More Than Just Words: How Your Marketing Strategy Can Promote Equity

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:07.190 You are 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 --> 00:00:30.339 podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome to the Higher 6 00:00:30.339 --> 00:00:37.049 Ed Marketer Podcast, where we explore ideas and insights by higher reed marketers for 7 00:00:37.250 --> 00:00:40.649 High Ed marketers. My name is troy singer and I'm here, as always, 8 00:00:40.689 --> 00:00:44.289 with my cohost, Bart Kaylor. And Bart I think we're going to 9 00:00:44.369 --> 00:00:49.210 be treated today because our guest is a neighbor of yours from your state and 10 00:00:49.369 --> 00:00:53.039 you are familiar with the institution. We're going to be talking with Peter Ashley. 11 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:57.479 He's the vice president for enrollment in marketing at Hanover College. Hanovers one 12 00:00:57.520 --> 00:01:02.520 of the one of the small privates here in Indiana with a great reputation there 13 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:07.189 in southern Indiana, and I've got a beautiful, beautiful campus and it's just 14 00:01:07.310 --> 00:01:11.109 going to be a great conversation with Peter just about some things that they're doing 15 00:01:11.189 --> 00:01:15.829 at Hanover and how they're approaching different different elements and he kind of gives us 16 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:19.060 a little bit of insight into some of the marketing that they're doing and some 17 00:01:19.379 --> 00:01:22.980 new things that they're doing that they're really seeing some valuable results in. Yes, 18 00:01:23.140 --> 00:01:27.019 he has some great content. So let's bring and Peter in. We 19 00:01:27.140 --> 00:01:32.459 are honored to have Peter Ashley, vice president for Enrollment in marketing that Hanover 20 00:01:32.620 --> 00:01:36.730 College, which is in southern Indiana, to the podcast. Welcome, Peter. 21 00:01:36.969 --> 00:01:40.129 Thanks for having me. Peter, if you would please give everyone a 22 00:01:40.170 --> 00:01:45.209 glimpse of Hanover and your roll. They're sure so. Hanover College is Indiana's 23 00:01:45.250 --> 00:01:51.359 oldest college and it is a hundred ninety four years old and it is located, 24 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:53.719 as you say, in southern Indiana, right across the border from Kentucky 25 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:59.680 and along the Ohio River. It's six hundred and fifty acres filled with trails 26 00:01:59.799 --> 00:02:02.469 and and trees and a lot of natural beauty. We have about a thousand 27 00:02:02.510 --> 00:02:06.469 students, so there's a lot of room to spread out. It's got a 28 00:02:06.549 --> 00:02:10.229 great reputation, a strong regional reputation, and it's just a wonderful liberal arts 29 00:02:10.310 --> 00:02:15.310 college. But the natural beauty of the campus is what people often talk about 30 00:02:15.310 --> 00:02:19.580 when they come visit is how how roomy and how beautiful it is and again, 31 00:02:19.620 --> 00:02:23.620 the fact that's been here for so long. It's a powerful, powerful 32 00:02:23.620 --> 00:02:25.819 institution. For that reason that's great. Thanks for sharing that, Peter and 33 00:02:25.939 --> 00:02:29.819 shorter. I know we we kind of did a pre interview and talked a 34 00:02:29.819 --> 00:02:34.090 little bit about some things that. That's that's going on at Hanover and I 35 00:02:34.210 --> 00:02:38.129 think on everybody's mind is kind of we're coming out of the pandemic. I 36 00:02:38.210 --> 00:02:40.449 know that not only during the pandemic. I mean two thousand and twenty was 37 00:02:40.490 --> 00:02:45.759 such a high water mark year with the pandemic, with some of the social 38 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:51.400 unrest that we had, with with different areas of our society, and I 39 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:54.879 know Hanover's kind of had a unique perspective on your covid nineteen response and maybe 40 00:02:54.879 --> 00:03:00.110 even some of the social injustice response and and some of those initiatives. Could 41 00:03:00.110 --> 00:03:01.830 you tell us a little bit about that? Absolutely. So. They did 42 00:03:01.870 --> 00:03:05.949 happen a bit at the same time, which was as a challenge, but 43 00:03:06.430 --> 00:03:10.550 obviously the pandemic took hold of everybody and dominated everyone's decisionmaking. So one of 44 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:15.860 the first things that we did was to convene a group of stakeholders across campus 45 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:17.979 and really ask the question, okay, what needs to happen to make sure 46 00:03:17.979 --> 00:03:23.219 our students are safe and that our campus is preserves as much of a college 47 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:28.050 