BusinessWeek Focuses on Higher Ed

Jay Williams, Stein's President, was recently interviewed by a reporter for BusinessWeek about the topic of branding and how it is now a common focus for institutions of higher education. Flash back 15, 20 years ago and the term "branding" was barely mentioned. Today, almost every institution has incorporated it into their vernacular. Of course, defining the brand of a college or university is in many ways different from traditional corporate branding, but many of the same principles still apply. To read what BusinessWeek has to say, go to:
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2008/bs2008085_851921.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_business+schools.

Managing your online identity: Chi.mp

Have you heard about Chi.mp? Currently in its alpha stage, Chi.mp will provide you with a way to manage your online identity from your own domain. If you don't have a domain, Chi.mp will give you one for free. Chi.mp basically centralizes all of your various online identities into one place, and then lets you manage them from there. I'm still trying to get my head around how this will work, so I've signed up to receive updates as Chi.mp progresses from alpha stage to beta stage. To learn more about it yourself, go to: http://www.chi.mp/what-is-chimp/.

YouTube Video: Truth in Comedy

If you work in the marketing or advertising field, you've probably seen the following YouTube video, but if you haven't, it's definitely worth your time -- if you're in the mood for a really good chuckle. As with any great comedy, it takes truth and pushes it to the extreme. The message of the video? If you hire an agency for their expertise -- their strategic skills, their creativity, their insight -- you need to trust them to do their job. Although the creative process is a collaborative one between client and agency, it is up to the agency to be your guide through the process so that the end result is something you can both be proud of, something that is powerful and effective. Not something that has been watered down by politics or indecision. Check out the video for a hilarious take on how the creative process can go wrong:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=kU9YeOQm3Y0.

Knol: Google's Answer to Wikipedia

Google recently launched the beta version of its answer to Wikipedia. It's called Google Knol (a Knol is a unit of knowledge) and it strives to be a more trust-worthy version of Wikipedia. Rather than an anonymous mass of contributors/editors, Google Knol has one professional steeped in the "academia of the topic" serve as topic editor. To learn more, check out the following article: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Search/Googles-Wikipedia-Answer-A-Second-Shooter-on-the-Google-KnolWikipedia-Battle/. To access Google Knol, go to: http://knol.google.com

The Davidson Trust

To accompany the NY Times article mentioned in my last post, click on the link included below to learn more about how Davidson College is ensuring that 100 precent of the financial needs of its students are being met. Stein had the wonderful opportunity to work with Davidson in naming this initiative. To learn more, go to: http://www.steincommunications.com/cgi-bin/MySQLdb?VIEW=/work/view_one.txt&RESULTS=/work/regular.html&portfolioid=29

NY Times Article Highlights Berea College

The New York Times ran an article today discussing the use of college and university endowments. The article highlights Berea College and its mission to serve low-income families. Berea's endowment puts it among the wealthiest of all U.S. colleges and universities and it allows the college to provide free tuition to its entire student body. Berea's approach has helped spark debate over how some of the country's wealthiest institutions are serving the public good with their endowments. To read more, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/education/21endowments.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=7b92f03a02b04d0b&ex=1216785600

Jim Carroll: Futurist, Trends, and Innovation Expert

I was searching online for something and landed on Jim Carroll's web site. Jim is a "futurist, trends, and innovation expert". His section on "10 Big Trends that Define Corporate Strategy" really jumped out at me. It is his sage take on what should be driving your leadership agenda. Whether you work for a Fortune 500 company, own a small business, or run the admissions or development office at a college or university, it's worth a read: http://www.jimcarroll.com/10s/10trends.htm. There are some take-aways on there for every individual, whether you are a change-agent, department leader, or someone thinking about how to maneuver their career in the ever-changing global marketplace.

One Word Branding Campaigns

Have you heard about Oberlin's 2-year old branding campaign? NPR recently talked about it and had some interesting thoughts to share from Oberlin's current and prospective students. Many of Oberlin's current students have mocked the campaign - making fun of it on campus, videos posted on YouTube, even writing songs parodying it. The campaign? It's "We Are Oberlin: Fearless". Ironically, despite current students saying they are not comfortable with the label "fearless", they have shown a certain fearlessness in their open ridicule of the campaign. The intention of the campaign was to get Oberlin noticed by more prospective students -- and it has apparently tested quite well among this population. Feedback stated that it caught their attention -- they know it's marketing, but it did make them take a second look.

Educational Marketing SuperStar

Ross Lenhart, Executive VP for Stein Communications, is retiring on July 31st. Ross would never call himself a superstar -- he is much too humble for that. But a superstar he is. Lucky for us, Ross is going to continue working with Stein as a consultant. His expertise is invaluable. He has been a colleague, mentor and dear friend to me these past six years. He has inspired so many of us to fall in love with this work. Parties will be had, toasts will be made, and conversations will continue, but I am writing this to begin the process of thanking Ross for all he does and sharing my feelings about the role he has personally played in the lives of his colleagues and his clients. Ross mentioned to me the other day that he has been spending some time reflecting on his career and figuring out how many institutions he had personally called a client. The number? 147. That didn't count the many schools he worked with as an advisor or additional member of the creative team. Can you imagine the stories he could tell? Someone with the kind of perspective Ross has should write a book. So, Ross, have you started yet?

Vanderbilt's Use of Facebook

I'm going to pick on my alma mater in a second, but first let me sing some praise. Vanderbilt University does a tremendous job with its marketing efforts. Typically, it seems to operate like a well-oiled machine. An example of this is a recent experience I had. As a recent mother of twin girls, for the first time ever, I sent in an update for the Class Notes section of Vandy's alumni magazine. Within three days of submitting my update, I received two baby t-shirts, exactly the right size, saying "Commodores in Training", Vanderbilt University. A lovely touch -- and a smart one. It was a warm & fuzzy gesture -- and one that will endear me further to the University I care about -- this will most likely translate into more donations? more volunteer time? Or at least my desire to spread the Vanderbilt gospel. For every action there is a reaction.

So, here's the part where I pick on them. Facebook. They need to embrace Facebook. For now, Facebook is the most used web site of the prospective students they are trying to reach, their current student population, and, most likely, their recent alumni base. So, why is their facebook page so lacking? Haven't they noticed that even their Gen X alumni are now using it in force? Vandy, it's time to roll up your shirt sleeves and get to work. It doesn't take much time. Post events, update photos, use it to promote your annual fund. As of this morning, you have 1,367 fans on your facebook page -- so make the use of the captive audience and share some love!

I share this not only to commend and give some advice to my friends at Vanderbilt, but in hopes that other colleges and universities will muse over this as well.