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Finding success promoting Berry College in a rapidly declining market: A longitudinal case study of a marketing campaign to reposition a college brand
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
7
(3),
273-291
(2022)
Abstract
Recent declines in college enrolment may cause colleges to revisit their marketing efforts. This paper details the process and evaluation of a marketing campaign grounded in the college's three value pillars (mentorship, student work, and preparing students for life after college) aimed at repositioning a college brand. The objectives of the marketing campaign focused on increasing student and parent awareness of the college, student diversity and quality student enrolment. The effect of COVID-19 on this campaign is also investigated through a survey with first-year students, asking them to identify top reasons for their enrolment at the college. Evaluation took place through enrolment and survey data. The results over a three-year period since the campaign launched show success in terms of increasing parent awareness, overall enrolment, students with high school GPAs of 3.6 or higher, and students of colour. Objectives regarding student awareness and increasing the number of male students have not been met to date. The survey conducted with first-years to help identify the possible effect of COVID-19 on the campaign did not find COVID-19 to be a leading cause of enrolment, as identified by students. Rather, two of the three value pillars of the college: student work, and preparing students for life after college, were identified as top reasons for enrolment. This research demonstrates the potential solid return on investment brand repositioning campaigns can yield. Future research is needed to understand causal relationships and rationales for males choosing not to attend college.
Keywords: brand; campaign; higher education; enrolment; case study
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Samantha Nazione an associate professor of business communication in the Department of Management and Marketing in the Campbell School of Business at Berry College. Her research focuses on persuasion, social media and campaigns. She has over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals including those in Journal of Applied Communication Research and Health Communication. Samantha holds a PhD in communication from Michigan State University.
Melissa Clark is an associate professor of marketing at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina. She teaches and researches in social media marketing and has additional research interests in conscious capitalism, relationship marketing and pharmaceutical marketing. Melissa has published work in the Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services and the Journal of Medical Marketing, among others. She is a member of the American Marketing Association and the Society for Marketing Advances. Melissa’s PhD in marketing is from the University of Mississippi.
Nancy Rewis Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Berry College. She leads the Marketing and Communications teams actively supporting the strategic goals of the College. Nancy is responsible for managing a comprehensive marketing strategy for the institution and works across all departments to tell Berry's story through public relations, digital marketing, creative services, video and photography. Over the past four years, Nancy led comprehensive market research and a rebranding of the college. She spearheaded the development of a brand platform and guidelines with new marketing materials across the institution, including enrolment management, advancement and alumni relations. Prior to her role at Berry, Nancy was Vice President of Marketing and eCommerce at Gem Shopping Network in Atlanta. From 1994–2014, she served in a variety of roles at Turner Broadcasting, including Vice President of Marketing and Brand Development. As a strategic leader, Nancy consistently delivered results through developing integrated partnerships and brand extensions. She built a portfolio of five businesses generating more than US$70 million in gross revenue and directed product development and multi-platform marketing. Nancy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Mississippi.
