May 1st 12 Posted by Bob Sevier

All Blogged up and Nowhere to Go

We are so excited about audience-generated content. It implies engagement and involvement and all kinds of great things. But there is a dark side, too. Andrew Keen, in The Cult of the Amateur, notes that “amateur hour has arrived, and the audience is running the show.” While I don’t necessarily subscribe to that entire sentiment, I do wonder about the sometimes reckless creation, dissemination,... read more

Mar 21st 12 Posted by Bob Sevier

Eschew Vagueness, Seek Clarity

When you are not sure about which of your messages matter most, there will be a great temptation to send as many messages as possible with the hope that something will stick. Let me give you four reasons why this “shotgun” strategy is dangerous. First, this strategy causes your most important audiences to lose sight of what makes you compelling. Over time, they will question whether they are important... read more

Mar 16th 12 Posted by admin

Stamats Wins “Best of Show” in Two Agency Competitions

Photo of previous awards won. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – Recently, Stamats, Inc., won best of show awards—and a number of gold, silver, and bronze medals—in two agency competitions. At the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City American Advertising Federation (Addys) Awards held on February 26, Stamats won best of category for the Ramapo College Capital Campaign brochure, the University of South Florida Polytechnic... read more

Feb 27th 12 Posted by Eric Sickler

To Truly Transform Your Market Position

In his 2011 book, Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant , author David Aaker puts his finger squarely on the paradigm shift I believe offers the greatest potential for colleges and universities to pull themselves out of the higher education blur:  To be best positioned to thrive in the decades ahead, campus leaders must forsake their tired quest for brand preference in favor of creating and... read more

Feb 17th 12 Posted by Chuck Reed

Winter: Strategy Impacts Message

Photo by Brenda Starr For many, this is a great time of year to stay indoors when you’re not enjoying winter’s own outdoor charms (despite the freakish temperatures around many northern campuses this year). With coffee in hand, this is the ideal opportunity to address your institution’s strategic plan and your role in the remaining months as to what is needed in both word and action. February... read more

Feb 10th 12 Posted by Eric Sickler

The College Scorecard

The College Scorecard I’m the first to admit that my faith in the American political system is more often shaken than stirred. Blame it on my having spent a lifetime in a state where caucuses and corn share the national spotlight in equal proportions. If you pay an ounce of attention to national affairs, you know Iowa “enjoys” the brunt of every presidential campaign season. When politicians... read more

Feb 9th 12 Posted by Bob Sevier

Bob Is Tweeting and The Innovative University

Yes, I am tweeting. If you would like to follow along, please go to: @Sevier_Stamats. I promise not to bore you with anything about travel, what meetings I am going to, schools I am visiting, or any of that other stuff that seems to clog most tweets. Thanks. New Federal College “Scorecard” President Obama, of late, has been voicing his concerns about the need to more closely monitor such things... read more

Feb 1st 12 Posted by Eric Sickler

President Barack Obama on Higher Education Marketing?

“So let me put colleges and universities on notice:  If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding you get from taxpayers will go down. Higher education can’t be a luxury. It is an economic imperative that every family in America should be able to afford.” If you heard those words live during the president’s State of the Union speech last week, there’s a good chance something inside... read more

Oct 4th 11 Posted by Brenda Harms

Marketing and Recruitment: The Dynamic Duo for Success

One of the greatest claims I hear made when enrollment numbers are down is that it is due to lack of marketing, or lack of good marketing, depending on the school.  While I absolutely agree that good marketing is a critical first step (you don’t get to work at a marketing firm without this fundamental belief), it is not the only step.  How many of us have ever purchased anything (let alone something... read more

Jul 7th 11 Posted by Bob Sevier

The Lesson of the Honda Accord Hybrid

In 2005, Honda launched a hybrid version of its popular Accord. While sales of the Toyota Prius skyrocketed, sales of the Accord hybrid failed to meet expectations. From a marketing perspective a big question is “why?” Here’s the answer. While the Accord hybrid technology was comparable to the Prius in many ways—and superior to the Prius in some, Honda made a fatal mistake: They wrapped all... read more