field as possible. So obviously, that first round camp but pretty much every 48 00:03:28.050 --> 00:03:30.810 campus went home. We did the same thing, which was challenging as a 49 00:03:30.810 --> 00:03:35.009 residential campus, to pivot quickly to online learning, which we did, but 50 00:03:35.129 --> 00:03:38.650 we put in over the summer all kinds of safety protocols, processes, spacing 51 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:43.080 out the classrooms, requiring, you know, all the things that that are, 52 00:03:43.280 --> 00:03:47.000 you know, public health experts expect. We also worked with a medical 53 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:53.120 expert from Johns Hopkins University on our strategy and our contact tracing process to make 54 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:55.189 sure that we were using the absolute best process that we could to do that, 55 00:03:57.310 --> 00:04:00.590 and we had a very successful fall term. We were able to stay 56 00:04:00.590 --> 00:04:03.110 in person all the way to the very end. I think a week before 57 00:04:03.349 --> 00:04:10.259 Thanksgiving we went optional remote to let students leave if they felt like they wanted 58 00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:11.900 to leave, because there's a bit of an uptick, as you know, 59 00:04:12.259 --> 00:04:15.899 in the cases. But our response was lots of lots of community action to 60 00:04:15.980 --> 00:04:21.379 students and staff and faculty about our protocols. We had a weekly in still 61 00:04:21.459 --> 00:04:25.889 have a weekly email that goes out with any kind of updates, updates on 62 00:04:25.970 --> 00:04:30.970 our case numbers, reminders to follow the guidelines and we've been very aggressive in 63 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:36.610 holding students and staff accountable for following those guidelines and I think this semester we're 64 00:04:36.610 --> 00:04:40.160 still at facetoface. Our count, our our case count, is very low 65 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:46.120 and what we learned is that students really appreciate a facetoface experience. There's questions 66 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:48.720 of you know, why hiered? Why a Liberal Arts College? Why do 67 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:50.600 people want to go to you know what? You could do everything on Line, 68 00:04:51.079 --> 00:04:56.670 but we learned is that people really miss being in person and our enrollment 69 00:04:56.670 --> 00:05:00.149 numbers actually are up so far for next fall and I think part of that 70 00:05:00.269 --> 00:05:03.790 is because we did stay facetoface and people really like that ability to do that. 71 00:05:04.790 --> 00:05:09.939 So that that response was dominating much of the summer. But then, 72 00:05:09.980 --> 00:05:15.860 of course, as you mentioned, the various police shootings and other killings and 73 00:05:15.300 --> 00:05:21.209 other active social injustice occurrences over this summer brought that very close to home for 74 00:05:21.250 --> 00:05:27.610 our campus. We have very passionate campus that's committed to social justice. Although 75 00:05:27.610 --> 00:05:30.089 we have a history that is not always perfect in that area. So we 76 00:05:30.329 --> 00:05:34.009 we try to look very candidly at what we do well and where we still 77 00:05:34.009 --> 00:05:38.600 need to grow. We live in a part of the state that's also not 78 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:42.959 a not particularly diverse, so we have to really focus on bringing diversity here 79 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:47.720 maybe people feel welcome and included and have some cultural changes, you know, 80 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:50.910 on our campus and even in our community to help make sure that happened. 81 00:05:50.949 --> 00:05:56.870 So we're in the process of launching a equity and diversity and inclusion plan to 82 00:05:56.949 --> 00:06:01.589 the campus for review. That includes a number of process changes, activities, 83 00:06:01.829 --> 00:06:06.939 training, all kinds of things to help really improve the and drive home that 84 00:06:08.019 --> 00:06:13.139 campus culture of inclusivity. That's great. I'm so grateful to hear things like 85 00:06:13.180 --> 00:06:16.379 that because I think that those mean certainly the covid nineteen. It's great to 86 00:06:16.459 --> 00:06:19.129 hear how you guys did that and I think it I think I'm seeing a 87 00:06:19.209 --> 00:06:24.009 lot of campuses that the success of those who prepared and did it well. 88 00:06:24.370 --> 00:06:28.769 They're reaping the benefits of the trust that they have earned from the parents and 89 00:06:28.810 --> 00:06:32.839 the students to be able to come back on campus and and want that experience 90 00:06:33.040 --> 00:06:36.079 and I think