How To Win The Loyalty of Your Students w/ Exceptional University Offerings

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.190 You were listening to the Higher Ed Marketer, a podcast geared towards marketing professionals 2 00:00:07.230 --> 00:00:11.910 in higher education. This show will tackle all sorts of questions related to student 3 00:00:11.949 --> 00:00:16.230 recruitment, don'tor relations, marketing trends, new technologies and so much more. 4 00:00:16.989 --> 00:00:20.789 If you are looking for conversations centered around where the industry is going, this 5 00:00:20.989 --> 00:00:31.019 podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome to the Higher 6 00:00:31.019 --> 00:00:35.299 Ed Marketer podcast. I'm troy singer and along with my cohost and Kevin Heart 7 00:00:35.340 --> 00:00:40.810 joke rider, Art Taylor, and today together we're going to interview Ethan Braden, 8 00:00:41.009 --> 00:00:44.929 who was the senior vice president of marketing and communications at Purdue University, 9 00:00:45.329 --> 00:00:50.119 and he is someone that I feel that is very wellknown within the Higher Ed 10 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:57.960 Marketing Community itself as being recognized as a dynamic marketer himself, but also leading 11 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:02.280 an award winning team. Yeah, troy, that's great. It's a pleasure 12 00:01:02.280 --> 00:01:04.549 to have him back on the show. He was our inaugural guest back on 13 00:01:04.750 --> 00:01:10.069 episode one. We talked with him about his you know, he was awarded 14 00:01:10.109 --> 00:01:12.829 the American Market Association High Ed Marketer of the year last year in two thousand 15 00:01:12.870 --> 00:01:15.430 and twenty, as well as his team. So they kind of swept that 16 00:01:15.909 --> 00:01:19.379 with the AMA, but he comes back on today. We wanted to talk 17 00:01:19.379 --> 00:01:26.219 to him a little bit about the recognition that Purdue University garnered in Fast Company 18 00:01:26.299 --> 00:01:29.620 magazine. They were one of the only they were the only university that was 19 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:33.650 recognized as one of the brands that matter, and so we talked with him 20 00:01:33.650 --> 00:01:38.489 about that, how that's impacted perdue and then how his marketing team is helping 21 00:01:38.530 --> 00:01:42.010 to tell those story. So it's a really good conversation. He is so 22 00:01:42.209 --> 00:01:47.519 inspiring, full of wonderful appropriate quotes and I'm excited to pick the brain of 23 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:52.040 the person who is leading one of the country's leading higher ED marketing teams. 24 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:59.640 So here's our conversation with Ethan Brayden. It's our pleasure again to welcome Ethan 25 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:04.390 Braden, Senior Vice President of marketing and communications at Produce University, to the 26 00:02:04.469 --> 00:02:08.430 High Red Marketer podcast. Ethan, it's great to see you again and would 27 00:02:08.509 --> 00:02:12.629 love for the people who may not know who you are to give us a 28 00:02:12.669 --> 00:02:16.500 little bit about perdue and a little bit about your role there. Sure, 29 00:02:16.659 --> 00:02:20.780 what's great to be back, guys. Thank you for the opportunity. Terms 30 00:02:20.819 --> 00:02:23.860 of produe, you know, or a world class research institution here in West 31 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:29.060 Loffiat, Indiana, of about fifty fivezero people. Right now, currently we 32 00:02:29.139 --> 00:02:32.009 got the number one basketball team in the nations, a fantastic and a sweet 33 00:02:32.050 --> 00:02:36.090 sixteen volleyball team and a bullbound football team. So it's a good time to 34 00:02:36.090 --> 00:02:38.090 be a boiler maker. But yeah, I serve as the Senior Vice President 35 00:02:38.210 --> 00:02:43.610 of marketing communications here, the chief marketing officer for President Daniels, and look 36 00:02:43.610 --> 00:02:47.919 after a Central Marketing Organization of about seventy individuals and then a marketing community that 37 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:51.840 spans the campus of about three hundred. So it's a pleasure of been here 38 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:53.680 three years. I've got my dream job. I have a get to job, 39 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:57.960 not a guy to job, and couldn't be happier. Well, Ethan, 40 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:00.189 it's great to have you back and really appreciate it. We've got a 41 00:03:00.270 --> 00:03:04.229 chance to talk a little bit about a kind of another topic. We talked 42 00:03:04.229 --> 00:03:07.430 a little bit about brand the last time. It was an episode one and 43 00:03:07.150 --> 00:03:10.150 appreciate you being our inaugural episode, but I think that one of the things 44 00:03:10.189 --> 00:03:15.180 that we wanted to bring you back on was recently produe university has been named 45 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:19.860 one