The document summarizes the key findings of a symposium presented by TRU Insight on marketing higher education to prospective students. Some of the main points include: prospective students do not care about a college's president and viewbooks are often discarded; the future of colleges depends on career services; community colleges are becoming more competitive; and current students want to feel the college cares about them. TRU Insight presented data and insights on how to effectively recruit students and highlighted strategies being used successfully by other institutions.
5. 42%
“I like to do things that could be
considered risky or dangerous.”
33%
TEENS 34%
TWENTIES
LOWER! LOWER!
6. “I like to do things that could be
considered risky or dangerous.”
33% 34%
TWENTIES
LOWER! LOWER!
7. “I like to do things that could be
considered risky or dangerous.”
33% 34%
LOWER! LOWER!
8. 56%
“People look to me for my advice and opinions.”
61%
TEENS 69%
TWENTIES
HIGHER! HIGHER!
9. “People look to me for my advice and opinions.”
61% 69%
TWENTIES
HIGHER! HIGHER!
10. “People look to me for my advice and opinions.”
61% 69%
HIGHER! HIGHER!
11. WHO’S TRU?
Leading
U.S. youth
researcher for
past 30 years
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 11
12. WHO’S TRU?
Leading
U.S. youth World-class
researcher for roster of 200+
past 30 years blue-chip clients
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 12
13. WHO’S TRU? Insights
Program
for
Colleges &
Leading Universities
U.S. youth World-class
researcher for roster of 200+
past 30 years blue-chip clients
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 13
18. I have a hard
time believing
what I read, hear
or see...
(Top 2 box)
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 18
19. I have a hard
time believing
what I read, hear
or see...
(Top 2 box)
65
55
52
48
41 40
35
32
Advertising TV news shows Magazines Newspapers
18-19 YEAR-OLDS 20-23 YEAR-OLDS
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 19
20. I have a hard
time believing
what I read, hear
or see...
(Top 2 box)
65
55
52
48
41 40
35
32
Advertising TV news shows Magazines Newspapers
18-19 YEAR-OLDS 20-23 YEAR-OLDS
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 20
21. I have a hard
time believing
what I read, hear
or see...
(Top 2 box)
65
55
52
48
41 40
35
32
Advertising TV news shows Magazines Newspapers
18-19 YEAR-OLDS 20-23 YEAR-OLDS
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 21
22. I have a hard
time believing
what I read, hear
or see...
(Top 2 box)
65
55
52
48
41 40
35
32
Advertising TV news shows Magazines Newspapers
18-19 YEAR-OLDS 20-23 YEAR-OLDS
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24. Knowing what is true…
“It's hard to know
who or what to
believe
anymore.”
51 52
18-19 20-23
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25. Knowing what is true…
“It's hard to know
who or what to “It's pretty clear
believe what's true and
anymore.” what's not.”
51 52 20 11
18-19 20-23 18-19 20-23
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 25
26. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 26
27. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 27
28. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 28
29. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 29
30. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 30
31. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 31
32. How much you trust… (top 2 box)
18-19 20-23
People who submit user reviews or comments on
a website 52 61
Television newscasters 36 40
Professional athletes 32 29
People who write blogs 30 36
Corporate CEOs 19 15
Politicians 11 10
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 32
44. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3.
4.
5.
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45. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3. THE FUTURE OF YOUR COLLEGE
RESTS ON CAREER SERVICES.
4.
5.
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51. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3. THE FUTURE OF YOUR COLLEGE
RESTS ON CAREER SERVICES.
4.
5.
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52. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3. THE FUTURE OF YOUR COLLEGE
RESTS ON CAREER SERVICES.
4. YOU WILL LOSE TO A COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.
5.
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55. 76%
of high school students agreed that a two-year school can be
a good stepping stone for a traditional college or university
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58. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3. THE FUTURE OF YOUR COLLEGE
RESTS ON CAREER SERVICES.
4. YOU WILL LOSE TO A COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.
5.
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 58
59. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3. THE FUTURE OF YOUR COLLEGE
RESTS ON CAREER SERVICES.
4. YOU WILL LOSE TO A COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.
5. YOUR CURRENT STUDENTS
WONDER WHY YOU STOPPED CARING.
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 59
69. 1. PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS DON’T
CARE ABOUT YOUR PRESIDENT.