that's great. And I do think that that that idea of 91 00:06:36.199 --> 00:06:41.199 just really helping with the with the SOFA social injustice. I mean, what 92 00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:45.079 are some of the things that your students in your campus is doing specifically about 93 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:47.709 that? I mean, are you doing, you know, sessions and in 94 00:06:47.829 --> 00:06:51.709 seminars or inviting guests on campus to talk? How does that work? A 95 00:06:51.790 --> 00:06:55.189 good question. We've done a little bit of all of that. Having we 96 00:06:55.310 --> 00:06:58.069 had a number of events, just for example, around Mlka Day, which 97 00:06:58.350 --> 00:07:02.740 is a new recent holiday celebration for our campus, and we had a number 98 00:07:02.740 --> 00:07:06.939 of sessions that invited guest speakers. We had something and called, I think 99 00:07:06.980 --> 00:07:10.779 it's I believe this is called the Mlka round table, where we had between 100 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:16.089 with music and video and guest lecturers kind of walk everyone through what what Mlk 101 00:07:16.250 --> 00:07:20.129 is life was about and what he was focused on what we can learn from 102 00:07:20.170 --> 00:07:25.370 that today. We are very open to we have some very vocal students who 103 00:07:25.370 --> 00:07:28.810 want things to change and we have some that, you know, that love 104 00:07:28.889 --> 00:07:30.759 it and it's just a matter of letting all the voices be heard. We've 105 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:35.800 had a number of student led sessions where they would have either a protest, 106 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:39.959 which was really very peaceful, but just you know, a chance to really 107 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:45.069 vocalize their their perspective on on the what's happening in the world, their perspective 108 00:07:45.110 --> 00:07:48.870 on what Hanover can do better, and we're we want to hear that feedback 109 00:07:48.910 --> 00:07:54.509 and I think part of what helps, certainly from my perspective, is rather 110 00:07:54.550 --> 00:07:59.139 than just running around throwing the terms around, right of equity and injustice and 111 00:07:59.259 --> 00:08:03.660 what how do we it's just allowing people to have their say and really embrace 112 00:08:03.779 --> 00:08:07.740 those different opinions, do it in a way that's humble and and accepting any 113 00:08:07.740 --> 00:08:11.660 kind of responsibility, but also looking forward to how we solve some of these 114 00:08:11.740 --> 00:08:16.810 problems, not just get mired in in frustration but actually look forward. So 115 00:08:16.930 --> 00:08:22.370 we've done a number of sessions. We've implemented faculty and Staff Training on equity 116 00:08:22.410 --> 00:08:26.689 and inclusion issues, as I mentioned. We've had this plan that lays out 117 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:33.559 changes in our recruiting strategy for employees to attract and retain more verse candidates, 118 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:37.960 additional recruiting activities for our students, focusing on more of a need based approach 119 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.110 to financial aid. So a number of things that we're doing looking at our 120 00:08:41.110 --> 00:08:46.309 student success model and how we, you know, retain first generation students more 121 00:08:46.350 --> 00:08:52.190 effectively help them succeed and do a number of practical steps to make sure that 122 00:08:52.309 --> 00:08:56.340 we actually are a more equable campus, as opposed to just saying, you 123 00:08:56.419 --> 00:08:58.419 know, having the words around, we want to be more equitable. Yeah, 124 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:01.500 I think that's great. I think that you're demonstrating the fact that it 125 00:09:01.580 --> 00:09:07.539 takes some of that intentionality to make change and I appreciate it on and respect 126 00:09:07.620 --> 00:09:09.929 that that Hannover's doing that. So try know you've got another question you want 127 00:09:09.970 --> 00:09:15.929 to ask. Yes, I wanted to switch topics a little bit and talk 128 00:09:16.009 --> 00:09:20.210 about Dr Lake Lambert and for those of us who are in the area, 129 00:09:20.409 --> 00:09:24.480 we know that he's the president at Hannover and I think he's a little different 130 00:09:24.519 --> 00:09:28.559 than a lot of presidents of colleges and universities, especially of your size, 131 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:35.039 because he is out there, he's outspoken, he's charismatic, and just would 132 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:39.269 like to know is that him in real life and give us a peek of 133 00:09:39.789 --> 00:09:43.429 how he is on campus. Absolutely so. One of the things that keeps 134 00:09:43.509 --> 00:09:50.870 me engaged and loving Hanover College is is working for Dr Lambert. He is 135 00:09:50.909 --> 00:09:58.419 about as genuine a person and as transparent a person as you're going to meet 136 00:09:58.419 --> 00:10:01.659 especially someone at that in that position. I joke with with someone that if 137 00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:03.980 he was more transparent we be able to see through him. I mean he's 138 00:10:05.019 --> 00:10:09.529 just been very transparent in what he's thinking and his decisionmaking. He's very open, 139 00:10:09.769 --> 00:10:15.690 he's extremely sharp, very tender hearted as well and in it is outspoke. 