of fast companies brands that matter, and I saw that come across in 46 00:03:19.939 --> 00:03:23.740 my issue of the magazine was really excited. So that recognitions honors organizations that 47 00:03:23.819 --> 00:03:28.930 give people compelling reasons to care about them, off for inspiration for others and 48 00:03:29.009 --> 00:03:31.449 authentically communicate their missions in their ideals. So tell me a bit about what 49 00:03:31.650 --> 00:03:37.530 that is all about and and how that came about. Yeah, we're tremendously 50 00:03:37.610 --> 00:03:39.569 honored to be named that list. You know, Fest Company Magazines A, 51 00:03:39.930 --> 00:03:44.080 I think, a tremendous, innovative, progressive publication. It has been for 52 00:03:44.199 --> 00:03:47.840 twenty years now and we've really aspired to break free and not necessarily, when 53 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.879 you know, local market addeas, or necessarily even appear in hot you know, 54 00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:54.909 inside hier et etc. But we believe we've got an iconic brand. 55 00:03:55.110 --> 00:03:59.069 You know, six Hundredzero, a lum's and our students on this campus, 56 00:03:59.110 --> 00:04:00.909 I think, validate this and it's a brand that matters, especially today. 57 00:04:01.509 --> 00:04:04.310 So to be, you know, chosen as the only University of the ninety 58 00:04:04.349 --> 00:04:09.509 five on our he's there with Nike, Threem for General Motors, Sonos, 59 00:04:09.550 --> 00:04:13.939 zoom yet e, etc. Was a real honor. We're thrilled in many 60 00:04:14.020 --> 00:04:17.819 respects to have that affiliation and I think it's been very validating for our product, 61 00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:21.660 but also our marketers who can see the the fruits of their labors and 62 00:04:21.819 --> 00:04:27.009 telling a powerful story and and mattering in this day and age. So we've 63 00:04:27.490 --> 00:04:30.810 couldn't be happier. That's great and I can speak and I've been pretty transparent 64 00:04:30.889 --> 00:04:35.930 before as a as a boiler maker parent. My son's a sophomore. In 65 00:04:36.009 --> 00:04:40.920 all transparency for everyone at a produe and so I think I can join that 66 00:04:41.079 --> 00:04:44.120 community at I've just been so excited to be a part of the of the 67 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:46.680 produce community. Even as a parent. It's been exciting and and even in 68 00:04:46.759 --> 00:04:51.600 our first episode we talked about how impressed I was with the protect produced campaign, 69 00:04:51.870 --> 00:04:55.430 you know, when my son was entering his freshman year in the middle 70 00:04:55.430 --> 00:04:59.629 of the pandemic. It was just refreshing to see that and I know in 71 00:04:59.670 --> 00:05:01.230 the article you kind of talked about one of your quotes was the fact that 72 00:05:01.990 --> 00:05:06.300 you've got thousands communicating on the behalf of purdue daily. No one can whistle 73 00:05:06.339 --> 00:05:10.459 a symphony alone. You know, it's got to operate like an orchestra and 74 00:05:10.540 --> 00:05:14.019 I I just applaud you and I think that's exactly right and and tell me 75 00:05:14.060 --> 00:05:16.100 a little bit about how does that? How does that then evolve into this 76 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:19.899 first class marketing engine that you also talked about, into that? Well, 77 00:05:20.019 --> 00:05:23.329 you know, I think you know. Number one is we've got a tremendous 78 00:05:23.329 --> 00:05:26.769 product. And so, as Jack Butcher says, right, he's like, 79 00:05:26.850 --> 00:05:29.730 Hey, it's a really busy, noisy world. So what we need, 80 00:05:29.769 --> 00:05:31.529 or a thousand people say, you know, sharing the entire in the same 81 00:05:31.649 --> 00:05:35.560 story with the world over and over for some sort of saturation. So we 82 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:39.160 do? We start with an amazing product with amazing support from our board of 83 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.920 Trustees, Mitch Daniels on down, and our group of seventy, you know, 84 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.720 has really pivoted, I think, from being the driven on campus, 85 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.040 you know, of local needs, of posters, flyers, things we talked 86 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:53.230 about last time, to the driver and and what that meant and what that's 87 00:05:53.230 --> 00:05:56.189 meant in two thousand and twenty. Two Thousand and twenty one is really pivoting 88 00:05:56.269 --> 00:06:00.589 to the chief storyteller, really feeling that we're a driver of inspiration, of 89 00:06:00.629 --> 00:06:05.180 prosperity and growth at Perdu University by deliberty, deliberately positioning our brand, promoting 90 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:10.100 our brand and protecting our brand and then that spreads beyond the Central Marketing Organization 91 00:06:10.139 --> 00:06:13.180 but to our thirteen colleges and the thirteen, excuse me, the three hundred 92 00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:17.420 other marketers, communicators and graphic designers that we see a cross campus again in 93 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:23.170 the Adam grant spirit of not necessarily on brand but in character. And how 94 00:06:23.209 --> 00:06:28.529 do we share those stories in a unified fashion, localizing to the college but 95 00:06:28.689 --> 00:06:31.329 still under the umbrella of Perdue University, being the very best version of ourselves 96 00:06:31.370 --> 00:06:34.360 at Pretty University, with the world and parents and students like you know of 97 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:38.720 our so it's been tremendous. But again it starts the product, right. 