higher education marketing – amba 2013

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AMBA Presentation 2013



Remember us from last year?



We brought you the banana



We also talked about using your left brain and right brain

L R



Which brings us neatly to this year’s theme



HeadachesHopefully it stimulated your thinking. Perhaps it might have given you a headache


Headaches in Marketing and Admissions

Headaches you reported(areas highlighted in blue are where we can help)

“Digital marketing”… …”follow up messaging”

“Coping with demands of time”

“Best way to reach and talk to international

prospects”

“…Managing expectations/ understanding of processes by internal stakeholders…”

“How do we stand out from the crowd?”

“Is recruitment/sales… a form of target

(one-to-one) marketing?”

“How important is a Social Media strategy?

How do you manage (Social Media) effectively?”

“Packaging of offering to students”

“Joining it all together.”

“Being clear about what we

stand for”




Now we aren’t brain surgeons.

We are more creative, strategy and research specialists.



We are more creative, strategy and research specialists so we are able to consult on some of these headaches



Many of these headaches are caused by common conditions:• INCONSISTENT BEHAVIOUR• LACK OF COHERENT SPEECH• SOCIAL DISORDER



Which results in...

General Malaise



Major Worry

This is a...



MBA prospects are like toddlers...

They can wander off easily.



Familiarity breeds content.

“The single most important and most difficult factor is achieving some kind of consistency in the experience that consumers have of the brand.” Leslie de Chernatoy, Professor of Brand Marketing, (Birmingham University Business School) Aston Business School

INCONSISTENT BEHAVIOUR



Consistency in a chaotic world.



Multiple access channels



Loss of faith in institutions

BBC BP RBS



Marketing used to be communicated through broadcast media such as advertising, radio or newspapers to the consumer. We now market through these channels plus Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Google +, Flickr, Pinterest, Vine (more of this later).

We have lost faith in Banks like RBS. Corporations, like BP. Institutions like the BBC.

Particularly with the advent of Massive Open Online Courses, education is transforming into an on-demand service. Can Business Schools be immune to this questioning of authority? People no longer blindly trust authorities any more. They trust each other. The rise of the community makes the job of marketing so much more complex.

We live in a chaotic world. Nobody said it was easy. Which means now, more than ever -




Familiarity breeds content.




Visual consistency




Familiarity breeds content.Some brands, like

Virgin, First Direct and John Lewis do this very well.

VISUAL CONSISTENCY



First Direct Website First Direct E-Shot

VISUAL CONSISTENCY



First Direct Facebook

First Direct Twitter

First Direct YouTube

VISUAL CONSISTENCY



VISUAL INCONSISTENCY

Visual inconsistency can be disconcerting to say the least.




26

“My experience with NUS BIZ Career Services has been very fruitful. I am especially grateful for the job postings relevant to my background and profile, and the networking and recruiting events, which have been particularly helpful in connecting me with the right people. And I am most impressed by how CS continuously contacted me to provide advice, feedback and interview tips. Thanks to applications I made through TalentEdge, our online job portal, in one week, I had three interviews and got two job offers, and am now working with an amazing group of people at a dynamic, up- and- coming consulting firm. Thank you, Career Services, for reminding me that I can always turn to you and the School for support.”

Nancy Chua NUS MBA, Class of 2012 Double Effect

“ My first encounter with Career Services (CS) was during the first week of my semester. I actively sought advice from the career services counselors and attended a number of CS organised workshops and programmes conducted by real life practitioners. It was through the CS’s active job postings that I gained numerous interview opportunities with various multinational corporations and financial institutions, in which I successfully obtained my internship at Citibank that led to a permanent position. Thank you CS!”

Park Kwan hoon NUS MBA, Class of 2012 Citibank

From Our MBAs:

“ NUS MBA is recognised internationally for its reputation and global learning environment. The emphasis on diverse and inter-cultural learning enables the students to view things from a wider perspective which puts them a notch ahead from the others. Students also embrace the work they are given and perform up to their best. This commitment showed by them is one of the reasons why NUS is one of our key schools that we work with for recruitment of our talents. We would like to thank the NUS Career Services for their continuous support and hope that the MBA faculty will be able to develop more of these high calibre individuals whom we will be looking forward to work with.”

Gina Kuek Senior HR Manager Frost & Sullivan, Asia Pacific

“ The NUS MBA programme has groomed many driven and capable business leaders. The programme promotes a meeting of minds, yet embraces diverse experiences and cultures and this reflects the current global business environment.

KPMG is proud to be a partner of the NUS MBA faculty and Career Services in its recruitment outreach. Our experience with their graduates has been promising, and many of them have the potential to go on to becoming future captains of industry and leaders in our community.”