140 00:10:15.730 --> 00:10:20.889 If something needs to be commented on, he likes to respond and share 141 00:10:20.970 --> 00:10:24.519 his feelings on something. It's just a pleasure to have someone who's honest, 142 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:28.480 transparent, happy to be out there. We you know, we we use 143 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:33.080 them more. In some videos's he put on our Panther Mascot suit for some 144 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.990 fun to tick tock videos. He'll just he'll do anything that, you know, 145 00:10:37.990 --> 00:10:41.470 advances the college. But he's also just very, very focused on the 146 00:10:41.549 --> 00:10:46.190 mission of Hanover College and making sure that that all those things were trying to 147 00:10:46.190 --> 00:10:50.419 accomplish, not just from the equating inclusion standpoint, but from the delivering the 148 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:56.779 best little arts education we can to making sure Hanover college is growing and thriving 149 00:10:56.860 --> 00:11:01.340 and doing it in a way that's again very, very transparent, very approachable, 150 00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:07.009 great sense of humor, which I think is sorely lacking in today's world, 151 00:11:07.009 --> 00:11:09.850 but a huge benefit to for certainly for people at work, for him 152 00:11:11.289 --> 00:11:15.289 it's a big benefit. That's great and I I like the fact that you 153 00:11:15.370 --> 00:11:18.840 kind of indicated, kind of tying the first question with the second one, 154 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:24.879 is that it seems like Dr Lambert is engaged in these social injustice initiatives. 155 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.519 The talking about that of and I like the fact that it seems like speaking 156 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.840 up when when others might be silent and needing to needing to speak out, 157 00:11:31.870 --> 00:11:35.509 and so that sounds like. Sounds like it'd be great to work with him. 158 00:11:35.509 --> 00:11:39.590 Yes, it certainly is. I know one of the things that kind 159 00:11:39.590 --> 00:11:43.750 of engaging, not only leveraging Dr Lambert, like you said, with with 160 00:11:43.990 --> 00:11:46.779 these ticktock videos and the mascot and other, you know, more serious videos. 161 00:11:48.539 --> 00:11:50.940 You've kind of touched on the fact that a lot of what's going on 162 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:54.740 at Hanover, and especially, you know, in your role as a VP 163 00:11:54.860 --> 00:11:58.299 of enrollment in marketing, is that it seems like, you know, you're 164 00:11:58.419 --> 00:12:01.649 trying to develop a little bit more content, maybe, maybe leveraging video a 165 00:12:01.690 --> 00:12:05.409 little bit more. So tell us a little bit about that, because I 166 00:12:05.529 --> 00:12:07.330 mean, not a lot of schools are leaning into ticktock yet. Not a 167 00:12:07.370 --> 00:12:11.570 lot of schools or are doing as much as they could with video, but 168 00:12:11.610 --> 00:12:13.850 it seems like you've kind of discovered some things that at least you're you're going 169 00:12:15.009 --> 00:12:18.200 down the path with it. Hanover. Yes, so we definitely have embraced 170 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:22.559 video and by the way, I shouldn't I shouldn't say we've leaned into ticktock 171 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:24.559 too much. We had a couple of fun videos. So I don't want 172 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:28.320 to overplay the talk focus, but we do try to focus on more either 173 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:33.429 messages from our president on various issues. We've also done a very large number 174 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:37.750 of marketing oriented videos that really described life at Hanover. So which we can 175 00:12:37.789 --> 00:12:41.190 talk about that a little bit. But we know that the student that we're 176 00:12:41.230 --> 00:12:46.779 trying to recruit, and my role was just oversee marketing