Messaging for the Individual: How Data Can Help You Create Engaging Stories (Part 1)

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't have relations, marketing trends, new technologies and so much more. 4 00:00:16.989 --> 00:00:20.230 If you are looking for conversations centered around where the industry is going, 5 00:00:20.750 --> 00:00:29.219 this podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome to the 6 00:00:29.260 --> 00:00:34.340 Higher Ed Marketer Podcast, where weekly we explore ideas and insights from marketers we 7 00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:39.210 admire. I'm Troye singer here with a marketer I admire, Bart Taylor. 8 00:00:39.369 --> 00:00:44.450 In Bart, we get to talk to exceptional marketing executives in the BLUEGRASS state 9 00:00:44.609 --> 00:00:47.969 today. Yeah, Troy, and thank you. I really appreciate working with 10 00:00:48.049 --> 00:00:50.479 you two. This has been a great, you know, Journey that we've 11 00:00:50.520 --> 00:00:54.039 been on and we when we first started to kind of promoting the high ed 12 00:00:54.119 --> 00:00:58.000 marketer podcast, had someone in the Media Department at University of Kentucky reach out 13 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:00.679 and say, Hey, we've got a great story about how marketing and enrollment 14 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:03.679 are working together at UK. Would you mind if I pitched you on that? 15 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:06.390 And so we listened and heard them out and thought, boy, this 16 00:01:06.430 --> 00:01:08.590 is going a great story. Let's hear about this, and so really looking 17 00:01:08.629 --> 00:01:11.989 forward to having this conversation today and we've been so much so that it's going 18 00:01:12.030 --> 00:01:15.230 to end up being a two parter. Yes, it is, and, 19 00:01:15.349 --> 00:01:19.620 as you know, a common theme among some of our previous interview he's has 20 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:26.019 been how marketing and communication apartments are customarily known for aligning with their alumni offices 21 00:01:26.540 --> 00:01:30.459 and how that is changing for some schools, and at the University of a 22 00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:38.049 Kentucky they are aligning more marketing communications with enrollment and we're going to hear more 23 00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:41.810 about that and the success that they are having. Yeah, it's a fascinating 24 00:01:41.849 --> 00:01:46.170 conversation and I think it'll be really worth everyone's time to listen to both episodes 25 00:01:46.209 --> 00:01:49.519 and I'm so excited about it. Well said, let's get into the conversation. 26 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:56.400 I'm excited to introduce Julie Baylog, Chief Marketing Officer for the University of 27 00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:01.950 Kentucky, and Christine Harper, associated vice president of enrollment management of the University 28 00:02:01.989 --> 00:02:07.189 of Kentucky. Welcome to the both of you to the highered marketer podcast. 29 00:02:07.510 --> 00:02:09.110 Thank you. Thanks so much for having us. Really looking forward to this 30 00:02:09.229 --> 00:02:14.509 conversation, as are we and I know that we agreed to talk about some 31 00:02:14.629 --> 00:02:20.580 wonderful things, including how to best the ligne marketing and enrollment. But before 32 00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:23.340 we get into it, could you both give us a little bit of a 33 00:02:23.460 --> 00:02:28.539 background, or at least what your roles entail, and would love to know 34 00:02:28.659 --> 00:02:31.810 your path to that cause I happen to know they are unique paths. Julie, 35 00:02:31.810 --> 00:02:36.250 want to go ahead and start, sure, I'll start. So I 36 00:02:36.370 --> 00:02:39.210 am the chief marketing officer here at the University of Kentucky. I've been in 37 00:02:39.289 --> 00:02:43.050 that role since December of two thousand and eighteen, so fairly new to that 38 00:02:43.129 --> 00:02:47.319 role. Prior to that I was in a similar roll down at the Academic 39 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:52.319 Medical Center down the street for UK healthcare, which is part of the university 40 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:58.520 system. In addition to that, I've worked in the nonprofit room and I 41 00:02:58.710 --> 00:03:01.509 have often also worked in a place called Keenland, which is a a major 42 00:03:01.590 --> 00:03:07.389 sporting a horse racing and auction, Horse Auction Vitinue, and so I do 43 00:03:07.509 --> 00:03:13.180 have a varied background. Always been in marketing. Proud graduate of the University 44 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:15.979 of Kentucky. I tell the story that I came here on a full academic 45 00:03:16.060 --> 00:03:22.060 scholarship first Gen. feel very fortunate and came here thought I was going to 46 00:03:22.139 --> 00:03:24.780 study medicine, that I was going to study pharmacy, something like that, 47 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:31.009 and then I really did not enjoy all of those sciences that go along with 48 00:03:31.289 --> 00:03:36.129 that and remember my advisor saying to me, well, why don't you try 49 00:03:36.409 --> 00:03:40.009 something different just to see? All right, so I took a business class 50 00:03:40.289 --> 00:03:44.479 it over at the Gatton College of business and, as I like to say, 51 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.360 it was like a little confetticanon went off in my head and I'm like 52 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:51.639 this is what I'm supposed to do, and so I've been in marketing ever 53 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:55.069 since then. Thank you, Julie Christine. Yes, so I have been 54 00:03:55.189 --> 00:03:59.949 in enrollment management in a number of performs for over two decades now. I 55 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:04.110 started just a couple of months before Julie in my current role from July of 56 00:04:04.189 --> 00:04:09.389 two thousand and eighteen in the church chief enrollment officer for the university. Prior 57 00:04:09.550 --> 00:04:13.219 to that I had come to the University of Kentucky in two thousand and ten 58 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:17.620 and worked in professional and graduate admission. So I was the Student Affairs Office 59 00:04:17.779 --> 00:04:24.060 as well as the admissions director for the College of Dentistry. So dental professional 60 00:04:24.100 --> 00:04:28.329 admissions a little bit different prior to that I worked another large public institution, 61 00:04:28.649 --> 00:04:32.410 since I had started there in two thousand and one and worked in enrollment management 62 00:04:32.610 --> 00:04:36.689 in undergraduate education for a number of years. Interestingly too, I think it's 63 00:04:36.689 --> 00:04:42.240 funny how you start down one path. When I started my collegiate degree, 64 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:47.560 I was it between molecular genetics and ceramics, and I remember my father say 65 00:04:48.040 --> 00:04:50.720 just do what you love and the rest will come, and it certainly has, 66 00:04:50.839 --> 00:04:54.670 because I don't think many people think that they are going to go into 67 00:04:54.990 --> 00:04:58.829 higher administration, but those were so it was so formative. I had a 68 00:04:58.870 --> 00:05:02.470 great academic advisor and I've a student athlete had great academic advisor. That got 69 00:05:02.550 --> 00:05:09.660 me thinking about the opportunities in working with college students, and so admissions was 70 00:05:09.740 --> 00:05:13.620 where I felt and the statistical side and this kind of art in the science 71 00:05:13.740 --> 00:05:17.980 of this work really mels with my ceramics degree that I actually have as long 72 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:21.689 as well as a master's and working on my doctorate right now milds into it. 73 00:05:21.769 --> 00:05:28.769 I see nice play on words. was that's great. One of the 74 00:05:28.810 --> 00:05:30.889 things I know that we talked about earlier was when you both started your rolls 75 00:05:30.930 --> 00:05:34.410 back in two thousand and eighteen the way that each of the offices, marketing 76 00:05:34.490 --> 00:05:40.879 and enrollment management worked with one another was really different than it is today and 77 00:05:41.319 --> 00:05:45.759 I know that the way it is today is being touted in seen is a 78 00:05:45.879 --> 00:05:48.519 very successful story. So maybe tell us a little bit about the journey that 79 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:53.430 where it was and the reason or the decision to change that and why it's 80 00:05:53.470 --> 00:05:56.430 working so well now. I think we can jump