2. YOUR VIEWBOOK JUST HIT THE TRASH.
3. THE FUTURE OF YOUR COLLEGE
RESTS ON CAREER SERVICES.
4. YOU WILL LOSE TO A COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.
5. YOUR CURRENT STUDENTS WONDER
WHY YOU STOPPED CARING.
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM 69
70. FOR DETAILS, CONTACT
DEBORAH MAUE
deborahm@tru-insight.com
www.tru-insight.com
@truinsight
facebook/tru-insight
BLANK COVER DESIGN
PASTE NEW BACKGROUND IMAGE OVER THIS BLUE BOX
AND SEND TO THE REAR LAYER
WWW.TRU-INSIGHT.COM
Notas do Editor
Thank you for joining us for our presentation today. We’re excited to be here today to talk about today’s young people. We’ve hit you with a provocative headline here…one that may seem a bit strong. But we’ve been studying Millennials for a long time and really don’t think we’re overreacting here.Now, you’ve all probably been sitting all morning, so before we start, we’re going to play a game to get everyone’s energy flowing.And to play the game, I’m going to ask everyone to stand up.
BUILD Now, most of you have probably never heard of our company, so let me just say a couple of words about who we are. For 30 years, we’ve been helping the world’s biggest brands understand Millennials. Over that time, we’ve helped big brands like Nike, Coke and Victoria’s Secret better target teens and young adults. And just recently, we launched the Enrollment Insights Program, designed to help higher ed institutions better understand prospective students.
BUILD Now, most of you have probably never heard of our company, so let me just say a couple of words about who we are. For 30 years, we’ve been helping the world’s biggest brands understand Millennials. Over that time, we’ve helped big brands like Nike, Coke and Victoria’s Secret better target teens and young adults. And just recently, we launched the Enrollment Insights Program, designed to help higher ed institutions better understand prospective students.
BUILD Now, most of you have probably never heard of our company, so let me just say a couple of words about who we are. For 30 years, we’ve been helping the world’s biggest brands understand Millennials. Over that time, we’ve helped big brands like Nike, Coke and Victoria’s Secret better target teens and young adults. And just recently, we launched the Enrollment Insights Program, designed to help higher ed institutions better understand prospective students.
Add #’s/BuildSo let’s get started with the observations. First, prospective students don’t care about your president.
Add #’s/BuildSo let’s get started with the observations. First, prospective students don’t care about your president.
First, prospective students don’t care about your president. And you can substitute dean, or tenured professor, or YOU, for that matter. If it’s an authority figure, prospective students don’t care what they have to say. We’ve all seen and dealt with this sacredpractice of including the President and his or her welcome message. And we know that many of us have little say in the decision to include or not include the President. Buthere’s why focusing on the president is hurting your recruiting efforts.
This relates to a theme that we talk about at TRU called Trust Lust. In an age which every type of leader, hero, and expert has been disgraced and has been perceived by young people as less than trustful – think Joe Paterno, Chad Johnson (aka Ochocinco), Anthony Wiener, Wall Street, and even their parents – Millennials have grown up with a deficit of trust. Long-standing, previously considered sound institutions like the housing market, the stock market, and even a college degree no longer provide the assurance of a better life and return on investment they once did. With this foundation of distrust firmly established, Millennials’ youthful optimism leads them to fill the void by relying on word of mouth and non-expert, everyman voices. In fact, this generation us much more likely to trust the opinion of a complete stranger than someone they know – IF the complete stranger is someone they perceive to be just like them.
Here’s some of our TRU data that backs this up. Now, it’s not surprising that Millennials don’t believe advertising. None of us do. But 40% of teens don’t believe TV news shows, and 32% of them don’t believe newspapers. And the numbers for twenty-somethings are even higher.
Here’s some of our TRU data that backs this up. Now, it’s not surprising that Millennials don’t believe advertising. None of us do. But 40% of teens don’t believe TV news shows, and 32% of them don’t believe newspapers. And the numbers for twenty-somethings are even higher.
Here’s some of our TRU data that backs this up. Now, it’s not surprising that Millennials don’t believe advertising. None of us do. But 40% of teens don’t believe TV news shows, and 32% of them don’t believe newspapers. And the numbers for twenty-somethings are even higher.
Here’s some of our TRU data that backs this up. Now, it’s not surprising that Millennials don’t believe advertising. None of us do. But 40% of teens don’t believe TV news shows, and 32% of them don’t believe newspapers. And the numbers for twenty-somethings are even higher.