and recently is enrollment 177 00:12:46.820 --> 00:12:50.460 has been added to that. So now out the synergies I see between those 178 00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:54.539 two departments is tremendous, because almost everything we should be doing as a marketing 179 00:12:54.580 --> 00:13:00.169 organization in a higher it is to attract more students. So that connection is 180 00:13:00.250 --> 00:13:03.129 very clear to me. But we realize that, of course, the generation 181 00:13:03.289 --> 00:13:07.850 now is, you know, shorter attention span. Everything you know has to 182 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:13.080 be very clear and in lively and video is a very good way to communicate 183 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.840 with that with that audience, and so we needed more video resources. So 184 00:13:16.919 --> 00:13:20.639 we had a chance to hire a new videographer and I was able to hire 185 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:26.799 two videographers because we had two such great final candidates that I made the case 186 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:31.990 that hey, we will put these these guys to work quickly, and we 187 00:13:31.149 --> 00:13:35.429 did and we hired both. And one is a young woman who graduate from 188 00:13:35.470 --> 00:13:37.950 Depaul University, one is a gentleman who greased and graduate from Hanover, and 189 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:46.580 so, having those two perspectives, both very talented videographers and photographers and within 190 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:50.659 a few months they created more than a hundred plus videos on campus life, 191 00:13:50.820 --> 00:13:54.929 generating like a hundred thousand views very quickly, everything from campus dining to Greek 192 00:13:56.049 --> 00:14:00.330 life to a series we've created called beyond the classroom, where we take either 193 00:14:00.370 --> 00:14:05.690 a music program or even a knusiology program and take it outside the classroom and 194 00:14:05.769 --> 00:14:09.840 show what goes on in that program that doesn't just happen in the actual room. 195 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:15.000 You know that for one program there was a whole focus us on the 196 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:18.879 using the natural setting of Hanover to go on hikes and look at count waterfalls 197 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:22.960 and to identify bugs and different things like that to all the ways that we 198 00:14:24.549 --> 00:14:30.110 provide a life for students beyond the classroom. So having those videos of really 199 00:14:30.110 --> 00:14:33.590 helped let prospective students know, as it is challenging sometimes to come to campus 200 00:14:33.629 --> 00:14:37.580 right now, what it's like at Hanover. We've also done a number of 201 00:14:37.620 --> 00:14:43.220 educational style videos. So one of the videos we've done is helping people understand 202 00:14:43.259 --> 00:14:46.700 their financial aid award letter, which seems very mundane, but we get a 203 00:14:46.700 --> 00:14:50.019 lot of questions about it. So it's trying to help them understand that. 204 00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:54.250 So it's been a huge boon for us to be able to create that content, 205 00:14:54.649 --> 00:14:56.649 to tell our story more effectively and to engage, you know, a 206 00:14:56.730 --> 00:15:01.450 number of campus stakeholders in that process. That's great and I just want to 207 00:15:01.490 --> 00:15:03.610 point out a couple things that I hear you saying that could be benefit of 208 00:15:03.690 --> 00:15:09.039 other folks. Is that you know, because I've often kind of categorize different 209 00:15:09.080 --> 00:15:11.720 types of eddy videos. I mean you've got the edutainment, which might be 210 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:16.000 that mascot tick tock video with your president where you're kind of letting people know 211 00:15:16.039 --> 00:15:20.360 about Hanover but it's entertaining. You've got the explainers, which sounds like the 212 00:15:20.600 --> 00:15:22.590 financial aid. You know, let her how to read that and you know, 213 00:15:22.669 --> 00:15:24.789 those could be screencasts, they can be videos, they can be all 214 00:15:24.789 --> 00:15:28.629 kinds of different things, and then you've got just kind of your general information. 215 00:15:28.789 --> 00:15:31.710 But I think a lot of the a lot of the listeners maybe when 216 00:15:31.750 --> 00:15:33.750 they heard you say that, hey, these two videographers that you brought on 217 00:15:33.830 --> 00:15:39.100 campus, they they produced over a hundred videos pretty quickly. I mean we're 218 00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:41.299 not talking, you're not doing, you know, fifteen minute videos. These 219 00:15:41.340 --> 00:15:45.539 are these are videos that can be utilized for social media, for email. 