by by saying that it's 81 00:05:56.470 --> 00:05:59.670 working really well now for a couple reasons. One Julie and I partner really, 82 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:03.029 really well together and she's got a great team. I think that we 83 00:06:03.189 --> 00:06:08.939 also benefited from coming in at the same time to a brand at the university 84 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:14.420 that was pretty done out and and didn't really have much identity. We struggled 85 00:06:14.459 --> 00:06:16.420 with how do you, how does this really talk about who UK is? 86 00:06:17.019 --> 00:06:21.970 And so through the uncovering of a new brand strategy and that work, we 87 00:06:23.129 --> 00:06:28.730 work so closely together and really saw such value in what each of us brought 88 00:06:29.050 --> 00:06:31.610 and all the data we uncovered and kind of grew into it and then just 89 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.160 kind of clung to each other thinking about like this could be really great and 90 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:40.720 we need to continue this and how do we make it stronger? And I 91 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:44.480 don't think I realized how much of a Unicorn we were. I think that 92 00:06:44.680 --> 00:06:46.949 was a surprise to me for a couple of reasons. One is, I 93 00:06:47.589 --> 00:06:51.149 outline my background, I actually also worked at an agency for a few years 94 00:06:51.189 --> 00:06:56.589 as an account manager and when I came in here, this is also what 95 00:06:56.670 --> 00:07:00.310 I did done at UK healthcare is set it up as an agency model. 96 00:07:00.540 --> 00:07:06.339 And so what we have are two people devoted to enrollment management from our team. 97 00:07:06.379 --> 00:07:11.899 I have another one who's devoted to housing and dining one who works only 98 00:07:11.939 --> 00:07:15.449 with the current stuart population. At the way we view this as Christine is 99 00:07:15.490 --> 00:07:24.370 our client and we actually almost practically embed those account managers in Christine's team and 100 00:07:25.050 --> 00:07:30.000 there's a great deal of trust those. Those account managers that we have an 101 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:34.879 em are pretty much just seamlessly part of that. They go to Christine's meetings, 102 00:07:35.319 --> 00:07:40.720 she works with them very directly and she tends to work more with them 103 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:44.750 on the more tactical implementation and then she and I work on the strategic side. 104 00:07:45.149 --> 00:07:47.069 And when she was referring to the brand strategy development, that was one 105 00:07:47.110 --> 00:07:50.389 of the reasons that I was brought down here was to develop and put a 106 00:07:50.470 --> 00:07:55.470 fine her point out what is the University of Kentucky's poreent and what is our 107 00:07:55.509 --> 00:07:58.509 brand promise? And what I like to say is that you can come to 108 00:07:58.550 --> 00:08:01.100 the University of Kentucky and you can do anything and you're going to achieve it 109 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:07.259 in a community that both challenges you and support you, and I think it's 110 00:08:07.300 --> 00:08:13.050 that unique tension that that is what makes us special. And Christine was very 111 00:08:13.209 --> 00:08:18.290 instrumental as we developed that brand strategy. We really did have the student population 112 00:08:18.329 --> 00:08:22.089 in mind, and so as we develop that out, then we developed the 113 00:08:22.209 --> 00:08:26.290 creative expression of that brand, which is what we call wildly possible, and 114 00:08:26.410 --> 00:08:28.879 so we talked about you can come here and anything is wildly possible. We 115 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:33.399 like to lean in on words like dream boldly and achieve greatly, and so 116 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.879 as we collaborate, she and her team were so much a part of that 117 00:08:39.039 --> 00:08:43.750 brand strategy development. It's not like we had to educate. They walk the 118 00:08:43.830 --> 00:08:50.389 path and so the words they use, the the way they represent us, 119 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:56.019 it's authentic and I think that's the key to a strong brand strategy implementation is 120 00:08:56.100 --> 00:08:58.980 it has to be both aspirational and it has to be authentic. It's great. 