98 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:42.959 They talked about the reasons we won. It's it's living our brand. Yeah, 99 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.000 persistent innovation together. It's the date of mine right. That's taking students 100 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:49.829 from all of our thirteen colleges and bringing them into a learning, living community, 101 00:06:50.670 --> 00:06:54.790 no matter they're major, and making them data experts, date of fluent 102 00:06:55.110 --> 00:06:58.430 for the days that they're after the data science is working together, from fashion 103 00:06:58.550 --> 00:07:02.220 to pharmacy and everything in between. Its initiatives like the the polytechnic high school, 104 00:07:02.540 --> 00:07:06.060 right when we weren't seeing the underserved, the urm student, coming to 105 00:07:06.139 --> 00:07:10.139 produe with the fervor and the frequency that we wanted. We went out and 106 00:07:10.180 --> 00:07:12.420 built our own high schools, three of them now in the state of Indiana, 107 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:15.930 and so there are a pathway for students that were usually underserved by traditional 108 00:07:15.930 --> 00:07:19.569 high school and, I'll underrepresented in higher education. And we just had forty 109 00:07:19.610 --> 00:07:24.129 students, you're Om students, come to us from that first graduating class. 110 00:07:24.170 --> 00:07:28.410 Right. That's x what we were getting from the entire Indianapolis Public School System 111 00:07:28.449 --> 00:07:30.879 previously. So it's that commitment to persistently running in when others run out, 112 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:34.120 a you know, a commitment to innovation, a commitment to value and doing 113 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:38.199 it together. But again, when we tell that story we want to be 114 00:07:38.279 --> 00:07:41.319 on the same song sheet. Everyone gets their verse, but we're going to 115 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:46.389 sing the chorus together and thankfully that's been well embraced. That's great. That's 116 00:07:46.430 --> 00:07:49.350 great. Appreciate your sharing that and I appreciate you kind of talking about living 117 00:07:49.430 --> 00:07:54.069 the brand. That was it in my notes here on the article. You 118 00:07:54.149 --> 00:07:56.870 know, when you have the quote, it gave us a playbook to continue 119 00:07:56.910 --> 00:08:00.980 to show the world that we are and the persistent innovation that we stand for, 120 00:08:01.139 --> 00:08:03.819 even in the most discert certain of times. Note they're living out the 121 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:07.060 brand and I think that's really one of the things that I think fast company 122 00:08:07.139 --> 00:08:11.019 was recognizing in you and put you to put you in the Panthem of those 123 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:13.490 other kind of companies that they have. So I'm try. I know you 124 00:08:13.529 --> 00:08:18.649 had a question, yeah, and it was about the growing freshman classes that 125 00:08:18.810 --> 00:08:22.689 produce is experiencing. I know for the second year in a row you are 126 00:08:22.850 --> 00:08:28.040 welcoming your largest freshman class ever, I believe. Yeah, I think there's 127 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:33.200 three things that really shine through in this last year or two. Their the 128 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:35.039 students and their parents are telling us. You know, this is why we're 129 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.840 choosing you and we're choosing even more often than we did in the past. 130 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:41.549 Right, we've grown twenty percent in the last five years. We essentially added 131 00:08:41.590 --> 00:08:46.909 an additional class of tenzero students to the exit per university of the last five 132 00:08:46.909 --> 00:08:48.950 years. It's incredible, I think in the state of High Education in the 133 00:08:48.950 --> 00:08:52.269 state of Indiana and public universities, etceter it's it's bucking the trend that we're 134 00:08:52.269 --> 00:08:56.259 seeing nationally otherwise. And so you know, in state students are voting with 135 00:08:56.299 --> 00:08:58.700 their feet to come here, but put out of state, students