Survey Shows Spending More on Marketing Pays Dividends
Colleges and universities that spend more on marketing are more likely to attract top applicants and boost enrollment yields, according to a new integrated marketing survey by CASE and Lipman Hearne Inc. The nationwide survey of 153 institutions also finds that targeted strategies—including direct, interactive and internal marketing—improve alumni engagement and overall fundraising performance.
“We have known for a long time that colleges and universities benefit by telling their stories in focused and cohesive ways,” said Rae Goldsmith, vice president for communications and marketing at CASE. “But what this survey points out is that the more an institution invests in strategic marketing and communications, the more it will gain in terms of achieving student recruitment and other goals.”
The survey tracks spending approaches and results for 2006 marketing budgets among public and private institutions, including liberal arts, master’s level, and research/doctoral institutions. It is the sixth such survey of marketing spending by Lipman Hearne.
The results show that colleges are spending 50 percent more on marketing than they did as recently as 2000. Much of the increase supports interactive Web-based communications and e-mail, although traditional methods such as letters, view books, and brochures remain strong.
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