121 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:03.580 It almost seems like you're even living out that brand promise internally with your 122 00:09:03.620 --> 00:09:07.700 own offices. I mean the fact that you're collaborating and doing some bold things 123 00:09:07.779 --> 00:09:11.929 with with that. I think that's really good. I think it's interesting too, 124 00:09:11.769 --> 00:09:18.330 whenever I talk with different different enrollment leaders or marketing leaders. So many 125 00:09:18.370 --> 00:09:22.809 times, I think in higher education especially more so than and maybe at some 126 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:26.159 other industries, it's so siload, I mean all the different areas of the 127 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:31.519 university or Siload, and many times marketing is kind of been borne out over 128 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:33.080 the years out of the advancement office. I mean, you know, the 129 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:39.110 Alumni magazine is really what drove a lot of the need for any creatives on 130 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:43.070 campus, and so I find that even some of the schools that are are 131 00:09:43.149 --> 00:09:48.549 still struggling a lot of times that that alignment between enrollment and marketing is sometimes 132 00:09:48.149 --> 00:09:54.059 still wanting because of the priorities of being under the advancement arm. I mean 133 00:09:54.139 --> 00:09:56.659 is it? Have you guys kind of witnessed that or maybe at some of 134 00:09:56.659 --> 00:09:58.779 the other organizations that you're part of? I think for me, the way 135 00:09:58.779 --> 00:10:03.460 I approach it, I don't necessarily see it that way because I've always felt 136 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:07.610 like marketing is a strategic enabler and we need to have a seat at the 137 00:10:07.649 --> 00:10:13.129 table when the strategy is being developed and if it's so much better to understand 138 00:10:13.970 --> 00:10:18.769 what is the strategic goal, because then we can develop the tactics. The 139 00:10:18.889 --> 00:10:22.600 example I uses. I don't like to have people call and say I need 140 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:24.879 to billboard. Okay, well, you may need a billboard, what are 141 00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:28.320 you trying to do? And at the end of the conversation will determine whether 142 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:31.720 a billboards the right way to do it or another way to do it. 143 00:10:31.159 --> 00:10:35.870 And the fact that Christine is very data driven and so am I, I 144 00:10:35.710 --> 00:10:41.070 think, really lends itself well, because we have our brand strategy, but 145 00:10:41.190 --> 00:10:46.549 we also have a strategic marketing plan that, again, we developed and one 146 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:50.740 of with with them and with her team in mind. And you know, 147 00:10:50.899 --> 00:10:56.860 strategies one and two really focus on enrollment and how we build the esteem of 148 00:10:56.940 --> 00:11:03.259 that brand among perspective audiences. And so when we developed that strategic marketing plan, 149 00:11:03.330 --> 00:11:05.730 we had to know numbers. We had to know what are we what 150 00:11:05.809 --> 00:11:09.570 are we trying to reach, because if it's a huge stretch, then that 151 00:11:09.690 --> 00:11:13.889 tells you how you need to resource and do we have the right people in 152 00:11:13.009 --> 00:11:16.850 the right spots? And so I can. I'll kind of let Christine speak 153 00:11:16.850 --> 00:11:20.480 to that, because I think when she came in what she was challenged with 154 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:26.399 is she was really asked to stretch those numbers and so a lot of times 155 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:31.879 she's she's telling me, well, this is where we're headed and then together 156 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:33.909 we figure out how we can get there. Yeah, absolutely, I think 157 00:11:35.110 --> 00:11:37.950 the push in the push in the poll. It's really our brand strategy. 