are two 136 00:08:58.100 --> 00:09:01.779 and that's what made the big difference this past year and they've told us three 137 00:09:01.779 --> 00:09:05.379 things. They've said number one, your reputation. I know coming into Prett 138 00:09:05.379 --> 00:09:09.700 University I'm going to get a rigorous education that will pay off, as the 139 00:09:09.779 --> 00:09:13.009 NBC noted last year, when I graduate. So I have that great brand, 140 00:09:13.090 --> 00:09:16.129 I have that great alumni network, I have that great training to live 141 00:09:16.169 --> 00:09:20.090 out the future that I'm that I'm aspiring to have the ambitions that I want 142 00:09:20.129 --> 00:09:24.169 to achieve. Number One. Number two value. Right, we just announced 143 00:09:24.210 --> 00:09:28.480 our eleventh straight year of a tuition freeze. Sixtyzero students now are going to 144 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:31.799 graduate having never seen the price increase while they were a pre university. Families 145 00:09:31.799 --> 00:09:35.799 across those ten years, now eleven are going to save a collective one billion 146 00:09:35.879 --> 00:09:39.429 dollars versus had we just raised our rates at the average of the big ten. 147 00:09:41.269 --> 00:09:43.950 And now sixty percent of our students are graduating debt free, which we've 148 00:09:43.950 --> 00:09:46.070 seen with generation Z, is a huge piece right there, dead averse, 149 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:50.710 and that's versus a national average of about thirty nine percent. So they're saying 150 00:09:50.710 --> 00:09:54.340 hey, I can come and not only get this incredible product. The numerator 151 00:09:54.419 --> 00:09:58.419 is really good, but the denominator sings to and it creates an equation of 152 00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:01.899 value that's really powerful, whether we cross state lines or we stay in state. 153 00:10:01.379 --> 00:10:05.539 And then the last again, right speaking to the segment of students that 154 00:10:05.620 --> 00:10:07.250 Produn A, your verse, the Appeals To, and I get that we're 155 00:10:07.250 --> 00:10:11.850 not for everybody. The produce student and the POMONA student are likely not the 156 00:10:11.889 --> 00:10:13.769 same student, and that's why we have to segment and that's why there's four 157 00:10:13.850 --> 00:10:18.690 thousand, you know, Greek degree granting institutions across North America. You spent 158 00:10:18.769 --> 00:10:24.320 fifty million to prepare to have the vulnerable protected, to get de densified a 159 00:10:24.440 --> 00:10:28.440 campus and bring us back and give us the most normal, open and active 160 00:10:28.440 --> 00:10:31.440 undergraduate experience you could imagine. We appreciated that and we want to do that 161 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:35.519 in twenty one and twenty two and beyond, and so our response to covid 162 00:10:35.350 --> 00:10:39.389 really shines through in our surveys right now of why students, both in State 163 00:10:39.429 --> 00:10:43.230 Nawt a state, are are picking Pretty University to come with their four years. 164 00:10:43.789 --> 00:10:45.909 I think that's great night. I want to add to that that I 165 00:10:45.950 --> 00:10:48.750 think that you go go back, going back to what you said earlier, 166 00:10:48.789 --> 00:10:52.179 Ethan, it's it's having a product that you can kind of get behind and 167 00:10:52.539 --> 00:10:56.019 actually do something with. As marketers. I think sometimes we were kind of 168 00:10:56.139 --> 00:11:01.179 given you so unfortunately, some highered marketers are given this this monumental task of 169 00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:05.769 selling something that's really not a product that can be sold, and I think 170 00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:07.929 that that's a challenge sometimes. And it gets back to, I've quoted you 171 00:11:09.049 --> 00:11:11.330 off in the idea of being a short order cook versus a chef, and 172 00:11:11.409 --> 00:11:15.929 I think that you have to really have that the proper ingredients to really be 173 00:11:15.970 --> 00:11:18.000 a chef and I think that that's one thing that I've noticed that produe having 174 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:22.919 a good product having, you know, commitment beyond you know it throughout the 175 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:26.080 entire organization, like you said, from the Board to the administration to President 176 00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:30.919 Daniels, who are committed to doing the things that are kind of bucking the 177 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.429 system, whether it's freezing tuition, whether it's, you know, saying in 178 00:11:33.549 --> 00:11:37.710 April of two thousand and twenty, we are going to come back and we're 179 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:39.389 going to figure out how to do that to give our you know, to 180 00:11:39.669 --> 00:11:43.870 give our students a real college experience, because that's what they invested in, 181 00:11:43.990 --> 00:11:48.059 that's will create and lead through that branding, create and lead through that marketing. 