Mr Sharad Somani Executive Director KPMG

From Our Recruiters:

A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.

Leading from AsiaEXCEED YOUR POTENTIAL

Academic Year 2013 – 2014

Contents 02 Why the nUs MBA?

03 Dean’s Message

04 nUs Business school & nUs MBA experience

05 Accolades

06 our International Faculty

08 Industry-Focused Curriculum

10 specializations

12 Double Degree MBA

14 overseas student exchange

16 overseas study trips

18 Bringing the World to You

20 Individual Development

24 Career services

28 Global Alumni network

30 singapore: the Ideal MBA Destination

32 Accommodation

33 Cost of Living

34 Application

35 scholarship

Map of nUs



Site for sore eyes.

Here’s an example of someone who does this well.



Wharton - website:

Wharton - Print & Social media:



Tone of Voice



Slurred speech.

“We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed has been unsympathetic to us.” Friedrich Nietzsche



Intelligent conversations.

“Language needs to be a more integral part of corporate strategy rather than confined to corporate copy guidelines.” Adam Kaveney, Global Brand Language Leader, Price Waterhouse Coopers



Consistent conversations.We did a lot of work with the Royal Marsden cancer hospital on its tone of voice. Obviously dealing with someone who suspects or has cancer is a very sensitive issue. You would have thought that by being a world-leader in its field, the Royal Marsden would have communicated clearly and with empathy. Not so.



Consistent conversations.

Remaining on-brand and understanding who you are talking to is so important – especially when it comes to the Admissions process.



Consistent conversations.

Offer email from a Postgraduate Admissions BEFORE Subject line: Recommendation Dear , The admissions committee has met to discuss your application to XXXXXX XXXXXX. I can to confirm that we are recommending to the Postgraduate Admissions Office that you be offered a place on the programme XXXXX, full conditions of your offer will be confirmed to you in due course in your official offer letter. Please note that in order to secure your place on this programme a deposit of £1000 must be paid by XXXX You are also required to complete and return the acceptance slip that will be provided with your official offer letter. You can expect to receive your official offer letter from the Postgraduate Admission Office via email within the next two to three weeks. We are available to answer any questions you may have in the interim via email and telephone: Email: admissions@XXXXXX XXXXXX Tel: +44 XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Please be aware that failure to pay the deposit by the deadline will result in the withdrawal of your offer and your place on the programme being reallocated.

Deposit payment details can be found below. Please make sure to include your student number as a reference and notify admissions@ XXXXXX XXXXXX once you have made your payment. www. XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXX For 2013 entry, Welcome Day will take place on XXXX 2013. All students are expected to attend. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions regarding the deposit payment. Kind regards, [Contact name], [Contact title]

Offer email from a Postgraduate Admissions AFTER Subject line: Your place at XXXXXXXXXXXXX Dear xxx, It gives me great pleasure to inform you that we are recommending you to our Postgraduate Admissions Office for a place on our <programme>. Before we can welcome you to XXXXXXXXXXXXX we require you to pay your deposit of £1,000. Details of how to pay are listed below. Failure to pay your deposit will result in your application being rejected. You can expect to receive your official offer letter with the conditions of your place by email within the next two to three weeks. Please note: we cannot confirm your place until you have paid your £1,000 deposit by [insert date]. - Include your application number when you transfer your deposit - Return the acceptance slip that comes with your official offer letter - Notify admissions@ XXXXXXXXXXXXX once the payment has been made

Details on how to pay: http://www. XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX The Welcome Day for the 2013 student entry will take place on XXXX 2013. Please note: all full-time students are expected to attend. If you have any queries regarding your application or deposit, please get in touch with me by email or telephone and I will be happy to answer your queries. Alternatively, we have put together an information page that answers the most common questions: http://www. XXXXXXXXXXXXX Email: admissions@ XXXXXXXXXXXXX Tel: +44 XXXXXXXXX May I take this opportunity to compliment you on the high standard of your application. The Admissions Committee were impressed by the marks you are currently achieving at Undergraduate level and we wish you luck with your final exams. With very best wishes [Contact name], [Contact title]



A unique voice.

Full-cream? Pasteurised? Executive, Flexible, Global, Full-time, Part-time.Business schools operate in a fiercely homogenous marketplace, where differentiation is achieved through reputation, rankings and referrals – and of course quality of content. Using your unique tone of voice to stand out and talk to a prospective MBA participant can give you that chance create affinity and start a dialogue.