158 00:11:37.990 --> 00:11:41.309 As you mentioned, Bart, we really do live it out and July mentioned 159 00:11:41.549 --> 00:11:46.350 the embedding of her team members, particularly Katie Benett, on our team, 160 00:11:46.590 --> 00:11:52.019 on her team, and not just one meeting but multiple meetings where the data 161 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:56.179 is provided. So just because you know, we're talking about events and what's 162 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:58.899 going on. Well, wire events lagging. Having Katie in the room is 163 00:12:00.019 --> 00:12:03.809 so critical because we can not only respond to the data but then react to 164 00:12:03.929 --> 00:12:07.409 it. She's also in our broader recruit and meeting where we have our college 165 00:12:07.490 --> 00:12:11.450 recruiters come in. So then we have the Intel there. We will look 166 00:12:11.490 --> 00:12:16.960 at our social media and here things happening, and so this brand strategy is 167 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.519 also a living, breathing thing that the tactic shift based on the winds of 168 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:24.440 what we're going through in the pandemic is a great example. But to Julie's 169 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:28.320 point, when we started where we were, I was charged with growth and, 170 00:12:28.759 --> 00:12:33.350 you know, growth in different ways and needing to be able to do 171 00:12:33.789 --> 00:12:37.549 that in a very strategic way of where we going to put our funds, 172 00:12:37.590 --> 00:12:41.509 where are we going to put our recruiters, where are we going to launch 173 00:12:41.549 --> 00:12:46.500 our digital assets? Where are we going to physically mail versus who gets a 174 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:50.299 phone call, and so so this ability to have so close a tie is 175 00:12:50.460 --> 00:12:54.379 really critical and and the push in the pull of it. You know, 176 00:12:54.460 --> 00:12:58.539 Julie Brings Information based off of what they're seeing in the response rates, in 177 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:01.049 the open rates and the clicks in the in the digital we're talking about what 178 00:13:01.169 --> 00:13:03.970 we're seeing in the high school, not now in the high schools, but 179 00:13:05.049 --> 00:13:07.730 in the zoom rooms. But but then what are our high school counselor saying? 180 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:11.289 Where is it that a lot of times will have meetings because we see 181 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:16.399 behaviors in the data that then make us think something's not quite clicking, and 182 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:20.919 then it's how did we how can we communicate differently, or how is somebody 183 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:24.399 reading what we're doing? And sometimes it's because a change is made in a 184 00:13:24.519 --> 00:13:30.629 college or like the Honors College and maybe the way that it's being the information 185 00:13:30.789 --> 00:13:35.350 is being received is is not what we intended, and so that ability to 186 00:13:35.590 --> 00:13:39.470 really go back and forth is so critical. And you know, wherever marketing 187 00:13:39.950 --> 00:13:46.019 is housed, I think that it's the it has to be the the oonus 188 00:13:46.100 --> 00:13:48.860 of the enrollment management, chief enrollment officer to say hey, come with me, 189 00:13:50.100 --> 00:13:52.779 partner with me, because if not, you're not going to make the 190 00:13:52.899 --> 00:13:54.580 strides that you need to, you're not going to be able to look at 191 00:13:54.580 --> 00:13:58.330 data and have that inform and really move things forward in the way the institution 192 00:13:58.450 --> 00:14:03.129 wants to, whether the goals or growth goals, or the goals are selectivity 193 00:14:03.169 --> 00:14:05.090 or the shape of the class those are. You know, it has to 194 00:14:05.169 --> 00:14:09.129 be a very close relationship for it to be successful. That's great. I 195 00:14:09.730 --> 00:14:11.879 love the collaborative language in the ways that you're talking about that. I know 196 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:16.080 that in your comment, Julie, about you know, people come to us 197 00:14:16.120 --> 00:14:18.759 and say we need a billboard. Well, why? And Ethan Braden from 198 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:22.000 Pretty University, he was guessed on episode one and he kind of talked about 199 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:24.950 