When you work within a given industry for over 15 years you see, experience and ultimately learn a lot. For me, my decade and a half (plus change) in higher-education marketing exposed me to not only the challenges and individual pitfalls facing my own institution but those of my competitors and fellow college and university marketers across the country.

While many of these challenges were evident to me while I was entrenched in the field, it is only now that I have been given a new perspective on the industry that I have been able to identify a whole slew of hurdles facing those still trying to retract and retain students and donors while working to build a sustainable brand for their institution.

Based on that insider and outside view of the industry, the following is a breakdown of some of the current challenges I see facing the industry.

Higher-ed’s marketing hurdles

1. Being unwilling to think of students as customers
Early on in my career, I found myself in a board room surrounded by several members of a university’s administration when I just happened to casually drop the “c” word in my presentation. In an instant, what was once a lively discussion of an upcoming marketing campaign fell silent and I was immediately met with looks ranging from mild disgust to outright fear. It was only after the meeting had concluded, that I was pulled aside and told that the word “customer” was not one to be used in university’s board room.

Now, this entire episode might have just been a simple issue of semantics, but to me, being unable—or in this case—unwilling to think of students as customers signals a major problem for any university.

I work under the belief that everything a company does should start and end with the customer and I see no reason why higher education should be any different. From the programs you offer—and where and when you offer them—to how your website looks and functions, if it doesn’t all revolve around the wants and needs of your customers (in this case, students) you’re set up to fail.

2. Struggling to identify—or simply losing sight of—their USP
Just as “customer” is viewed as a dirty word for some members of the higher-ed community, I have come to believe that the entire idea of marketing is also sometimes seen as being beneath the esteem of the academy. Because of that elevated opinion of itself, many institutions fail to ever take a really close look at who they are and what truly makes them unique. And without knowing that critical piece of information, they will never be able to effectively differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace or attract the kind of students who would be the best fit.

A well thought-out, unique selling proposition is something that should be at the center of all communication efforts. A great starting point for any organization (higher education institutions included) is the development of a strong positioning statement. Simply going through the process of creating a positioning statement will help clarify exactly what the institution is, who they serve (back to that whole idea of students being customers again) and why the institution is the best option available.

3. Failing to build a memorable and unique brand
OK, if marketing is on the list of higher-education’s dirty words, “branding” is definitely on there as well. That said, I think over the past decade or so, most universities have seen the importance of branding—even if they use a different name when they talk about it. The question isn’t so much if a university has a brand (everybody does—whether they know it or not) it is whether that brand is truly unique.

From logos featuring stately clocktowers and not-so-catchy taglines about “bringing the world within reach” to unlimited use of the infamous “three under a tree” picture, universities often find themselves playing follow the leader only to create hundreds—if not thousands—of basically interchangeable brands. Doing so is safe, but if an institution truly wants to stand out and attract attention, they have to chart their own course.

4. Faking it
The dark side of listening to what your customers want is telling them you have it even when you don’t. Whether it is a diverse student body or a vibrant social life, higher-education institutions across the country fake it in an attempt to lure in prospective students. Beyond it just being unethical, the problem with this approach is that kids are smart, they can spot phoniness from a mile away and every future attempt an institution makes to connect with them will be met with cynicism and mistrust. More importantly, brands are promises and whenever those promises are either built on lies or broken, the brand is irrevocably harmed.

5. Trying to be all things to all people
The current funding crisis in higher education magnifies the overall importance of a growing and robust headcount. As a result, institutions all across the country are throwing strategy out the window and are instituting a shotgun approach to student recruitment in its place. Online learning, satellite campuses, programs for returning adults, programs for high school students, you name it and—regardless if it fits an institution’s overall mission or not—it’s been done. While that approach may bring in a few more students, focusing on an institution’s key strengths and trying to properly leverage them is always the best course of action for quality, long-term growth.

6. Letting internal politics interfere with strategy
One of my pet peeves as a creative director is getting deep into a project’s execution and having it become diluted or rendered ineffective as a result of internal politics. Too often, universities become too concerned about stepping on the toes of a specific program or department and end up just trying to give everything and everyone equal billing. This approach and unwillingness to put your best foot forward is ultimately counterproductive to marketing. To be strategic, you have to play to your strengths. While this may not initially make everyone happy, I am a big believer in the whole “a rising tide lifts all boats” thing and in the end, everybody will win.

7. Putting marketing in the hands of too many people
This one may be last on the list, but that doesn’t mean it is any less important or prevalent in today’s world of higher education.

Thanks to dwindling budgets, university marketers are increasingly told to do more with less. Unfortunately the bi-product of this phenomenon is that the role of marketer is falling upon more and more people—people who often have no experience and frankly would much rather be doing something else. When marketing is decentralized, you lose control. When you lose control, you lose consistency. And when you lose consistency, your brand is damaged. To combat this issue, university marketing departments must first of all have a strong brand standards system in place and then either find ways to take on the work themselves or provide others with the tools that will enable them to get the job done quickly and properly so that they can get back to what they do best.

So, there you have it, my top seven challenges facing higher-education marketing (and hopefully a few possible solutions along the way). Have thoughts or other issues related to higher-education marketing? Leave a comment below or feel free to contact us directly.