from bland to bold: redefining an entire marketing strategy. overnight

From Bland to Bold: Redefining an Entire Marketing Strategy.Overnight.Kim Frisch: Regis University | Jeff Johnson: Primacy

From Bland to Bold:

Redefining an Entire

Marketing Strategy.

Overnight.

Introductions

Kim Frisch

Regis University

Dean of Admissions

Jeff Johnson

Primacy

SVP, Education Practice Lead and Strategist

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Tweeting today?

#UPCEAMEMS

@RegisUniversity

@zigzagJeff

@thePrimacy

Setting the Stage

EM campaigns hammer home the same messages.

– Some combination of affordability, convenience, online, and accelerated

Same story = no differentiation

Regis University

– Declining enrollments

– Outdated messaging

Lead with bold platform: empathy-based and customer-centric

End result: A shift to how we market to adult audience

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What to Expect

This presentation will demonstrate how Regis University challenged

convention and changed enrollment marketing with “working-adult-non-

traditional-continuing-education-learners”.

Three Key Learning Objectives:

1. Developing an authentic message platform that that resonates with

working adults

2. Determining the right media mix for your budget

3. Test and learn approaches to campaign optimization

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Situation

Leader and innovator with

adult market 40 years ago

Online leader

Even though residential

have over 11,000 adults

Peaked at 14k,

dropped to 10k

Regis brand in an evolutionary process

First the website

If there’s one project to undertake to help you learn everything you need to know about your institution… redesign your website.

Website Redesign

regis.edu/

Educational Offerings

Achievements / Outcomes

Nuts and Bolts

What How

Why

Informational Transactional

Experiential

Evolution of university-wide identity emerges

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Redefining Enrollment Marketing at Regis University

First up…Traditional Undergraduate

Two Big Challenges Embracing our own identity

Translating “Regis” to range

of prospective students

Redoing all the “stuff”

Like changing the tires on the car while it’s going 60 MPH!

The Insight

Ignatian spirituality considers everything an important element of your life.

That includes religious services, prayer, and charitable works, to be sure, but it also includes friends, family, work, relationships, suffering, and joy, as well as nature, music, and pop culture.

First Wave

Second Wave

Identify unmet

needs in the

journey

Objective: Optimize activities to align with, and enrich, stages of journey

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Orient

Discover

Inquire and

Evaluate

Visit

Apply

Admit / Consider Accepts

Select / Deposit

The Student Journey

AWARENESS

GA

IN IN

TE

RE

ST

CONSIDER SCHOOLSSTART TO TAKE ACTION

MAKE DECISIONINTERESTED

Freshman Sophomore

Junior

Se

nio

r

ARRIVE ON

CAMPUS

In-Person Touchpoint

Note: Doesn’t include email contact sequence 19

• Populate awareness-driving content in

channels where audience is already

engaging (e.g. Vine, Facebook,

Instagram, hangouts, etc.)

• Leverage M&C messages

Carnegie

Ads

College

Fair

Scholarships (M&C)

1. Exp., Reflect, Art,

Repeat

2. Science Brain

3. Desk

Thank You

Postcard (M&C)Spring Visit

(M&C)

College Fair

Info Cards

Road PieceGeneral Visit Mailer

Visit

Visit

Presentatio

n

Financial aid

Workshop

(M&C)

Incentive

Postcard

Accepted

Letters &

Frames

Accepted

Visit

Brochure

Visit

Visit Days

Science

Trifold

The Journey: Now

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Results!

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more inquiries – up 12% more applications – up 3%more campus visits – up 57%more deposits – up 32%

great feedback from focus groupsgreat feedback from parentsgreat feedback from campus great feedback from awards shows

So what does this have to do with adult audiences?

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Effectively addressing the adult market

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Year Over Year Decline

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0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14

[CPS] ENROLLMENTS

Changing Landscape: A recipe for challenging times

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Review of Strategic Plan, Message Platform and Creative Execution

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LAY IT ALL OUT: WHAT’S WORKING AND WHAT’S NOT.

Message platform didn’t resonate

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Wrong Message, Wrong Plan

Some good research but executed poorly

Outdated media plan

Message platform and ad execution didn't resonate with audience

Budget spread too thin with no frequency in the right channels

Spent huge investment in wrong markets

Lack of understanding of ROI measures

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…And the downward spiral continued

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PAUSED, REASSESSED, MADE A CHANGE.

Everyone eagerly awaited decisions

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Established clear strategic imperatives

@RegisUniversity | @zigzagJeff | @thePrimacy32

Tangible, measurable enrollment

marketing goals were established:

1. Drive Enrollment Impact

2. Synergize Marketing

3. Be Bold; Be Different; Be Relevant

4. More than Messages

Imperative 1: Drive Enrollment Impact

Strengthen the tie between investments and ROI

Revamp a university-wide measurement focus

Create a test and learn engine

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Imperative 2: Synergize Marketing

Align and harness investments, messaging, content, and

channels around common goals and unified calendar(s) to

drive scale and impact

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Imperative 3: Be Bold; Be Different; Be Relevant

Differentiate Regis in the “sea of sameness”

Strengthen value propositions and messaging for specific

audiences

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Imperative 4: More than Messages

Invest in experiences and content that not only provide

value to help the target with their journey, but create

ongoing inbound marketing value and differentiation for

Regis

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Developed a new university-wide EM strategy, and stuck to it.

