Transcript John Carroll University: A Marketing Opportunity & Image

CCCU
New England Workshop
Next Steps Presentation
July 11-12, 2002
Goals of the Workshop
 Update
research with “hot-off-the-presses”
findings
 Review
recommended check list of progress
to date
 Highlight
areas for next steps
Hallmark Themes for the CCCU
 Academic
Quality: A high-quality education
in a secular world.
 Christian-centered Community: A close-knit,
Christian community that emphasizes
character development and spiritual growth.
 Future Orientation: Preparation for life as
well as a living.
 Financial Investment: The value proposition.
New 2002 Research:
Implications for the CCCU
Methodology
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On-line survey
Partnership with FastWeb
Data collected in March 2002
Sample: FastWeb database of students
Over 73,000 high school seniors surveyed
Recruited via e-mail
Screened to be sure (1) senior in high school and (2)
thinking about attending college in the next year or
two
Incentive: Entered into a drawing for a $500
scholarship
Follow-up survey with students was conducted in
June 2002 (data is currently being processed)
Preliminary Data
Religion – Top Mentions
None
23.4%
Roman Catholic
21.0%
Christian - Not listed
17.3%
Baptist
12.1%
Methodist
5.5%
Lutheran
4.9%
Presbyterian
2.9%
Jewish
2.5%
Latter Day Saint (Mormon)
1.9%
Pentecostal
1.5%
Churches of Christ
1.4%
Buddhist
1.4%
Assemblies of God
1.2%
Episcopalian
1.2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Religious Trends

The voices of prospective students who are
Christian are well-represented in this database.
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Increase in percentage of “none” responses to
request for religious preference.
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Increase in competitive advantage within a smaller
market share.
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Decrease in competitive advantage at the prospect
development stage.
Implications for Christianoriented Recommendations

Use language about Christian orientation even
more carefully at the prospect and inquirer stages.

Connect character development and personal
growth even more assertively to the Christian value
system.

Appeal to parents to diminish the chances that their
son or daughter will be impacted by growth in
secularism.
Preliminary Data
Have the events of September 11th changed your mind in
terms of (1) the schools to which you applied
or (2) the rankings of your preferences or (3) both?
Yes, changed schools
only
3.0%
Yes, changed
preference rankings
2.6%
Yes, changed both
schools and rankings
7.6% say “yes”
2.0%
No change
88.0%
Not sure
4.4%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Preliminary Data
Have the events of September 11th affected
your preferred institution?
Not sure
2.7%
Yes
5.4%
No
91.9%
Impact on College Search

