Marketing | The University Advancement Blog

13 Sep

In defense of the tagline (but not every tagline)

The following is an August 2016 post that I wrote for Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action marketing and communications blog. Higher education marketing is frequently derided for its lack of differentiation, and the much-maligned tagline is often front and center in...
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28 Apr

Back to basics: The benefit of the benefit

The following is an April 2016 post that I wrote for Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action marketing and communications blog. Heading to the nearby Starbucks is usually a quick break to get out of the office between meetings (my wife...
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28 Dec

The rise of the (unit-level) CMO

The following is a December 2015 post that I wrote for Inside Higher Ed’s Call to Action marketing and communications blog. If you accounted for the types of activities that fill each workday, what would be the breakdown of substance...
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18 Oct

5 questions with @HipHopPrez Walter Kimbrough

I had the pleasure of working with Walter Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans, earlier this year when he keynoted a CASE Indiana conference. (The next CASE Indiana conference is coming up November 1.) Dr. Kimbrough delivered an...
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11 Oct

From CURRENTS magazine: Taking the lifelong view

The following is an article that I wrote for the September 2013 issue of CURRENTS magazine, published by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Taking the Lifelong View Indiana University East smashed its silos, embraced student affairs, and...
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25 Apr

5 questions with Larry Lauer

Larry Lauer, vice chancellor for government affairs at Texas Christian University, is one of the more thoughtful writers in our field. His blog reflects on lessons learned – about strategy, leadership, organizational process, and much more – over the course...
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4 Mar

Book review: The Story Factor

In 2010 Chas Grundy, a marketing and fundraising professional at the University of Notre Dame, told me about the book The Story Factor. Chas is a great colleague; he shares excellent content via Non-Profit Chas and grundyhome.com, and we both serve on...
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17 Jan

5 questions with Seth Godin

Seth Godin offered some provocative words for higher ed in 2010 with “The coming melt-down in higher education (as seen by a marketer).” I have always valued his perspective on leadership (Tribes book review) and challenging the status quo. Seth kindly...
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22 Nov

CASE Indiana: Can colleges brand?

Elizabeth Scarborough, CEO of SimpsonScarborough, keynoted the recent CASE Indiana conference on 11.11.11 at Ball State. A dynamic speaker, Scarborough told us “Why Colleges Can’t Brand.” According to her, higher ed institutions can’t brand because: Every time we say “brand,”...
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21 Nov

AMA Symposium: Authentic branding; breaking down silos

A few weeks ago I attended the AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education in Chicago. There were two excellent keynotes on branding – “Authentic Branding” by Rich Lyons, Dean of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley,...
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Rob Zinkan's thoughts and recommended readings on university advancement

Category Archives: Marketing