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One University

Regis College

RHCHP

CPS

Passion-Aligned Programs

Business & Management

Computer & Information Sciences

Healthcare

Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Education

One University

FY 2014 College-Centric Approach FY 2015 Audience-Centric Approach

Shift in emphasis

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University

Programs

Audiences

Colleges

Audiences

Programs

Colleges

University

University

Programs

Disciplines

Audience Passion

Regis University offers comprehensive Undergraduate,

Graduate, and Certificate programs in Business,

Education, Healthcare, Leadership, Liberal Arts and

Humanities, Management, Science, Technology,

Engineering & Math (STEM).

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Identified what we offer

Regis University offers comprehensive Undergraduate,

Graduate, and Certificate programs in Business,

Education, Healthcare, Leadership, Liberal Arts,

Management, and Science, Technology, Engineering &

Math (STEM).

Study Online (wherever you are), On Campus (at our

residential Northwest Denver campus), or at one of our

regional locations (for certain programs).

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And how we deliver it

Regis is One University, with over 120 programs, across (six) areas of focus…

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Business & Management

Computer & Information Sciences

Healthcare

Education

Fine Arts, Humanities & Social

Sciences

Science, Engineering & Math

Its not just about you.Its about them, and their passion.

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We are One University, with over 120 programs, across (six) areas of focus…

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…which can activate your passion!

Business & Management

Computer & Information Sciences

Healthcare

Education

Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Science, Engineering & Math

I want to address fair trade issues

I want to stop hackers

I want to be a part of healthcare reform

I want to lessen the illiteracy gap

I want to lead a non-profit

I want to build something that matters

Empathy-based.Audience-centric.

Raise big issues which align with passions.

Underlying themes:-Passion-Transformation

A new manifesto for a new platform

Deep down, we all see ourselves as agents of change.

We believe we can do something positive to make a better life for ourselves,

our families, our community -- and maybe even the world. And while we

look outward to see where and how to create change for the good, we also

look inward to reflect on our capabilities, ambitions and passions.

At Regis University, we’ve been an agent of change since our inception. We’ve

got a passion for propelling students’ careers and helping them follow their

dreams. And for championing the social causes that are important to us all.

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Expression of Passion-Activation Theme Explored

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Campaign Platform Inspiration

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Look outward. Inquire within.

Revamped our media plan.

New approach is audience-centric and empathy-based.

Completely reimagined and aligned with the passions of our target

audiences

Talk to audiences where they are already consuming media, not where

you think they might be

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- Programmatic

- Retargeting

- Contextual

- Social

- Cable

- Print

- Broadcast

- Online Radio

Change in Media StrategyFY 2014 Media Plan FY 2015 Media Plan

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Paid Search Results

• For first time program is under the $100/lead goal

• Non-branded leads are at $125/lead

• Weekend leads drop almost in half to daily leads obtained during week

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Multi-disciplinary Focus Print Ad

Display Banner Campaign

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Display Banner Campaign

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Online Radio: Pandora and Spotify

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Social Media

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Healthcare

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Program-focused Admissions Videos

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Awareness Action

Broad

Specific

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…BUT ALWAYS WILLING TO ADAPT.

ORIENT ---*120,000

APPLY2.5%

(2,970 / 120,000)2,970

DISCOVER 49.5% (59,407 / 120,000)

59,407

INQUIRY 24.8% (29,703 / 120,000)

29,703

VISIT1.1%

(1,373 / 120,000)1,373

ADMIT1.8%

(2,118 / 120,000)2,118

ENROLL 0.3% (393 / 120,000)

393

Admissions

Funnel%RemainingVolume

DEPOSIT 424 0.4% (424 / 120,000)

$9.12

$368

$18.41

$36.83

$796

$516

$2,786

Marketing

Allowable/ Student

$2,578

---305.6 (1.0 / 0.3%)

2.5%7.6 (305.6 * 2.5%)

49.5%151.3 (305.6 * 49.5%)

24.8%75.7(305.6 * 24.8%)

1.1%3.5 (305.6 * 1.1%)

1.8%5.4 (305.6 * 1.8%)

0.3%1.0

1.1 (305.6 * 0.4%)

0.4%

2013 Actuals

%RemainingVolume

2013 Factored

Marketing “allowables” established by stage of funnel

Identifying and Addressing the “Celebration Points”

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Example: Acceptance Frame

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Example: Acceptance Frame & Social Initiative

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Continuous optimizations.

Be Nimble

Trust your media agency

Try new things but be willing to fail

Analyze performance frequently (in real time)

Adapt when something works

Adapt when something doesn’t

Test different ways to say the same thing

Invest in the right strategies to reach the right person with the right message at the right time.

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http://youtu.be/trYYSRcuVv0?list=UUbBpM7mXy2aTnmHq2Z1Jzbw

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RECAP

Key Learning Objectives

1.Developing an authentic message platform that

resonates with your audience(s)

2.Empathy-based and audience-centric

3.Determining the right media mix for your budget

4.Test and learn approaches to campaign optimization

5.Run toward brand, not away

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THANK YOU!

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QUESTIONS?