182 00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:50.620 You know, it's one thing to have a great product, is another 183 00:11:50.659 --> 00:11:54.659 thing to have a great support system. But then I think that as marketers, 184 00:11:54.700 --> 00:11:56.460 we actually have to do the work to get that to happen. Would 185 00:11:56.460 --> 00:12:00.740 you agree with that? Oh, absolutely. I mean, again, as 186 00:12:00.779 --> 00:12:03.490 you move from the short or to cook to the things that really matter, 187 00:12:03.529 --> 00:12:07.649 right, we want to be critical and material to the collective contribution that realizes 188 00:12:07.730 --> 00:12:11.450 our goals at PT University, those being the board's goals, Mitch Daniels goals, 189 00:12:11.490 --> 00:12:15.289 are probos goals, etc. Right, we're not here for marketing dust. 190 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:18.000 I'm not here for logos and colors and pamphlets and hey, can you 191 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:22.200 know on Friday, can you make this prettier for Monday? I want to 192 00:12:22.240 --> 00:12:26.840 tell amazing stories that captivate audiences, that inspire audiences and create action. Right, 193 00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:30.950 whether that means you apply, you come work for us, you move, 194 00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:33.230 whatever it may be. You know, marketing supposed to create actions, 195 00:12:33.269 --> 00:12:37.909 supposed to create change. We're supposed to be the catalyst to, you know, 196 00:12:37.990 --> 00:12:41.509 exceptional experiences with our brands. And so that's the that's the perspective, 197 00:12:41.950 --> 00:12:46.100 that's the orientation, that's the empowerment that are set. You know, team 198 00:12:46.139 --> 00:12:48.460 of seventy really needs and wants to have and the culture that we want to 199 00:12:48.500 --> 00:12:50.980 have in terms of the contribution that we're going to give people on a daily 200 00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:54.659 basis. Right, John Gordon says, Hey, driving a positive, high 201 00:12:54.659 --> 00:12:58.009 performing culture requires more than words. After you know, everyone's got a mission, 202 00:12:58.129 --> 00:13:01.490 but what you really need or people who are on a mission, and 203 00:13:01.769 --> 00:13:05.370 it's I'm what I'm seeing in marketing here in a lot of other places across 204 00:13:05.409 --> 00:13:09.090 higher education, are people on a mission to do great work, represent their 205 00:13:09.169 --> 00:13:15.000 brand, create change, create action ultimately inspire folks with these iconic brands that 206 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:18.200 we have, these iconic brands that people gravitate to believe in are defined by 207 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:22.679 advertise across their chest, put on their bumper stickers, put on their license 208 00:13:22.679 --> 00:13:26.000 plates. Right. That's the kind of marketing I think that the Higher Ed 209 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:28.710 needs and, thankfully, many organizations these days are embracing and I think we're 210 00:13:28.710 --> 00:13:31.110 seeing the, you know, the fruit of that. Yeah, and I 211 00:13:31.230 --> 00:13:35.909 know that we talked to you know before we got on the on the recording 212 00:13:35.950 --> 00:13:37.789 here today. is about the idea of you, since you arrived at produe, 213 00:13:37.789 --> 00:13:41.340 kind of transforming that marketing communications from kind of being driven, you know, 214 00:13:41.419 --> 00:13:45.340 that shorter to cooked, to being the driver of the chef. Tell 215 00:13:45.340 --> 00:13:46.700 us a little bit about, you know, how that transformation has been going. 216 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:50.259 I mean it's been going through covid nineteen. You know, I think 217 00:13:50.299 --> 00:13:52.860 you've been doing some pretty impressive things in the middle of that. Maybe you 218 00:13:52.860 --> 00:13:56.730 can give us a little bit of an update on that. Yeah, happy 219 00:13:56.769 --> 00:13:58.809 to so. You're right. You know, we had to earn that bully 220 00:13:58.889 --> 00:14:03.850 pulpit. So it really came from one having the orientation and the charge from 221 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:07.250 the board and the president on down to say we are committed to having a 222 00:14:07.330 --> 00:14:09.600 high powered marketing engine and we're blessed to have that. Not everyone has that 223 00:14:09.639 --> 00:14:13.919 and I want has that orientation and that has to be a tailwind, I 224 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:16.120 think, to a team success. You know, number two. I got 225 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:22.240 here in November of eighteen and of the fifty four individuals that were here at 226 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:26.149 that time, thirty three have gone to different pastors at this point, where 227 00:14:26.149 --> 00:14:30.149 they retired, whether we move them along, where they took promotions, etc. 228 00:14:30.350 --> 00:14:33.389 And we've added thirty three back during that period of time as well. 229 00:14:33.429 --> 00:14:37.470 We've added twenty five individuals since the beginning a covid and the quality and the 230 00:14:37.659 --> 00:14:41.299 profile of those individuals is incredible. We're getting people, you know, out 231 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:46.179 of Borshoff, out of matchbook. We just got the associate director of creative 232 00:14:46.220 --> 00:14:48.419 services out of Vera Bradley two weeks ago. You know, she's on a 233 00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:52.690 Friday shooting the holiday spot, the commercial for Vera Bradley and Sun Valley Idaho, 234 00:14:52.730 --> 00:14:56.169 and she starts with us on a Monday there after because of her affinity 235 00:14:56.250 --> 00:15:00.889 for Pretty University and her ability now to remotely work. So we've had that 236 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:03.889 transformation. But the big one is let's pivot. Let's pivot again from the 237 00:15:03.929 --> 00:15:07.159 posters, the flyers, let's pivot from the random acts of marketing, let's 238 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:11.960 pivot from the requests of the colleges and instead let's create a movement. Let's 239 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.200 create a movement that that's really aligned and impactful and emotional and inspired by our 240 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:20.840 brand, and let's get those three hundred, you know, swimming with us, 241 00:15:20.840 --> 00:15:22.149 rowing with us, and that's what we've been able to do over the 242 00:15:22.190 --> 00:15:26.070 last couple of years. Thank you, Ethan. Would love to know what 243 00:15:26.350 --> 00:15:31.789 you think is nixt for both you and your team at Perdue. Yeah, 244 00:15:31.870 --> 00:15:35.059 what's next? I mean it's it's always the pursuit of greatness. Right now. 245 00:15:35.059 --> 00:15:37.340 We're never done. I was asking our day. Will you have some 246 00:15:37.419 --> 00:15:41.659 time around the holidays when you're busy, seasons etc. That I think hired 247 00:15:41.740 --> 00:15:43.500 market is these days. Get it. It's it's never done. Right. 248 00:15:43.580 --> 00:15:48.460 There's the next story, the next opportunity to tell the next for A. 249 00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:52.649 There's postulating into the future and seeing what's coming, especially with demographic decline and 250 00:15:52.049 --> 00:15:56.769 the diversification of Gen Z etc. So lots right, but I'd say probably 251 00:15:56.809 --> 00:16:02.169 the most exciting thing that we're looking at is really moving from the the mirror, 252 00:16:02.289 --> 00:16:04.480 which is still very power. Are Full produe university and Westlafayette, to 253 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:08.519 becoming, you know that, a juggernaut portfolio in higher education. Now we 254 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:12.440 have our high schools and we're producing students that are coming to university. We've 255 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:15.120 got our west off yet campus of fifty five thousand, the top ten most 256 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:18.710 innovative come, you know, innovative campus in America four times in a row 257 00:16:18.750 --> 00:16:22.350 now, top ten value, top ten public, etc. We got an 258 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:26.590 amazing thing going in West offayette. We are two regionals in Fort Wayne and 259 00:16:26.909 --> 00:16:30.509 in produce north northwest and the northwest side of our state, but here at 260 00:16:30.549 --> 00:16:33.340 pretty in west off yet as well. We've got our online offering, which 261 00:16:33.379 --> 00:16:37.580 was just ranked by news week is the number three online education in America right 262 00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:41.820 now too. And as we build that to say you can have that, 263 00:16:41.899 --> 00:16:45.460 that fully branded Perdu University degree, whether you're in west off yet or your 264 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:48.289 albuquerque. That's the next right and bringing that under the portfolio and the sixty 265 00:16:48.370 --> 00:16:52.610 percent over the age of thirty going back to school for Philpis and the stories 266 00:16:52.610 --> 00:16:56.529 are amazing. So hopefully, as we build out that portfolio and the way 267 00:16:56.529 --> 00:17:00.330 you would with Hilton, the way you wild with beat BMW, whatever it 268 00:17:00.409 --> 00:17:03.080 may be, within there, no matter where you're coming in your journey, 269 00:17:03.519 --> 00:17:07.759 there's a high quality perdue university offering for you, again, whether you're albuquerque 270 00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:11.440 or you're here, and then all of that spits out into an incredible product 271 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:15.119 which is