Remarkably little impact of the 9/11 tragedy upon
the choice set of prospective students.
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Post-May 1st follow-up survey will provide the
information needed to determine if choices
remained stable.
Preliminary Data
Geographic Location
Ideally, how far from your permanent home
would your college/university be?
< 1 hour by car
21.2%
1-2 hours by car
22.1%
2-3 hours by car
17.2%
3-4 hours by car
11.7%
4-5 hours by car
7.8%
5-10 hours by car
9.5%
> 10 hours by car
10.5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
The Pull Toward Home
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Travel distance has become a larger issue, with
prospective students indicating a desire to stay
closer to home.
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Because the ordering of college choices has not
been significantly affected, distance from home
does not appear to have become an overriding
issue.
Preliminary Data
Geographic Location
Which of the following best reflects the setting
of the school you would most prefer to attend?
Major city
21.3%
Rural
community
or small
town
15.6%
Where would you most like
to go to school?
Northeast
26.2%
South
20.9%
Midwest
19.9%
West
Large town
to medium
city
63.1%
12.6%
Southwest
7.1%
Mid-Atlantic
6.1%
Northwest
6.1%
Outside the U.S.
1.2%
0%
25%
50%
75%
Marketing Geographic Location
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Christian colleges and universities in suburbs and
rural areas have an opportunity to capitalize on a
potential move away from major cities.
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Christian schools within smaller or safer cities
should bring attention to the “best of both worlds” –
vast resources and relative safety.
Preliminary Data
State of the U.S. Economy
How concerned are your parents and
you about the state of the U.S.
economy? (A)
2.90
What influence do you think your
perceptions of the state of the U.S.
economy will have on your choice of
college or university you will attend?
(B)
3.60
1
2
Scale A: 1 = Extremely Concerned and 5 = Not at All Concerned
Scale B: 1 = Will Heavily Influence Choice and 5 = Will Not at All Influence Choice
3
4
5
Economic Forces
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The economy is currently of greater concern to
families than the events of 9/11.
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Early communications about financial aid resources
and counseling are of paramount importance in the
foreseeable future.
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Careful examination of current funding practices is
a top priority.
Preliminary Data
Eleven of the 20 characteristics tested receive
an overall mean rating above 4.0:
4.47
Quality of Major
4.40
Value of Education (combination of quality & cost)
Campus Atmosphere
4.16
Academic Facilities (Library, Computers, Etc.)
4.14
Quality of Faculty
4.09
Academic Reputation
4.09
Total Costs (tuition, room & board and other expenses)
4.07
Availability of Particular Programs
4.06
Campus Safety and Security
4.04
Availability of Financial Aid to Meet Need
4.04
Preparation for Graduate/Professional School
4.00
1
2
3
4
5
Scale: 1 = Not at All Important to 5 = Extremely Important
Preliminary Data
Seven of the 20 characteristics tested receive
an overall mean rating between 3.0 and 4.0:
Merit-Based
Financial Aid
3.90
Sense of Campus
Community
3.67
Geographic Location
3.49
Area Surrounding
Campus
3.48
Prestige of college or
university
3.20
Diversity of Student
Body
3.17
Access to a City
3.08
1
3 to 5 = Extremely4Important
Scale: 12= Not at All Important
5
Preliminary Data
Two of the 20 characteristics tested receive
an overall mean rating below 3.0:
Study Abroad Option
2.75
Parents' Preference
2.52
1
2
3
4
Scale: 1 = Not at All Important to 5 = Extremely Important
5
Shifts in Priorities
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The quality of a specific major (more than overall
reputation) continues to be a top priority.
Get information about specific majors in the hands
of inquirers.
Provide linkages on the Web site to relevant
departments, students, and alumni.
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Campus atmosphere has continued importance.
Accelerate efforts to develop a fuller image of
campus life.
Provide more details about provisions for student
safety.
Changes in Priorities
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Access to a city is laden with new concerns since
9/11, offering new opportunities to some campuses
and challenges to others.
For urban campuses and suburban campuses near
a large city:
– Address safety concerns even more assertively
– Have explanations of evacuation plans immediately
available
– Clarify relationship of campus to city
For rural campuses:
– Market advantages of bucolic location
– Emphasize accessibility to home
Changes in Priorities
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Study abroad programs are affected negatively by
the economy, by concerns about air travel, and by
an overall pull toward home.
Place emphasis on safety in off-campus programs.
Clarify the financial structure of study abroad
opportunities.
– Financial aid?
– Additional or equivalent costs?
Connect study abroad experience to preparation
for the future.
Progress to Date
Checklist
Progress to Date: Check List

