?

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Why branding in Higher Education?
Is it for cosmetic reasons? Branding
Nightmares Lets have a new logo and
strapline Our competitors signage looks better
than ours We want to be famous My nephew is a
designer I want what theyve got Logos that
think they are brands Designer-centred-ness Or
strategic reasons? There is some hope Due to a
merger for instance Need to reposition the
institution Perception does not match our
strategic direction How are we viewed in the
global marketplace What does our brand
communicate to a diverse range of audiences We
need to manage our brand family
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Why is Branding important to the Manchester 2015
Agenda?

• Building a brand is essentially about reputation
  building and reputation management and is the
  single most important aspect of the Manchester
  2015 Agenda.
• Quotes from Manchester 2015
• strategic plan for reconstituting and
  repositioning The University of Manchester
• the Manchester 2015 Agenda is partly a
  positioning exercise. A first rank international
  reputation becomes self-sustaining in the sense
  that the key people attracted to such an
  institution by its reputation serve, through
  their very presence, to reinforce and enhance
  that reputation reputation building is a process
  of making and substantiating self-fulfilling
  prophecies

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The University of Manchester Brand

• Determine and define exactly what the single
  university should stand for
• To be distinctive in the market in the UK and
  the world
• How people think and feel about the University

• Secondary research review competitor audit
• Primary research consultation amongst
• Senior management and staff
• Students (past, current, prospective)
• Influencers (careers advisors, parents)
• Business partners (recruiters, partners)
• Funding councils
• Government bodies
• Communications audit covering literature,
  environment, web, correspondence, logos etc
• Creative workshops
• Exhibitions
• Market testing

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Exercise 2 - The University of Manchester Brand

• Group 1 Postgraduate Taught Recruitment
• Group 2 Postgraduate Research Recruitment
• Group 3 International Recruitment
• Group 4 University as a whole
• Based on what weve learnt about how brands are
  built factually and emotionally
• Thinking about the factual elements of our brand,
  what do we want potential postgraduate students
  to know about us and what we have to offer?
• Thinking about the emotional elements of our
  brand, how do we want potential postgraduate
  students to think and feel about us?

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The University of Manchester Brand
Where were we?
What are our ambitions?
Oxbridge of the North?? Globally
successful Friendly and welcoming Elite but not
elitist In the top 25 in the world Accessible to
all with talent Well established and
innovative Excellent quality teaching High
research profile World-class facilities Academic
with application Vibrant and cosmopolitan culture
Top traditional university Friendly Elite but not
elitist In the top 10 in the country Difficult to
get into Well established Good quality
teaching Good research profile Good
facilities Academic Lively social scene
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• The University of Manchester Brand
• The University of Manchester, already
  distinguished internationally as a vibrant centre
  of enquiry and innovation is committed to being
  one of the finest universities in the world by
  2015. In its pursuit of excellence, it nurtures
  talent from all quarters and is a force for
  positive change.

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• The University of Manchester Brand
• The University of Manchester, already
  distinguished internationally as a vibrant centre
  of enquiry and innovation is committed to being
  one of the finest universities in the world by
  2015. In its pursuit of excellence, it nurtures
  talent from all quarters and is a force for
  positive change.

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The customer decision making process
Applying the Manchester Brand to PG recruitment
Recognise need
Search for information, evaluate alternatives
Decide, choose, select
Experience, engage
Post-choice evaluation
Transmit, communicate Positive or negative?
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The total experience
Applying the Manchester Brand to PG recruitment
Marketing
Advocacy
PR Activity
Active successful alumni
Enquiry
Good completion rates
Application
Effective student support
CRM Conversion strategies
Meaningful contacts
Registration
Positive experiences of the institution
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Exercise 3

• Group 1 - Pre-Application conversion
• Group 2 - Conversion
• Group 3 - Arrival and registration
• Group 4 - During their time with us
• Think about all the points of contact during this
  period
• What can be done to communicate the brand at
  each point of contact?
• Finally
• Think about your own job - what can you
  personally do to?

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Consider the brand in all of your activities not
just in publicationsHow does what I do impact
on the Manchester Brand?How does the Manchester
Brand affect what I do from now on?Are the
brand messages being communicated effectively-
review and change all communications
accordinglyDoes the brand need repositioning
based on your own experiences?
Summary
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By working the brand in everything we do we can
achieve
Summary

• Greater internal collaboration and knowledge
  sharing
• Enhanced consistency in communications
• Reduced costs and operational overlap
• Deeper alignment of vision, values and goals
  speaking with one voice
• Faster feedback
• Stronger ongoing relationships with customers

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Questions or comments?
Combining the strengths of UMIST and The Victoria
University of Manchester