The 6 Elements of a Powerful University Positioning Strategy
The landscape of higher education is shifting dramatically. Declining enrollment, a saturated market all saying the same things, and a growing skepticism of a higher degree’s value demand a fundamental reassessment of how universities position themselves.
In this era of unprecedented change, a robust and well-defined positioning strategy for a university is no longer a luxury but a necessity for survival and success.
Insights, delivered.
The Challenges Facing Higher Education:
- Messaging Overload and Too Much of the Same: Prospective students are bombarded with similar messages from countless institutions, making it difficult to differentiate one university from another.
- Declining Enrollment: Many institutions are grappling with enrollment shortfalls, impacting their financial stability and long-term viability. Clarity in who you are as a University will help you stand out to the right audiences.
Erosion of Public Trust: Some question the ROI of higher education, leading to a decline in faith in its value.
In this challenging environment, a clear and compelling positioning strategy is paramount. It’s the key to attracting the right students, faculty, and staff, and to building a sustainable future.
A successful positioning strategy rests on five interconnected elements.
1. Audiences: Defining Your Target Demographics
Who exactly are you trying to reach? Understanding your target audiences is the cornerstone of your strategy. This goes beyond simply identifying “students” as a single group.
Student Segmentation: Are you targeting traditional or non-traditional students? High-achievers or those with specific academic interests? Local, national, or international students?
Faculty and Staff: What types of faculty and staff are you looking to recruit? And, namely, who do your students want to learn from? Academics or professionals? Or a mix of both?
Understanding Needs and Preferences: What are your target audiences looking for in a university? Where do they engage online? What are their aspirations and challenges?
Diversity and Inclusion: Consider the needs and challenges of diverse student populations, including low-income students, non-traditional students, or international students.
2. Geography: Identifying Your Recruitment Territories
Where will you focus your recruitment efforts? Know where your target audiences are located so you know where to reach them.
- Will you have a local, state or regional, national, or international focus? Based on the shifts we’re seeing in the current enrollment landscape, now could be a great time to revisit your location focus.
- Based on your program offerings and target audiences, what specific cities or states should you target?
- Where are your audiences located online? What sites do they spend time on? What sites do their parents spend time on?
3. Programs: Building Your Academic Foundations
What academic programs will attract your target audiences? Identify your institution’s strengths and areas of expertise. Compare them to peer institutions/local competition.
Is there anything niche you offer, or are you promoting the same strengths as your competitors?
Consider the demand for specific programs, such as healthcare, computer science, business, or data science. Be sure your programs align with your audience’s needs.
Offer a variety of program formats: undergraduate, graduate, online, in-person, hybrid, evening, etc.
Are you a liberal arts college or a vocational school? Be clear about your mission.
Showcase relevant faculty and their accomplishments.
4. Costs: Establishing a Pricing Strategy
How much do you cost? Tuition is a critical factor for prospective students.
Determine your pricing strategy: competitive, low-cost, or premium.
Align your pricing with your target audiences and geographic reach. Ex: A liberal arts school targeting future engineers may face significant challenges. Do you have the right programs to draw them in?
Financial aid and scholarship offerings are key elements of this section.
Budget more to ensure your tuition cost calculator provides real-time costs and a better experience for prospective students and their parents.
5. Support: Ensuring Student Success and Retention
How do we keep students enrolled until graduation? Retention is just as important as recruitment.
Do you offer:
- Active student life: student organizations and clubs?
- Financial support: financial aid programs?
- Emotional support: mental health resources, at-risk identification programs?
- Academic support: academic counseling and re-engagement programs? Adding a thoughtful first-year experience program or comprehensive orientation experience that allows students to immerse themselves quickly in campus life.
6. Experience: Show You Have a Fun Culture
The emotional appeal of your positioning is something many marketers overlook. We often speak with students about their selection process, and a recurring theme emerges: they desire a fun, meaningful college experience. While this sentiment isn’t commonly expressed by parents or school staff, it’s crucial for attracting incoming students.
- Your photography and videos should demonstrate a rich social life.
- Highlight your city! What is fun to do there?
- Showcase your events. What is welcome week like? What are things you do to help grow friendships?
Students need to see that your school will help them develop friendships, and they’ll also have a wonderful time attending. This may be more important for this generation than any other before.
Integration is Critical For Success.
The most crucial aspect of a successful positioning strategy is the integration of these five elements. They must work in harmony, reinforcing each other to create a cohesive and compelling positioning framework. Every decision made in one area should align with and support the others.
By developing a well-defined and integrated positioning strategy, universities can navigate the challenges of the current higher education landscape, attract the right students and faculty, and build a sustainable future. In a world of increasing competition and skepticism, strategic differentiation is the key to moving from surviving to thriving.
Ready to take steps to plan your positioning strategy? Let’s talk!
