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Developing an Informed and Compelling Institutional Brand: SimpsonScarborough

Developing an Informed and Compelling Institutional Brand: SimpsonScarborough

To be successful in today’s competitive enrollment market, colleges and universities must develop a strong institutional brand. Presentation by Jeff Papa.

UW Oshkosh

July 15, 2013
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  1. Developing an Informed and Compelling Institutional Brand June 28, 2013

    Jeffrey Papa, Ph.D. President and Partner SimpsonScarborough
  2. 2 SimpsonScarborough Services RESEARCH Survey Research (online, phone) Focus Groups

    (online, in-person) Depth interviews STRATEGY Brand Identity Major Image and Branding Initiatives Board/Presidential Level Marketing/Communications Consulting The SimpsonScarborough work process is designed to develop brand strategies that ENDURE.
  3. 3 • Defining branding and positioning • Understanding the importance

    of a strong institutional brand • Understanding your brand from many perspectives • Reviewing the steps in developing a compelling brand • Reviewing basic research methodologies • Learning from others: case studies Session Overview We want to learn from each other, so please participate.
  4. 4

  5. 5 Branding Is More Than What You Do To A

    Cow DEFINITION OF BRAND • The sum total of all existing associations made with your institution • Includes the good, the bad, and the ugly DEFINITION OF BRANDING • The process of influencing those associations DEFINITION OF POSITIONING • Your researched and documented desired brand associations Your logo, visual identity, and/or marks are simply reflections of your brand. Your brand is where you are now. Your positioning is where you want to be. Branding takes you from point A to B. You are successful when your brand equals your positioning. Branding is more than what you do to a cow
  6. 6 Branding Is More Than What You Do To A

    Cow Your logo, visual identity, and/or marks are simply reflections of your brand. Your brand is where you are now. Your positioning is where you want to be. Branding takes you from point A to B. You are successful when your brand equals your positioning. Branding is more than what you do to a cow Brand Branding Positioning
  7. 7 Branding Is More Than What You Do To A

    Cow Your logo, visual identity, and/or marks are simply reflections of your brand. Your brand is where you are now. Your positioning is where you want to be. Branding takes you from point A to B. You are successful when your brand equals your positioning. Branding is more than what you do to a cow Brand Branding Positioning
  8. 12 • Protects against economic downtimes and helps create sustainable

    advantages • Inspires loyalty and are motivational to target audiences • Creates relationships with customers, employees and other key allies • Creates market value as assets • Enhances value of other assets • Delivers consistency of experience Why Develop a Strong Institutional Brand?
  9. 13 Research is the Foundation What motivates your external stakeholders

    to want a relationship with your institution? What your community believes in and does very well? What are competing schools not doing or not emphasizing? Your brand positioning
  10. 14 • Understand and INCLUDE external audiences • Prospective students

    • Parents of prospective students • Parents of current students • Alumni • High school counselors • Trustees • Higher education leaders • Area community/business leaders External Image What motivates your external stakeholders to want a relationship with your institution?
  11. 15 • Understand and INCLUDE internal audiences • Faculty members

    • Staff members • Current students • Be sensitive to your institutional “baggage” • Conduct SWOT analysis • Create internal buy-in • Invite naysayers into the research process Internal Image What your community believes in and does well?
  12. 16 Pressing Questions Among Institutions • How do internal and

    external audiences describe our institution? • How does our school’s image compare to that of our competitors? • In what area(s) are we TRULY superior to competitors? • Do these differentiators exist only in our own minds? Or, are they clearly understood by our key target audiences? • What are our current brand associations? • What are the brand associations we want to emphasize, maintain, or lose? • What marketing tactics should we use to develop that image? • How can we ensure our messages are penetrating with maximum effectiveness? • How do we need to be organized to achieve our goals?
  13. 17 Establishing Guiding Questions • “Guiding Questions” are the 5-8

    broad questions you want your research to answer • If you have more than 8, your study probably lacks focus • Make the hard trade-offs (a “must know” vs. a “nice to know”); no laundry lists • They are not actual questions that would be asked during a focus group, in-depth interview, or survey • Imagine they could be the section headings on your report of the findings • Get buy-in from other stakeholders • List the guiding questions on all communications regarding the project; include them at the top of every draft of your moderator guide, in-depth interview script, or survey instruments Many survey research studies try to gather information about too many topics rather than delving deeply into one or two pressing issues. After you develop your guiding questions, you will be able to decide if qualitative or quantitative research (or both) is best to address your needs.
  14. 18 Choosing Research Methods Research Methods Qualitative Focus Groups (In-Person