Start direct mail contacts earlier.
 Build a communications plan from the point of
contact, not the calendar.
 Adapt hallmark themes to institution’s distinctive
character.
 Develop a definition of academic quality that fits
the institution.
 Review word choices re: Christian mission at
prospect and inquiry levels.
Progress to Date: Check List
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Send specific information about majors to inquirers.
 Develop an electronic communications plan.
 Monitor campus visits and design programs for
each stage of the college search.
 Establish a communications flow with parents.
 Write a signature statement and a value
proposition.
Next Steps:
Mid-term Strategies
Hallmark Themes for the CCCU
 Academic
Quality: A high-quality education
in a secular world.
 Christian-centered Community: A close-knit,
Christian community that emphasizes
character development and spiritual growth.
 Future Orientation: Preparation for life as
well as a living.
 Financial Investment: The value proposition.
Strengthening Academic
Reputation
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Create a way to communicate the institution’s
approach to the liberal arts.
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Collect tangible examples of academic quality
(students, faculty, and alumni) from the community.
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Provide prospective student access to faculty (in
person, via correspondence or phone,
electronically).
Building Appreciation of an
Integrated Community
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Develop messages describing Christian fellowship
on campus and its impact on all aspects of student
life.
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Illustrate ways students work together in Christian
and community service activities.
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Relay how the institution fosters the development
of the whole person and of character; then link
these concepts to spiritual development.
Connecting to the Future
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Demonstrate ways that students get “real world”
experience while still enrolled.
 Include study abroad, off-campus internships, and
community service activities
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Collect tangible evidence of outcomes.
 Graduate school acceptances
 First jobs
 Career successes
 Contributions to society
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Link the liberal arts and life success.
Coordinating Marketing and
Communications
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Adapt the hallmark themes to apply to all key
stakeholder audiences.
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Create a standards guide for the “look” of all
communications (print and electronic).
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Build a depth and breadth Web site for admissions
marketing and for other key audiences.
Establishing a Solid Financial
Foundation
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Determine the institution’s ideal enrollment.
Calculate total revenue potential, current total
revenue, discount rate, and NTR.
Compare enrollment yields of:
need-based financial aid recipients,
financial aid applicants without aid,
no-need merit award recipients, and
full pay students who did not apply for aid.
Seek more effective aiding strategies to reach full
enrollment.
Advancing Institutional Buy-in
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Share the CCCU research results with public
relations, communications, and admissions
marketing staffs at all levels. Then put the research
to work:
Present findings to senior staff, faculty, and
trustees
Conduct an internal communications audit
Apply research to all forms of communication
Benefiting from the CCCU

Strengthen the bond between the CCCU and the
membership for coordinated promotion of a
Christian education.
Use the CCCU logo to add visibility to the
community of Christian colleges and universities.
Hyperlink to the programs, services, and people
of the CCCU.
Seek leadership from the CCCU for increasing the
public’s awareness of the distinctive value of a
Christian education.
Target
Markets
Target Markets
 Parents
 Males
versus females
 High-ability students versus “bread-andbutter” candidates versus others
 Students who attend church more than once
per week versus once per week versus less
than once per week
Parents
 Prospective
students gave even higher ratings
to their parents’ role than parents did
themselves.
 Parents have a propensity to look at the big
picture.
 They attach higher priorities to the special
opportunities provided by a Christian education.
 They see a stronger linkage between
academics and faith.
 Financial aid plays a more dominant role in
defining cost considerations.
Timing of College Search (2000)
4 .3 %
B e fo re F re s h m a n Y e a r
2 1 .0 %
0.6%
16.5%
6 .1 % 8 .8 %
8.8%
B e fo re S o p h o m o re Y e a r
24.5%
1 8 .0 % 1 8 .7 %
D u rin g S o p h o m o re Y e a r
B e fo re m id -p o in t o f J u n io r
7.7%
S p rin g o f J u n io r Y e a r
0 .4 %
0.0%
0
1 7 .4 %
1 7 .1 %
1 0 .7 %
5 .9 %
3.5%
1.6%
F a ll o f S e n io r Y e a r
28.2%
19.6%
1.6%
S u m m e r a fte r J u n io r Y e a r
4 3 .5 %
3 1 .9 %
2 1 .0 %
Ye a r
In q u irers
27.4%
9 .1 %
5.8%
10
P aren ts o f In q u irers
20
30
N o n -M atricu lan ts
40
M atricu lan ts
50
Parents
Member Recommendations:
 Craft
a communications flow for parents,
based on the messages on the research.
 Send a series of personalized letters.
 Concentrate on communicating the benefits
of integrating academics and a Christianbased community from the outset.
Parents
Member Recommendations:
 Create
separate agendas for parents and
students for on-campus events.
 For parents:
Making the case for value
Faculty – Who they are
Continuation of family values
Financial planning
Safety and security
Career counseling and services
Parents
Member Recommendations:
 Provide
evidence of investment value:
Job placement records
Lists of companies that visit the campus
each year to recruit students
Holistic success stories
Gender
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Demographic profiles of the men and women are
remarkably consistent.
Market behavior was also quite consistent.
Same starting points for the college search
Similar patterns for how long they have known
about Christian colleges and universities
Use of similar sources of information
Levels of awareness of, and appreciation for,
Christian colleges and universities
Gender
 At
the prospect and inquirer stages:
Men rate “recreational athletic facilities”
and “varsity athletics” as significantly more
important
Male prospects gave a lower priority to
“preparation for future careers.”
Gender
 Male
inquirers:
A liberal arts education is a lower priority
 Admitted
men:
Not as price sensitive
Less focused on certain community issues
Recommendations for Men
 Use
direct marketing initiatives to get males
and their parents involved in the college
search earlier.
 Communicate with males in follow-ups to
the direct mail initiative.
 Evolve to messages about continuing the
Christian values.
Recommendations for Men

