Why Branding Matters In Higher Ed

Why Branding MattersWhy Branding Matters

Steve Jaworowski, VP of Marketing, Harrison CollegeCatherine Stiver, Director of Marketing, Harrison College

Vegas baby!

Strong brands

Give me leads

Harrison

Brown Mackie

Indiana University

Ivy Tech Community College

Kaplan

Strayer

Western Governor’s

Ball State

IUPUI

lots of options

Marketing 101

TODAY’S DISCUSSION

• What is branding?• Why branding matter for schools in our sector• The process for creating a successful brand• Defining success

What is a brand?

WHAT IS A BRAND?

Your brand is your promise to your customers

Built upon a collection of perceptions and experiences with your company

A Product vs A brand

Rational data and emotional memories = brand recognition and loyalty

The failure of new coke

Coke/Pepsi challenge is classic example of brand importance. In response to consumers choosing the taste of Pepsi over Coke in repeated, blind taste-tests, Coke changed its formula and “New Coke” was born. BIG mistake! Loyalists of Coke were outraged. People drink Coke for reasons beyond taste – they drink because of what “Coke” represents (i.e., the brand.)

What did we learn?

Why Branding Matters

Brands are the sum of the experience, reputation and promise of your organization’s products and services

Brands are more than artistic logos

PromiseReputation

Experience

Higher education branding

Education is a high involvement purchase – expensive, long term, high risk with a lot of competition

Reputation of school becomes reputation of its alumni

=

Importance of branding for-profit colleges


=Investment in marketing equals new students

Bubble has burst

Source: IPEDS: JP Morgan Analyst Reports


• Increased competition

• Marketplace saturation

• Shrinking audience

• Poor economy

So, how do you grow?

Long-term proposition

Greater Cash Flow

Deeper Market

Penetration

Lower Perceived Risk

Faster product trial

Higher Referral Rates

Greater Retention

The power of brandING

“….I would take the brands and trademarks...”

-John Stuart, CEO Quaker

Measuring Brand value

Rating of 0 – 100 based on:-Financial Performance-Role of brand in consumer purchase decision-Branding consistency across channels-Brand differentiation from competitors

Most valuable brands

Brand value = $42 Billion




Brand value = $71 Billion on revenues

of $46 Billion

Too many messages

Thousands of messages

Cut through clutter

Use an Integrated approach

The Branding process

Important asset

Process overview

Understand Your Brand

Understand Your

Customer

Segment Your

Audience

Define Brand

Position

Campaign Developmen

t

Channel Strategy

Understand your brand:The Brand platform

“To be our customers’ favorite place to eat.”

Forever Young

Provide simple, easy enjoyment to every

customer at every visit.

1. Customer experience is core of everything we do

2. Commitment to our people

High quality fast food, superior service in a

clean, welcoming environment at a great

value

Brand Vision

Core Values

Brand Dimen-sions

Brand Promise

Brand Character

Understand your brand:The Brand platform

“To be our customers’ favorite place to eat.”

Forever Young

Provide simple, easy enjoyment to every

customer at every visit.

1. Customer experience is core of everything we do

2. Commitment to our people

High quality fast food, superior service in a

clean, welcoming environment at a great

value

Brand Vision

Core Values

Brand Dimen-sions

Brand Promise

Brand Character

Brand platform

Exercise

Process overview

Understand your Prospective Student

• Women (mostly) interested in returning to school

• Living in Indiana or Ohio• About ½ are married• Want to make more

money• Starting or changing

careers

Segmentation

• Process to define and identify subsets of the market

• Segments have similar need, wants or demands

• Prioritize and target• Develop a message

platform and marketing mix to match their expectations

Student Segment: Linked-in learner

Brand positioning

Positioning - cialis

“The age of action”

“Anytime the moment is right”

Quad analysis

Single Men Married Men

Spontaneous Encounter

Imminent Encounter

Bringing the Positioning to Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDLTtUAdm10

Media Consumption habits

53% television

30% other websites

21% Twitter82%

Branding from within

Integrating the brand

Employees = Brand Ambassadors

Guidelines

Integrated approach

Measuring success

Defining success

Benchmark

Attitude & Awareness Study determines:

a) If prospects know of your brand

b) What prospects think/feel about your brand

c) What prospects think/feel about your competition

___% have heard of Harrison College

___% believe Harrison College offers a quality education

Direct inquiries

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