Here’s some of our TRU data that backs this up. Now, it’s not surprising that Millennials don’t believe advertising. None of us do. But 40% of teens don’t believe TV news shows, and 32% of them don’t believe newspapers. And the numbers for twenty-somethings are even higher.
And look at these numbers.
And look at these numbers.
And look at these numbers.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And here’s what we find most surprising. Teens and twenty-somethings are more likely to believe user reviews than any other source. Higher than television newscasters.
And we know that examples of this are everywhere. Look at the popularity of Yelp and Amazon.com reviews.
If you want more evidence of this, look at Rate My Professors. Over 4 million college students each month are using RateMyProfessors. They’re looking at College Prowler. They want to hear from other students. Not from you. And if you don’t give them information from people like them on your website and through social media, they’re going to look elsewhere. To sources you have no control over.
Within the higher ed community a number of schools are doing great stuff out there.
Your viewbook just hit the trash.
This ties to a TRU theme called “Immediascene.” And this is the phenomenon that teens can get the information they want, packaged the way they want it, whenever they want it, with the click of a button. They don’t have to rely on someone else to package the information for them.
The numbers on media consumption back this up. Media consumption among young twenty-somethings continues to shift from reading to online. This is weekly consumption. And they report that they spend 5 hours reading a book, and 24 hours online. And these numbers continue to shift.
Now, teens go online to get fashion trends whenever they want. This is a blog that was started by a ninth-grade student at Oak Park and River Forest High School, which happens to be where I live. This young woman’s name is TaviGevinson, and her blog gets millions of hits every month.
Now, teens go online to get fashion trends whenever they want. This is a blog that was started by a ninth-grade student at Oak Park and River Forest High School, which happens to be where I live. This young woman’s name is TaviGevinson, and her blog gets millions of hits every month.
For higher ed, microsites are a great way to deliver all of the information that a prospective student could want. This is MIT. TCU also has a great one. The most important thing is that all of the information is together in one place. Videos, blogs, virtual tours, links to social media, etc.
We all know the importance of the published statistics. More and more students and parents are interested in jobs outcomes. Are your graduates getting good jobs that allow them to support themselves? But the importance of career services goes well beyond on-campus recruiting and internships.
This relates to a theme that we call Virtual Intimates. This is the idea that Millennials have grown up with social media, and tend to not be as adept and forming and building relationships in the real world. They are used to becoming “friends” with someone with the click of a button. There are a zillion potential friends out there. So if one friendship doesn’t work out, there’s always another.Further, they don’t necessarily understand the differences between being virtual friends with someone and being actual friends. The idea that a virtual friendship doesn’t necessarily carry the same weight and benefits that a real friendship does.
The way this translates to the job search is that Millennials have trouble networking, relying too much on automated skill matching services rather than interpersonal skills.I’ll give you an example that just happened to me.Further, because rejection is so common, and has such low stakes in the virtual world, they can be immune to rejection, not understanding that the stakes are high, not only for each interview, but for each encounter with a prospective employer. They don’t necessarily understand the importance of, or are able to navigate, face-to-face meetings. And because statistics are that 70% of jobs are obtained through networking, it’s important that they understand how to effectively network.
And we’re seeing services pop up that provide PERSONALIZED advice & coaching at every stage of your careerMatching prospective job seekers with experts in the field to provide them a customized career plan.And we’re suggesting that higher ed institutions need to do a better job of matching students with experts to help them become more effective at the job search. Now, we know that career services offices are overwhelmed and we’re not suggesting they can do this by themselves.So institutions need to better leverage the experts they have – most notably, their alumni – help in this effort.
Wake Forest is an example of an institution that’s doing this really well. Career and professional development starts with students in their freshman year. And mobilizes services from inside and outside of the campus – including a large alumni network – to engage students early on, teach them the rules of the recruiting game – and make them more effective in their job searches.
For those of you who work for community colleges, this section will make you feel better. But it’s not good news for those who don’t work for community colleges.
This ties to a TRU theme called Neo-Traditionalists. And this is the idea that, for Millennials, the end result is the same – graduation, getting a good job, and all that comes along with it,, but how they get there doesn’t really matter. They want the same things as always, but on their terms. And in a way that makes the most sense for them. Prestige isn’t necessarily as important to them. As long as they get the degree that will get them the job, it doesn’t matter where it’s from. Now we have to say here that we’re not suggesting that top-tier institutions are going away anytime soon. There will continue to be students who want a prestigious degree, and who have the academic preparation and the means to make that happen. But let’s face it, while that’s the stereotype of higher ed – students who live on campus for four years and go to football games – that represents a shrinking part of the population of college-going students.