220 00:15:46.179 --> 00:15:48.259 Tell us a little bit more about, you know, what what your kind 221 00:15:48.259 --> 00:15:52.490 of rule of thumb is for for how you how these videos need to work. 222 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:54.730 I mean they have got to be short. I'm guessing a lot of 223 00:15:54.809 --> 00:15:56.610 them are short, summer longer, depending on the need. Generally speaking, 224 00:15:56.730 --> 00:16:00.570 the videographers support the entire campus, but with a big focus on enrollment and 225 00:16:00.690 --> 00:16:04.240 also on advancement and development. So most of the videos are, I would 226 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:10.759 say, three minutes or less and are typically focused on and you did a 227 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:14.799 good explanation of the different types of videos we would do, but definitely focus 228 00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:18.320 on what it's like to be a student. Hanover, what can you expect 229 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:21.590 when you're here. What I mean? One of the videos I got that 230 00:16:21.870 --> 00:16:27.309 that's gotten the most views was a two minute tour of campus with a basically 231 00:16:27.309 --> 00:16:30.230 a sped up camera going through and looking at all the buildings and all the 232 00:16:30.269 --> 00:16:34.220 different things, and that's gotten I mean I think it's gotten tenzero views maybe 233 00:16:34.299 --> 00:16:37.620 when it was pretty quickly, because it's two minutes, it's fun, it's 234 00:16:37.620 --> 00:16:41.620 got some nice music and you just zip through campus really quickly. Yeah, 235 00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:44.700 others, like the financial aid video, don't get as many views because it's 236 00:16:44.700 --> 00:16:48.730 very, very targeted right to certain people. So it's trying to find that 237 00:16:48.889 --> 00:16:52.649 mix of we know this one's going to get a lot of attention, we 238 00:16:52.769 --> 00:16:55.929 know this one is going to help a few people and we did want a 239 00:16:56.009 --> 00:17:00.250 featured a story a student who's who is an arts design major, who is 240 00:17:00.450 --> 00:17:03.039 learning how to become a tattoo artist and intern, is interning with the tattoo 241 00:17:03.119 --> 00:17:07.799 parlor, and so we had to a whole feature story on her, bunch 242 00:17:07.839 --> 00:17:12.400 of photographs of students and staff that of Tattoos. And I think you know, 243 00:17:14.200 --> 00:17:15.789 and it's kind of a risk because some people might be turned off by 244 00:17:15.950 --> 00:17:21.829 by tattoos but at the same time we've gotten tremendous positive feedback just because it's 245 00:17:21.829 --> 00:17:25.309 showing another angle of what, you know, what someone can do at Hanover 246 00:17:25.549 --> 00:17:27.230 Right, and I love that because I think that, you know, I'm 247 00:17:27.230 --> 00:17:32.099 a big believer in any type of content that you produce, especially for higher 248 00:17:32.140 --> 00:17:33.900 at is, is answering the questions that people have. And I mean if 249 00:17:33.940 --> 00:17:37.900 you're answering the questions people have, whether it's in, you know, the 250 00:17:37.980 --> 00:17:41.380 content on your website, whether it's a video, whether it's a blog one, 251 00:17:41.460 --> 00:17:45.410 you're going to get seo because people are searching Google asking the questions that 252 00:17:45.450 --> 00:17:48.170 they're looking for, but I think that you're also going to kind of earn 253 00:17:48.289 --> 00:17:51.730 trust, like you said, I mean there might be a risk in doing 254 00:17:51.809 --> 00:17:55.609 of Tattoo video, but at the same time you're answering the questions of well, 255 00:17:55.690 --> 00:17:59.240 what's it like? Is Is Hanover really conservative place? Is it? 256 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.319 You know, are they open to this type of thing? And just being 257 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:07.200 able to have those that wide variety of video and content that people can one 258 00:18:07.480 --> 00:18:11.279 answer the questions, get the answers to the questions they have, but then 259 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:15.470 also just be able to put themselves in into the environment, into the campus, 260 00:18:15.549 --> 00:18:18.230 and start to feel what it would be like to be there. I 261 00:18:18.349 --> 00:18:22.789 think that's a brilliant strategy. So well done, Peter. Well, thank 262 00:18:22.829 --> 00:18:26.029 you. And also, I would just say, shamelessly putting in our tagline, 263 00:18:26.029 --> 00:18:29.500 but we've recently got a new tagline called a place to belong in a 264 00:18:29.539 --> 00:18:32.940 person to become, HMM, and the reason