produced for life. This notion of lifelong learning, this life, 272 00:17:15.160 --> 00:17:17.430 you know, this notion that we're going to continue to be associated with those 273 00:17:17.430 --> 00:17:21.150 six hundred eight hundred thousand alumni, no matter where you graduated, moving forward, 274 00:17:21.670 --> 00:17:25.309 boiler makers, Peru University brand, etc. So we're really focused on 275 00:17:25.390 --> 00:17:29.589 a portfolio that matters now and being really good, no matter where you enter 276 00:17:29.789 --> 00:17:32.779 in that segment the it's great and I just a note that I wanted to 277 00:17:32.779 --> 00:17:36.420 say about that. I've been really impressed and to hear you talk about it 278 00:17:36.460 --> 00:17:38.700 and to hear where it's going. The story of produe global. I mean, 279 00:17:38.859 --> 00:17:42.099 you know President Daniel's vision, in the board's vision, to be able 280 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:48.450 to see how to take a for profit company, purchase that and pull it 281 00:17:48.490 --> 00:17:52.410 under the produe brand and then to see you guys kind of merge that all 282 00:17:52.490 --> 00:17:56.769 together into the produe brand. I think is is a is a great story. 283 00:17:56.170 --> 00:18:00.319 I'm curious to kind of continue to see that play out. But I 284 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:03.799 think again, that goes back to that business leaning that I think Mitch Daniels 285 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:07.480 has, and I mean he's did. He did a lot of very creative 286 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:11.400 things as governor here in the State of Indiana and I just I'm so excited 287 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.430 to see him continuing to do that and hire at as well. Yeah, 288 00:18:14.750 --> 00:18:17.710 you know, it's the twenty one century land grant mission. I mean that's 289 00:18:17.750 --> 00:18:18.869 the way we're articulating at this point in time. We were, we're a 290 00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:23.029 land grant university. We re formed and created for that reason to take education 291 00:18:23.150 --> 00:18:26.500 to the masses, to take practical application to the masses, and now we 292 00:18:26.579 --> 00:18:30.299 can transcend state lines using technology. I mean that's incredible. We talked about 293 00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:36.500 one of the attributes of our brand being accessible prestige, prestige through sustained excellence, 294 00:18:36.700 --> 00:18:38.940 not scarcity, and that's the idea of being able to take the produ 295 00:18:40.019 --> 00:18:45.369 brand wherever we need to with produce global on students terms, right in ways 296 00:18:45.490 --> 00:18:48.809 that that allow them to continue their student their schooling, when life gotten away, 297 00:18:49.289 --> 00:18:52.690 and what they're telling is us, US is challenge accepted, I'll do 298 00:18:52.730 --> 00:18:55.210 it. And so we had two amazing speakers on Friday. Or A board. 299 00:18:55.289 --> 00:18:59.480 That's great individuals who have persevered to their first and to their third degrees 300 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:03.119 using pretty global again, adult learners on their terms, getting valuable produe degrees, 301 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:07.960 advancing the careers, advancing their families. It's the it's the twenty one 302 00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:14.309 century Land Grant Mission for us and we're committed. Think you even you're such 303 00:19:14.309 --> 00:19:18.150 an innovative and inspiring leaders. So as we come to a close, we 304 00:19:18.349 --> 00:19:22.470 like to ask you to share at least one takeaway that other marketing leaders could 305 00:19:22.470 --> 00:19:27.460 benefit from. And Higher Education and can be that can implement some time in 306 00:19:27.539 --> 00:19:30.980 the very near future. Yeah, you know, I thought about that question 307 00:19:32.099 --> 00:19:34.299 that you guys posed an advance and I've thought about what we've tried to do 308 00:19:34.380 --> 00:19:38.170 with our culture. We have a culture that's that's founded on four values here 309 00:19:38.210 --> 00:19:41.970 in marketing. Okay, for virtues. We talked about them. Empowerment, 310 00:19:41.369 --> 00:19:45.690 optimism, excellence and care. We want people that are going to come in 311 00:19:45.769 --> 00:19:49.049 the door forward leaning, with a positive attitude, with a very high bar, 312 00:19:49.329 --> 00:19:52.119 who love and care for each other. Right. But we're talking about 313 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:53.880 the other day. What really drives some of that, and I think a 314 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.599 lot of that, is the curiosity that we're finding in the individuals and within 315 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:02.119 the group of our culture, and so we're really committed to lifelong learning. 