    or Online) In-Depth Interviews Online Bulletin Boards Quantitative Direct Mail Phone Survey Online Survey
  15. 19 Choosing Research Methods There are pros and cons to

    every form of data collection. The decision on which method is best for your study requires you to accept the limitations of your chosen approach. Methods of Quantitative Research Method Advantages Disadvantages Direct Mail • Less bias • Respondents work at own pace • Ensures anonymity • Less expensive • Significantly longer response time • No probing • No control over response pool Phone • Strong response rates • Quicker than direct mail • Sequence is flexible • Allows for probing • No visual aids • Difficult to establish rapport • Interviewer bias • Overused • Expensive Online • Quickest response time • Generally less expensive • Allows for complex branching • Difficult to ensure representation • Difficult to identify usable sample • SPAM filters
  16. 20 Choosing Research Methods Example of an actual research plan

    for a branding project. Research Plan Audience Sampling Frame Qualitative Research Quantitative Research Prospective Undergraduate Students Rising high-school seniors who are on the school’s inquiry database 2 online focus groups Online Survey Parents of Prospective Undergraduate Students Parents of rising high-school seniors who are on the school’s inquiry database 20 in-depth phone interviews -- Internal Audiences Faculty members, staff members, and currently enrolled students 4 in-person focus groups: two groups with faculty/staff and two groups with students Online Survey Alumni All alumni with email address on file 2 online focus groups Online Survey External Influencers Higher education peers, high school guidance counselors, and area employers 30 in-depth phone interviews (10 peers/10 guidance counselors/10 employers) --
  17. 21 Focus Group Basics • Used to understand our audiences:

    • Feelings, perceptions, and needs • Motivations to give/not give • 8-12 members of target audience gathered for an open-ended discussion about topic of interest • One of the most frequently used market research techniques • Typically lasts 1 to 1 ½ hours; no longer • To ensure accuracy, conduct multiple groups • Typical project has at least four groups: same target audience, same guide, same moderator, etc. • Always audio or video tape Focus groups are generally more effective than surveys at exploring emotional drivers. Focus groups generate qualitative data which means the findings are presented as key themes rather than through the use of statistics, as is the case with quantitative research.
  18. 22 In-Person vs. Online Focus Groups • Formal, traditional focus

    groups may be conducted in a focus group facility with two-way mirror • Online focus groups are becoming an industry standard • Online focus groups typically involve: • The use of “webinar” software like WebEx or Microsoft Live Meeting • Participants dial into a toll-free number and log onto a secure server at the same time • The moderator can push content/visuals via the computer screen and take polls • Audio/video recorded and accessed online Advantages In-Person Online Ability to observe body language Cheaper incentives can be used Viewers can observe using facility with two-way mirror Save on cost of focus group facility Stronger “show” rate Shorter recruiting time Don’t have to deal with “technical difficulties” No geographic limitations More flexibility to use exercises and worksheets Greater sense of anonymity
  19. 23 Designing Survey Instruments • Exclude interesting, but not vital

    questions • Pay close attention to design, layout, and perceived ease of completion • Avoid leading or ambiguous questions; maintain objectivity • Open with simple, interesting questions • Progressively narrow the scope of questions • Place difficult, sensitive, or complex questions toward the end • Include personal information/demographic questions last • Plan time into the research process for extensive re- writing of the instrument • Ask the HARD questions
  20. 25

  21. 27 In descending order by Prospect responses Question Wording: (Prospects)

    If you had to choose just one of the attributes you just rated, which one best describes what makes Wheelock College a unique educational experience? (mark one) / (All other audiences) If you had to choose just one of the attributes you just rated, which one appeals to you most? (mark one) All Audiences 9% 9% 9% 15% 17% 19% 22% 1% 4% 14% 1% 42% 21% 1% 5% 13% 0% 25% 22% 3% 6% 16% 1% 43% 12% 0% 7% 11% 0% 38% 9% 0% 4% 4% 3% 44% 24% 21% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% 35% Children 34% 12% Development Knowledge abroad Better world 14% Research Multicultural Social Staff/Admin Current UG Students Current Grad Students Prospects Alumni Faculty Case Study: Wheelock College