Institute for Humane Studies
Transforming Marketing in Higher Education
Challenges
- Lack of foundational story for broader marketing and promotional activities
- Confusion as to how to effectively articulate the story to distinctly different audience segments with unique perspectives on the organizational and the overall movement
- Marketing organizational structure not clearly defined, with various “shadow marketing” functions distributed throughout operating departments
- Significant inconsistencies and inefficiencies in functional support due to lack of governance around marketing discipline, related to both the brand story and the required tactical support requirements
Approach
- Interviewed numerous internal and external stakeholders across key audience segments (Undergraduate, Graduate, Networks, Donors)
- Conducted numerous internal workshops to understand key pain points and perspectives of IHS mission and vision
- Developed a 3S Playbook to identify prioritized initiatives to build the brand story and supporting components to move the organization forward
Results
- Delivered and implemented a powerful brand story that effectively addressed key disparate audiences (participants and donors); participation increased significantly among target segments
- Re-organized the marketing function to improve operating efficiencies, resulting in better overall support and performance
- Created new, differentiated campaigns focused specifically on the donor community
- Recommended and facilitated implementation of optimal marketing technology to enhance employee productivity