Alert male inquirers who express an interest in any
form of athletics to activities on campus through
email communications.
Increase retention of “at-risk” population
Promote the opportunities of the geographic area
Invite to sports events
Include testimonials from men on campus

Showcase the best sports and recreational facilities
for tours, publications, and on-line media.
Academic Ability
 Representation
of top students increases
between the prospect and matriculant
stages of the admissions funnel.
 Late arrivals to a Christian education are not
the strongest students.
 The use of information sources is relatively
consistent across categories of student
quality.
Academic Ability
 Students
in top 10% indicated a higher level
of familiarity with Christian institutions.
 Parents are seen as more influential by
high-ability matriculants.
 Best statements for high-ability students
mirror the aggregate results.
Academic Ability
Member Recommendations:
 Carry
the hallmark themes into any direct
marketing initiatives intended for high-ability
audiences.
 Use the message themes about integrating
faith and learning, fostering family values,
and spiritual growth.
 Begin the cultivation of high-ability students
through direct marketing to high school
sophomores.
Academic Ability
Member Recommendations:
 Include
communications with parents in the
recruitment plan for high-ability students.
 Take steps to identify high-ability students
early.
 Enlist strong students to call high-ability
candidates at the application stage of the
admissions process.
Frequency of Church
Attendance
 Pockets
of prospects who attend church
more often can be found in the Southeast
and the Midwest.
 The length of time students have known
about Christian colleges and universities
and when they began the college search
are not linked to their church attendance.
Frequency of Church
Attendance
 The
biggest shift in how students designate
their religious status takes place between
the prospect and inquirer stages of the
admissions funnel.
 Tracing just those who attend church most
often reveals a rise in Evangelical Christians
(from 54% inquirers to 82% matriculants).
 The most promising market for recruitment
is the dedicated churchgoer.
Intention to Apply to a Christian
College or University
9 4 .1 %
100
100%
9 6 .8 %
7 5 .1 %
80
% Yes
6 4 .4 %
6 0 .1 %
60
3 9 .4 %
40
3 0 .5 %
1 4 .8 %
20
0
C h u rc h le s s th a n
o n c e a we e k
P ro sp ects
C h u rc h o n c e a we e k
In q u irers
C h u rc h m o re th a n
o n c e a we e k
N o n -M atricu lan ts
Frequency of Church Attendance
Member Recommendations:
 Collect
information about immediate family,
relatives, and friends who are graduates of
Christian colleges and universities on
response cards.
 Use this information to establish
communications with and among
prospective students, friends who are
graduates of Christian institutions, and the
college or university.
Frequency of Church Attendance
Member Recommendations:
 Continue
to cultivate early interest through
churches and youth groups.
 Consider providing financial incentives for
student involvement in community service.
 Attend to the language used in describing
the Christian experience, especially among
less-frequent churchgoers.
Frequency of Church Attendance
Member Recommendations:
 Create
hyperlinks on the Web with affiliated
churches and youth groups.
 Reach out to the parents of prospects who
are actively involved with their churches.
“Give me the freedom of a tight
strategy.”
Norman Berry