Community colleges don’t carry the stigma that they used to. It used to be that going to community college was considered an inferior alternative, and mostly for students who weren’t academically prepared for a four-year institution or who didn’t know what they wanted to do. But in our recent survey, 76% of high school students agreed that a two-year school can be a good stepping stone for a traditional college or university
We see this shift in many other areas as well, most notably in retail. It used to be that shopping as a discount store was something you kept a secret. Butt getting a good buy – a fashionable outfit at a lower price – is now something to be proud of. We see teens proudly shopping at Target, TJ Maxx, Old Navy. Places that they wouldn’t have been proud to shop at before.
Community colleges are doing a lot of things right. Not only are they creating 4-year degree programs, now that restrictions are starting to lift, but they are offering programs that have a direct path to job outcomes. They’re also focusing on campus life more than ever, building dorms, fielding sports teams, so that students aren’t sacrificing the traditional college experience.What’s the answer for 4-year institutions? Partnerships with community colleges. Most community college students will want to go on to a four-year school at some point, so creating clear pathways is the best way to get them. Make sure that they know what courses to take so that everything will transfer to your institution. Woo them along the way. And remove obstacles to transfer.
This relates to a TRU theme called the Big Easy. Let’s face it, teens are used to things being easy for them. Not only have they grown up with helicopter parents, who have done more for them than prior generation of parents did for their teens, but they’ve grown up in an era of Amazon one-click. This is a generation that grew up with Mom car-pooling them, and with their schedule posted on the fridge. They’re not used to life being hard.
This is a generation that grew up with Amazon one-click. And Zappos.com. Push a button one afternoon, and the next morning, a pair of boots shows up at your door. It’s beautiful.
And all of us in this room have done everything we can to make things easier for prospective students. We’ve joined the Common App.
And in many ways, we’ve responded to this as Enrollment Management professionals, right? We’ve made it really easy for them on the front end. We’ve built micro-sites, and we’ve joined the Common App. We have people monitoring Facebook pages so that their questions can be answered within two hours.
And then they get to campus and life gets really hard. We have intranet sites that are not intuitive to use, making it difficult to register for classes. We have financial aid and the registrar’s office and student accounts in different buildings, so they may have to go three different places to be able to figure out their bills. Now we’re not talking about doing things for them. We’re not talking about solving all their problems. That’s part of what you need to learn in college. But we’re talking about removing obstacles to getting things done.
And then they get to campus and life gets really hard. We have intranet sites that are not intuitive to use, making it difficult to register for classes. We have financial aid and the registrar’s office and student accounts in different buildings, so they may have to go three different places to be able to figure out their bills. Now we’re not talking about doing things for them. We’re not talking about solving all their problems. That’s part of what you need to learn in college. But we’re talking about removing obstacles to getting things done.
Because the rest of the world has whole staffs dedicated to making them feel special.Now, we don’t like to talk about customer service in higher ed. It’s kind of a dirty word. We don’t talk about students as customers. But at TRU, we believe that customer service is going to become a bigger and bigger deal in higher education in the next five years. As institutions realize that it’s just as important to focus on retention as it is to focus on new students, they’re going to have to start identifying those obstacles and breaking down institutional silos to make it easier to be a student.
An example of an institution that is doing a really good job at this is DePaul. With their DePaul Central one-stop customer service center, they’ve brought together three departments – Financial Aid, Student Records and Student Accounts – across three divisions. They have two office locations and a phone center as well. And staff in those three departments are cross-trained so they can answer questions about any of those areas. And the result is that about 80% of student questions can be answered with one interaction.
We’re not talking about solving all of their problems for them. That’s part of the growing up that happens in college. But we’re talking about removing internal obstacles to getting things done. Be honest with yourselves. Look at the things that make life difficult for your students and do something about them.So, those are the five observations we at TRU have that we believe are important for higher ed institutions to address if they want to continue to be successful attracting and keeping students.
We’d love to tell you more about what we do at TRU and how we can help you achieve your enrollment goals. Please feel free to stick around and chat with us. Or give us your card and we will follow up with you. But first, we’d be happy to answer any questions that you have.