that. You know, we're not short order cooks. I mean the idea 200 00:14:24.990 --> 00:14:28.429 of the marking department is not just here to take your order and go fulfill 201 00:14:28.470 --> 00:14:31.269 it. I mean we need to be, like you said, at the 202 00:14:31.350 --> 00:14:33.870 table. We need to be talking about things, we need to understand the 203 00:14:33.909 --> 00:14:37.509 data, asking the why is the house, the the win and the what 204 00:14:37.669 --> 00:14:41.980 questions, just to be able to be able to really kind of speak and 205 00:14:41.100 --> 00:14:46.500 talk and make strategic decisions, not because, you know, by bringing all 206 00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:48.779 of our strengths to the table, rather than just saying, Oh, well, 207 00:14:48.820 --> 00:14:50.740 you guys are creative, just go do what I want you to do, 208 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:54.210 because this is the creative I need that I have. No we're all 209 00:14:54.250 --> 00:14:56.009 coming to the table to kind of bring all that together and I think that, 210 00:14:56.690 --> 00:15:00.049 Troy, you talked a little bit about, you know, the agency 211 00:15:00.129 --> 00:15:01.450 model, and Julie made a comment about that. Maybe you can kind of 212 00:15:01.450 --> 00:15:05.049 pick up on ask a few questions about that. Yes, Julie, you 213 00:15:05.409 --> 00:15:11.080 gave a great example of how that works with enrollment. Are there other relationships 214 00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:16.399 or how does that agency model work with other departments as you relate to them? 215 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:20.710 Yes, we've extended it beyond enrollment. We did mostly start with enrollment 216 00:15:20.750 --> 00:15:28.309 initially, but I also have an account manager who works mostly with housing and 217 00:15:28.509 --> 00:15:33.470 dining, because we do have a lot of opportunity. Are All of our 218 00:15:33.549 --> 00:15:37.659 dorms, or, excuse me, residence halls, or at least they're all 219 00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:41.419 quite new, and but with that comes the obligation to make sure that they're 220 00:15:41.460 --> 00:15:45.259 being used and that we mark at them. And and so one of the 221 00:15:45.299 --> 00:15:48.179 things that she did, for instance, is she figured out that the students 222 00:15:48.179 --> 00:15:52.769 who live on camp empus have a higher GPA and are more likely to graduate 223 00:15:52.850 --> 00:15:56.129 in four years. So suddenly that became a real compelling proof point when we're 224 00:15:56.169 --> 00:16:00.889 talking to families about this is why you want to live on campus, because 225 00:16:00.929 --> 00:16:06.720 there's a there's a real factor there. We also have somebody who is completely 226 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:11.080 devoted to the current the student success stream, working with current students. So 227 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:18.309 she is embedded with with that particular group and she helps do everything from text 228 00:16:18.429 --> 00:16:25.590 reminders to students who need to get their advising appointment going to shoe runs the 229 00:16:25.870 --> 00:16:30.710 editorial with some other folks on the PR team for a newsletter that we do 230 00:16:30.870 --> 00:16:34.539 once a week called wildcat rundown that has all the great information that a student 231 00:16:34.620 --> 00:16:37.659 needs to know, and the open rates on that thing are through the roof. 232 00:16:37.779 --> 00:16:41.299 And so you know, she's really good about keeping a pulse on what 233 00:16:41.460 --> 00:16:45.259 do we need to know? Because, you know, I like to say, 234 00:16:45.259 --> 00:16:47.889 at the end of the day, you know, marketing's getting the right 235 00:16:47.970 --> 00:16:51.129 message to the right person at the right time. You're really when you can 236 00:16:51.210 --> 00:16:56.929 most influence them. And so everybody knows their their peace. And then we 237 00:16:56.409 --> 00:17:00.210 have I'm a big believer. I'm a big believer in the daily huddle and 238 00:17:00.330 --> 00:17:03.720 I believe they should be short. It did. They cascade. And so, 239 00:17:03.880 --> 00:17:07.480 for instance, one of the things we do in them every morning at 240 00:17:07.480 --> 00:17:11.519 nine o'clock, we huddle and it doesn't take us more than fifteen minutes and 241 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.640 it's all of my direct reports and then my counterpart, Jadel, who's the 242 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.029 chief communications officer, his direct reports. We get on there, we do 243 00:17:18.109 --> 00:17:22.549 around Robin. We share out with them anything that they need to know. 244 00:17:22.150 --> 00:17:26.549 They share with us any barriers to success, anything that we need to do, 245 00:17:26.109 --> 00:17:32.539 and then what happens is then those people then meet with their direct reports 246 00:17:32.579 --> 00:17:36.619 at ten o'clock and that we and it should never take more than fifteen minutes. 