When helping an institution answer critical questions about marketing structure, staffing and systems as part of an organizational capability assessment, I often think back to my time as a unit-level chief development officer early in my career. Please join me for a brief trip down memory lane to explain. I recall that formative experience well;…Read more
Author: Rob Zinkan
A Conversation on the Future of Higher Ed Marketing
RHB vice president Rob Zinkan joined the Enrollify Podcast recently for a wide-ranging conversation, covering topics such as the implications of the pandemic on marketing department structures and budgets. A transcript of the episode is below. · · · Transcript: Zach Busekrus: Hello, and welcome to the Enrollify Podcast. My name is Zach Busekrus, and…Read more
What Does Your Org Chart Say About Your Marketing Organization?
I’ve seen a lot of org charts. At RHB, we have the privilege of working with colleges and universities to help them maximize the effectiveness of their marketing function. As part of a recent Future-Ready Organizational Capability Assessment of marketing and communications at a large academic college at a public research university, we conducted a…Read more
A Renewed Focus and a Moment of Truth for MarComm Teams
Among the key questions for marketing leaders in planning for the financial ramifications of COVID-19—is marketing at your institution output-oriented or outcomes-oriented?
Alumni Engagement and Marketing: Innovating New Org Structures
A broader view of alumni engagement requires openness to new organizational models that will best support and mobilize alumni to advance an institution’s goals.
Bringing Clarity to Higher Education Brand Architecture
During presentations about brand architecture, I often pose a couple of questions to attendees. How many aspire for their institution to be a branded house (leveraging a single master brand or parent brand across an entire organization and the organization’s multiple offerings)? Nearly every hand goes up. Next, how many of their institutions actually operate…Read more
A Guide to AMA Higher Ed 2019
I always look forward to the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education and have enjoyed being involved over the years—whether that’s attending, presenting, podcasting about it on Higher Ed Live, or now serving on the conference committee. Next month’s conference marks the 30th year of AMA Higher Ed, the largest annual gathering of higher ed marketers, and the keynoters and overall program are especially strong.
The Dilemma of Determining Total Marketing Spend
It’s logical then that a university president or board of trustees would ask the following. “How much are we spending on marketing across the entire institution? Is it the right investment? What’s the outcome?” When expenditures are distributed across a college or university, these questions are not easy to answer. Central marketing leadership is held accountable for the institution’s total marketing activity but may only manage a quarter of the total marketing spend across the enterprise.
Navigating the Gray Between Buy-In and Co-Creation
An enduring brand strategy requires more than just stakeholder buy-in. But is buy-in enough?
The Language of Higher Ed Marketing
The more consistency we can bring to our sector’s vocabulary, the better served we all are, including our colleagues.