316 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:04.200 Right now, we're consuming a lot of books, we're consuming a lot of 317 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:08.589 podcasts, whether it's Tim Ferris, whether it's Shane Parish's knowledge project with it's, 318 00:20:08.630 --> 00:20:11.950 whether it's yours right, whether it's the highed marketer, whether it's barts 319 00:20:11.990 --> 00:20:15.950 emails. What I would encourage people to do is make sure that you're managing 320 00:20:15.990 --> 00:20:22.500 that schedule and allotting the time to lifelong learning, to curiosity, to continuing 321 00:20:22.579 --> 00:20:26.859 to absorb and capture that info and connect the dots, because what I'm seeing 322 00:20:26.859 --> 00:20:30.299 on my staff right now is them take readings, take podcasts, take other 323 00:20:30.380 --> 00:20:33.579 institutions best practices and connect the dots and say how do we do that here? 324 00:20:33.220 --> 00:20:36.930 But you know, I think it was well, I got a several. 325 00:20:36.970 --> 00:20:37.849 We got Mark Twain, I think it was said. You know, 326 00:20:37.930 --> 00:20:41.130 the person that can't read in the post person that won't read are equal, 327 00:20:41.490 --> 00:20:45.930 and I think it was hawking that said that the biggest threat to knowledge isn't 328 00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:48.529 ignorance, it's the belief that you know it all. I think our curiosity 329 00:20:48.849 --> 00:20:53.839 and I think our our lack of ego right our humility, combined turns us 330 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:59.319 into really powerful learners and thus marketer. So I just encourage people to a 331 00:20:59.400 --> 00:21:02.839 lot the time to consume, to think, to connect, connect the dots 332 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:06.670 and then execute. Thank you, Ethan. It's been a wonderful conversation with 333 00:21:06.789 --> 00:21:08.829 you and for anyone that would like to reach out or connect with you, 334 00:21:10.190 --> 00:21:12.470 what would be the best way for them to do so? I'm pretty easy 335 00:21:12.509 --> 00:21:18.269 to find. I'm Ethan braiding at produced Ot et. You are Ethan Braden 336 00:21:18.349 --> 00:21:21.859 on twitter, but pretty married to the phone, so shoot me an email 337 00:21:21.859 --> 00:21:25.299 if there's a something we can do to help or a resource we can provide 338 00:21:25.339 --> 00:21:30.180 or an idea we can kick around together as just so appreciate the collaborative nature 339 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:33.730 of the higher education market and the people have helped me along the way and 340 00:21:33.009 --> 00:21:37.890 those that like to help if possible moving forward. So anyway I can give 341 00:21:37.890 --> 00:21:41.769 it back, happy to thank you, Bart would you have any clues in 342 00:21:41.809 --> 00:21:45.089 comments for us? Yeah, I just wanted to kind of pick up a 343 00:21:45.089 --> 00:21:47.680 little bit on what Ethan said there at the very end, that very last 344 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:52.680 thing about being ongoing, you know, lifelong learners. Another quote that I 345 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.039 was thinking of when he is kind of quoting Hawkins and Twain, was Alvin 346 00:21:56.079 --> 00:22:00.799 Toffler and what Alvin Toffler said. Ways today, where you can't walk in 347 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:03.309 and say, Oh, I know that marketing stuff, to be able to 348 00:22:03.390 --> 00:22:07.750 realize that, okay, it's changing, it's changing rapidly and very fast, 349 00:22:07.829 --> 00:22:11.150 and you've got to be willing to put your ego aside and say, okay, 350 00:22:11.150 --> 00:22:14.509 what I knew yesterday doesn't apply to today. I have to relearn it 351 00:22:14.589 --> 00:22:17.579 for tomorrow, and I think that that's part of what I'm hearing. That's 352 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:22.099 the success of a lot of what produced doing and I really love always talking 353 00:22:22.180 --> 00:22:23.579 to Ethan and Athan. Thank you so much for being on the show and 354 00:22:23.660 --> 00:22:27.619 it's been a pleasure to have you again. The hired market of podcast is 355 00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:33.529 sponsored by Kaylor solution, in education marketing and branding agency specializing in higher read 356 00:22:33.609 --> 00:22:38.930 for over twenty years in by think patent did, a marketing execution company uniquely 357 00:22:38.970 --> 00:22:45.400 combining leading edge print, mail and digital marketing tools for higher yielding campaigns. 358 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:52.599 Thanks everyone for giving us a listen. You've been listening to the Higher Ed 359 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.920 Marketer. To ensure that you never miss an episode, subscribe to the show 360 00:22:56.039 --> 00:23:00.829 in your favorite podcast player. If you're listening with apple PODCASTS, we'd love 361 00:23:00.950 --> 00:23:04.309 for you to leave a quick rating of the show. Simply tap the number 362 00:23:04.349 --> 00:23:07.670 of stars you think the podcast deserves. Until next time.