247 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:41.180 But everybody is aligned that way and there's no surprises. And so that 248 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:45.329 those are all the ways that, from an agency standpoint, that we're trying 249 00:17:45.369 --> 00:17:49.289 to do it. We also have a creative director who works in the role 250 00:17:49.490 --> 00:17:56.970 of making sure that we're assigning a graphic designers to they're also aligned with account 251 00:17:56.970 --> 00:18:00.279 managers, so the same graphic designer works on a lot of the same accounts 252 00:18:00.359 --> 00:18:07.039 so that they understand and become part of that embedded team. We have videographers, 253 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:11.799 photographers and all of that works jointly with the PR team and so we're 254 00:18:11.869 --> 00:18:18.150 just in every college as a communicator and then we meet with the college communicators 255 00:18:18.190 --> 00:18:21.069 once a month to share with them anything that we need to share from the 256 00:18:21.069 --> 00:18:25.910 university level. That's great and I'm sure, Christine, that you maybe even 257 00:18:26.349 --> 00:18:30.940 feel the residual as one of the agency clients. But certainly if something's going 258 00:18:30.019 --> 00:18:36.380 on in the housing and on campus realm obviously some of that data that you're 259 00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:37.980 they're hearing, that you're learning, I mean, is is going to help 260 00:18:38.059 --> 00:18:41.339 with transfers, gets to help with, you know, the way that you're 261 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:44.930 selling the university and maybe even retention to degree. I'm not sure that's part 262 00:18:44.970 --> 00:18:48.609 of your you know, part of your purview, but certainly those things are 263 00:18:48.609 --> 00:18:52.329 going to make a huge difference. Yeah, I think that it really does. 264 00:18:52.450 --> 00:18:55.650 All of the weights. I feel I just said this last week. 265 00:18:55.690 --> 00:18:59.519 I feel like we're really hitting on all cylinders because of the way that the 266 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:03.599 agency model works and the kind of tentacles going out and then coming back in 267 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:07.640 and then feeding one another. It's amazing how much Intel and information we have 268 00:19:07.920 --> 00:19:12.549 and how that information then helps inform everything else. Some people think, well, 269 00:19:12.589 --> 00:19:17.269 I'm only focused on this population and this is really what my goal is, 270 00:19:17.990 --> 00:19:22.190 but that population then becomes our current students, and so there has to 271 00:19:22.309 --> 00:19:26.099 be this this seamless process of what are we telling our students from the time 272 00:19:26.220 --> 00:19:30.339 that they're early college, like we're, you know, but we're out in 273 00:19:30.420 --> 00:19:33.819 middle schools? Where are we telling them? How are we sharing just how 274 00:19:33.859 --> 00:19:36.500 do you get to college and that UK can be an option, or just 275 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:38.930 college in general can be an option? And then, as they get closer, 276 00:19:40.369 --> 00:19:44.250 what are we sharing with them that then hopefully becomes part of what they 277 00:19:44.289 --> 00:19:48.210 experience in their first year into their second as they then graduate and become a 278 00:19:48.250 --> 00:19:52.039 lums. We've leaned into our alumni for that very reason. We want them 279 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:55.759 close. We want them to know what words, what we're telling we want 280 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:57.759 to hear from