Marketing learning communities

1
Marketing learning communities

• Part 2
• Building a marketing plan
• By
• Jacque Mott
• with Jean Henscheid
• Barbara Leigh Smith

2
A marketing team

• Marketing team structures vary
• Some institutions have a cross-functional
  learning community steering or advisory committee
  that also serves as the marketing team
• Others have a separate marketing team
• In large, decentralized universities, different
  colleges or schools often design the LC program
  and each school has its own student recruitment,
  advising, and marketing process
• All require collaboration

3
Developing a marketing team

• Identify key players for your team
• Students
• LC program coordinator or LC committee chair
• Academic advisor/counselor
• Admissions/student recruitment representative
• Residence life representative
• Registrar
• Institutional research
• New student activities coordinator
• Member of institutional marketing department
• Faculty

4
Marketing team functions

• Establish a leadership structure for marketing
  the program
• Gather data to inform decisions
• Clarify issues and options
• Spread ownership of the planning process
• Ensure that relevant parties are well informed
• Develop, implement and monitor the marketing plan
  
• Develop a marketing plan and set deadlines to
  accomplish tasks
• Make results and some proceedings public

5
Building a marketing plan

• STEP 1 - Identify where the program is now
• STEP 2 - Identify the marketing goals
• STEP 3 - Identify the target audience
• STEP 4 - Research the target audience
• STEP 5 - Research methods for goal
  achievement
• STEP 6 - Create an action plan
• STEP 7 - Gather resources
• STEP 8 - Establish a timeline
• STEP 9 - DO IT
• STEP 10 - Evaluate and adjust

6
Key marketing considerations

• Develop appropriate strategies for all audiences
  your marketing plan must reach
• Develop a widespread on- and off-campus network
• Build permanent locations for promotional
  literature
• Become a part of the registration system

7
Key marketing considerations

• Is your program listed in the course schedule and
  other publications?
• Are your marketing materials within the program
  budget?
• Does your program have a recognizable look?
• Do you have a handbook for all LC students?
• Have you involved advisors and counselors?
• Are current LC students marketing your program?

8
Key on-campus allies

• Dean/provosts office
• Department chairs
• Office of research
• Admissions office
• Registrar and scheduling office
• Student advisors and counselors
• Teaching and learning center
• Public relations office
• Graphics/design office

9
Key off-campus allies

• Key communicators in high schools and community
  colleges
• Newspaper and television reporters
• Mayors office personnel (especially if they have
  a educational liaison or special events
  coordinator)
• Local library personnel

10
Key off-campus allies

• Mall managers with empty display windows
• Persons with influential websites
• Owners/managers of public gathering sites (post
  offices, parks, swimming pool, etc.)
• Local businesses and community organizations

11
Marketing to the entire campus

• Activate the under-informed or neutral
• Broaden program acceptance and marketing scope
  by involving on-campus individuals who dont
  know about learning communities in a small
  marketing activity.
• Hold campus-wide small group meetings
• Typical concerns you may hear during these
  meetings may include content vs. process
  issues, concerns about faculty load and
  compensation, and concern about whether LCs can
  meet the need for student preparation for higher
  level courses.

12
Marketing to the entire campus

• Keep values and benefits visible
• Focus formal and informal discussions on the
  value of learning communities to students,
  faculty, and the institution and present
  evidence of their effectiveness. A focus on
  basic values creates a common ground for
  conversations.

13
Common marketing mis-steps

• Not meeting student needs
• Creating ineffective promotional strategies
• Forgetting that academic advisors change and need
  re-educating often
• Assuming that marketing efforts to students will
  last more than a year
• Forgetting that one person cant do everything

14
Common marketing mis-steps

• Not maintaining student contact and getting
  feedback
• Forgetting to create flexible/multiple use
  marketing materials
• Not building a sustainable plan that integrates
  tasks into the duties of specific people
• Creating a great plan without people to execute it