Unique tone of voice.Delia Smith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D95rMYL1T2A

Heston Blumenthal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW5p6CAOwdg

Marco Pierre White http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rvqS0NGkfg

Jamie Oliver http://youtu.be/KIsUS7NKzYA

These are examples of living brands. Their personalities define their brands. In a corporate and business school context, everyone who creates or communicates content is living that brand to some extent or another.


http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DD95rMYL1T2A%20

http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DgW5p6CAOwdg%20

http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D6rvqS0NGkfg%20

http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/jamie-oliver-live-the-perfect-omelette-may-2011%20


Serious mood board



Examples of workshop mood boards



The biggest headache for marketers in 2012...



Social media



Social disorder*

*Symptoms include: swollen ego, inflated budget, leaking pride, sweaty CFO and internal bickering



“How important is a social media strategy? ...and how do you manage it effectively with limited resource and budget?”



“How important is a social media strategy?”

Very.(Important)



“… and how do you manage it effectively with limited resource and budget?”

The answer to the second part is a bit more complex...



8 ways to improve your social media strategy



1. Re-assess your user experience



• Social media is not a standalone channel

• A potential MBA applicant takes a journey through your social media / website / admissions pages and that journey needs to be consistent (yes we’re back on consistency)



Visual consistency

• Cover photos• Logos• Photography style• Infographics



Tone of voice

Flat

Too much!

Just right



Valuable content – Interactive FT MBA board game



2. Re evaluate your landing pages (User experience continued)



• First impressions = formed in 50 milliseconds • 15% of page visits = under 4 seconds 20%

of page content = read (on average)• 20% of page content = read (on average)

Clearly, we have to work hard to catch people’s attention

* http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060109/full/news060109-13.html http://www.useit.com/alertbox/percent-text-read.html [2008] http://www.useit.com/alertbox/percent-text-read.html [2008]



Re evaluate your landing pages



Do people scroll?



3. Create your content strategy (If you haven’t already that is)



Relevancy is keyFacebook Edge rank:

• Post length - less than 250 characters generates 60% more likes

• Timely - posts related to breaking news can get 90% more engagement

• Media increases engagement - photo album (180%), picture (120%) or video (100%)

“ This is why a content strategy forms a vital part of a social media strategy”

* http://www.facebook.com/FacebookMarketingUK http://www.jeffbullas.com/2011/11/01/10-best-practice-tips-for-facebook-page-content-publishing/



Create your content strategy

• Events • Research papers / thought leadership• New staff • Associate organisations• Shout about your alumni



Proactive vs Reactive content



TwitterFactors associated with increasing ‘followers’ over 15 months...

• Get re-tweets

• A complete profile: Web address, location & long description

• Focused: People who consistently tweeted on a specific topic attracted more followers



4. Blog (content marketing continued)



Benefits of blogging

• A hub to drive readers and traffic• Thought leadership• Posts have a long ‘hang time’• SEO



5. Incorporate admissions into the social media mix



“Social media is a two way conversation”

• Admissions staff make great points of contact• FAQs – Visas, accommodation,

course content / dates• Events updates • Host Google hangouts to talk to

international students / busy applicants

Over 25% of MBA applicants use LinkedIn and Facebook to research their business school



6. Get your alumni involved



Get your alumni involved

• Encourage them to share content• Share their content• Give them access to ‘alumni only research’

making them brand ambassadors



7. Test everything (don’t forget to measure)



Social media is a great test bed for ideas

• Messaging - How audiences react to new copy?

• Colours – do different genders react to new colour choices?

• Visual identity – does a photography led or graphic led style gain more reach?

If you’re reading this, there is a 90% chance you’re not listening



Measure your campaigns

• Tag your links with Google link builder

• Monitor message variants

• Re-use successful messages

There is a SERIOUS link tagging series available on the blog. So don’t stress! :)



Measuring links

Clicked links tend to appear about 25% through tweet (or at end).



8. Have a sense of humourhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpy75q2DDow


http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DBpy75q2DDow


Summary:

1. Re-assess your user experience

2. Re-evaluate your landing pages

3. Create your content strategy

4. Blog

5. Incorporate admissions into social media

6. Get your alumni involved

7. Test everything

8. Have a sense of humour



Action points to do this week:

1. Get on Google+

2. Write a blog post

3. Tweet and post on Facebook at least twice a week

4. Post on LinkedIn at least once a week

5. Join 3 MBA groups on LinkedIn (and if you’re brave, join the conversation)

6. Tag your website bound links

7. Post at 4:30pm Wednesday afternoon and 4:00pm Friday afternoon



from Chris, Brad and the Serious team

ThanksFor your copy of the slides

please follow us on LinkedIn @seriousmarketingcommunications


higher education marketing – amba 2013

Business

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professor of brand marketing

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nus business school

visual inconsistencycontents

mba prospectsare

chaotic world

business schoolsbe immune