them so then we can see how is it going? How 281 00:19:57.799 --> 00:20:03.440 have we changed and what is this experience like? So to that point, 282 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:06.960 when we have meetings, that retention meeting, which is a huge broad table, 283 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:10.309 we have our first time freshman meeting, huge broad table, housing and 284 00:20:10.430 --> 00:20:14.269 dining, will give reports if we see things that are happening in terms of 285 00:20:14.309 --> 00:20:19.309 our LLP applications. So all of these things inform the students across the life 286 00:20:19.349 --> 00:20:25.500 cycle through to graduation or whatever their career plans or life plans are, and 287 00:20:25.819 --> 00:20:30.140 the agency model has really, I think, sped up that knowledge base. 288 00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:33.299 I think Julie you can agree with me that when we both started we knew 289 00:20:33.339 --> 00:20:37.970 we had gems and stories on this campus and we had real hard time surfacing 290 00:20:37.049 --> 00:20:41.890 those. We knew, Oh this student over here and this faculty member over 291 00:20:41.930 --> 00:20:45.970 here. That is because of a lot of Julie and her team's work and 292 00:20:45.130 --> 00:20:48.890 also the way that they're embedded. This college is will say I have a 293 00:20:48.930 --> 00:20:52.759 student that you really need to connect with. Before it would just go off 294 00:20:52.839 --> 00:20:56.039 into what do we do with this and get lost in the ether. And 295 00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:59.039 now, like I said, just feels like we're hitting on all cylinders and 296 00:20:59.079 --> 00:21:02.920 a lot of that has to do with that alignment and embedded nature and then 297 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:07.630 that idea that we really are trying to keep that brand promise and who UK 298 00:21:07.950 --> 00:21:11.750 is is is this and we want you to experience it. For the right 299 00:21:11.950 --> 00:21:15.390 student, it's going to be a great experience and you will do things that 300 00:21:15.470 --> 00:21:18.859 you didn't think you could do, and so that that piece is is really 301 00:21:18.940 --> 00:21:22.019 critical for us and I think that the way that it's aligned right now has 302 00:21:22.059 --> 00:21:26.660 been extremely helpful in getting us in a very short period of time, very 303 00:21:26.700 --> 00:21:30.579 short period of time, to places. I think we thought it could be 304 00:21:30.220 --> 00:21:33.490 five, six, seven years before we got to this and our were easily 305 00:21:33.569 --> 00:21:37.970 readily, you know, surfacing some of this. That's great, great, 306 00:21:37.009 --> 00:21:42.250 thank you. Wow. We are at the time that we try to keep 307 00:21:42.289 --> 00:21:47.400 it to for every episode, but unfortunately we are only halfway through what we 308 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:49.680 wanted to cover with the both of you. So we're going to divide this 309 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:56.839 into a two part episode and Bart we're going to continue on next week for 310 00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:00.920 everyone else, but for us is just going to be about five minutes from 311 00:22:00.920 --> 00:22:04.470 now. So, Julie Christine, thank you and we look forward to everyone 312 00:22:04.549 --> 00:22:11.029 joining us next week on the second part of our conversation with UK. The 313 00:22:11.069 --> 00:22:15.140 High Ed Marketer podcast is sponsored by Taylor solutions and education, marketing and branding 314 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:21.619 agency and by Think, patented on Marketing Execution, printing and mainly provider of 315 00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:26.140 highered solutions. On behalf of my cohost, barred Taylor, I'm troy singer. 316 00:22:26.619 --> 00:22:32.329 Thank you for joining us. You've been listening to the Higher Ed Marketer. 317 00:22:33.049 --> 00:22:36.329 To ensure that you never miss an episode, subscribe to the show in 318 00:22:36.450 --> 00:22:41.289 your favorite podcast player. If you're listening with apple PODCASTS, we'd love for 319 00:22:41.410 --> 00:22:44.640 you to leave a quick rating of the show. Simply tap the number of 320 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:47.960 stars you think the podcast deserves. Until next time,