Comments on: How Much Do We Know That We Don’t Know? http://krywosa.com/2008/12/10/how-much-do-we-know-that-we-dont-know/ Marketing Strategies for Student Success Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:57:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: jesskry http://krywosa.com/2008/12/10/how-much-do-we-know-that-we-dont-know/#comment-130 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:53:32 +0000 http://jesskrywosa.wordpress.com/?p=138#comment-130 I think it may not be possible for the university as a whole, but it speaks to creating niche marketing segments to speak to. There are many different facets of a large school that could speak to a variety of students but what I worry is that they arent being looked at that way. They’re typecast as majors or clubs or urban, etc. With so much more to expect from a particular institution, I wonder if its a strategy to consider, especially in search, social media, and communities.

]]> By: TimN http://krywosa.com/2008/12/10/how-much-do-we-know-that-we-dont-know/#comment-129 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:50:27 +0000 http://jesskrywosa.wordpress.com/?p=138#comment-129 Of course, the biggest challenge we have, as a comprehensive state institution, is getting people to decide on an identity or brand (and no, you can’t use the word “brand” in select company). Some faculty call us a liberal arts college, others a research institution, others a professional school. In a way, we are all these things, a floor wax *and* a dessert topping. In terms of communication, I just keep coming back to John Saxe’s Blind Men and the Elephant in terms of how we are everything to everyone.

What would people say is unique about our institution? There’s being on a Great Lake, which many students mention as a draw, but how do you position that as an institutional benefit (especially when you’re getting a foot of snow off said lake)? We’re told that we’re friendly (you betcha!), but again that’s not a reason to choose a school. And yet the real added-value — things like how undergraduates have an opportunity to do graduate-level research — are tough elevator speeches.

More broadly, creating identity for the students who attend is a worthwhile project, albeit one that would be subject to interpretation. Many of our students are blue-collar, first-generation, hard-working overachievers. Personally, I like that identity, as a fan of underdog stories, but it would be a tough sell to faculty who would rather cultivate a best and brightest image.

Q: Do you think such a unifying identity for a college is even possible?

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