we did that was because that 265 00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:40.420 really captured what our college is striving to be and within that there are brand 266 00:18:40.460 --> 00:18:44.650 pillars that really focused and build out though that tagline. But it's resonate with 267 00:18:44.769 --> 00:18:48.009 with a students and staff quite a bit because it feels it feels like what 268 00:18:48.130 --> 00:18:51.809 we're trying to build at Hanover. You can come here and be yourself, 269 00:18:52.170 --> 00:18:55.880 you'll be known by the faculty because we're a small campus and you'll be successful 270 00:18:55.960 --> 00:19:00.240 because we prepare you for the future. And and the videos that we build 271 00:19:00.680 --> 00:19:06.720 just try to demonstrate that without necessarily saying you know explicitly that we're demonstrating that. 272 00:19:06.839 --> 00:19:11.829 We're really trying to show the meat behind the statement that that that's what 273 00:19:11.950 --> 00:19:14.829 we're trying to create. Peter, I love what you said about that and 274 00:19:14.869 --> 00:19:18.390 it reminds me of a quote from a book by Jay Bear Utility. He 275 00:19:18.269 --> 00:19:23.339 makes the point that success flows to those organizations that inform rather than those that 276 00:19:23.460 --> 00:19:27.140 promote, and it seems to me like Hannover's doing a great job of informing 277 00:19:27.180 --> 00:19:32.500 people about their about their brand, about their you know, what it's like 278 00:19:32.619 --> 00:19:34.500 to be on campus, as well as just about the you know, answers 279 00:19:34.539 --> 00:19:38.009 to the questions that people have so so well done. I really respect that, 280 00:19:38.569 --> 00:19:42.569 Troy. Thanks Bart and I agree and I would encourage all of our 281 00:19:42.609 --> 00:19:48.289 listeners to go out to the Hanover website and just open it and you you 282 00:19:48.369 --> 00:19:51.890 will see that from the very beginning it's a different look and feel than you 283 00:19:51.930 --> 00:19:56.160 would expect it. It is very visual and everything that Peters says kind of 284 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:02.039 start making sense. Peter, we have a question that we ask all of 285 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:06.440 our guests. Then it's if there's an idea or something that you're doing or 286 00:20:07.150 --> 00:20:08.470 if you would be willing to share it, if it's not too secret, 287 00:20:08.509 --> 00:20:14.150 or maybe it's an idea that you've heard of recently that others could implement soon. 288 00:20:14.950 --> 00:20:17.470 What would that be? Well, it's a great question. Try I'm 289 00:20:17.470 --> 00:20:19.710 always happy to share and I don't know if there's any secret sauce in a 290 00:20:19.789 --> 00:20:25.099 sense, because every every college has their own secret sauce. But I would 291 00:20:25.099 --> 00:20:30.339 say don't be afraid to have a little fun with some of your your messaging 292 00:20:30.420 --> 00:20:34.180 or marketing or a video. You know, I think we higher it can 293 00:20:34.220 --> 00:20:40.130 be sometimes very uptight and I think just try something different that's fun with a 294 00:20:40.210 --> 00:20:45.210 video or with a message, and just try something, especially social media. 295 00:20:45.289 --> 00:20:48.490 You know, you try something and it'll either go great or people will ignore 296 00:20:48.490 --> 00:20:51.920 it, as long as it's not, you know, offensive, but just 297 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:56.119 try to go for something a little funny or clever. I think that's a 298 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:59.440 good way to start venturing into this a little bit more. And then I 299 00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:02.599 would also say any chance you can personalize things. We've been trying to do 300 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:07.309 more personalizing of messaging is also something you can start implementing immediately in terms of 301 00:21:07.390 --> 00:21:11.910 your communication then your messaging here here, and thank you on both of those. 302 00:21:12.349 --> 00:21:17.190 Both Bart and I are big proponents of personalization and again, I would 303 00:21:17.190 --> 00:21:22.339 encourage our listeners to visit handover and their sites to get a good glimpse of 304 00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:26.420 what you mean when you recommend having a little fun with it. So thank 305 00:21:26.460 --> 00:21:30.299 you and Peter. One last question. Of someone would like to connect with 306 00:21:30.460 --> 00:21:33.089 you, what would be the best way for them to reach you. Sure 307 00:21:33.210 --> 00:21:37.450 they can reach me. The email and it's just Ashley at Hanover Dot Etu. 308 00:21:37.849 --> 00:21:41.809 So ash elley at Hanover Dot et you and be happy to hear from 309 00:21:41.809 --> 00:21:47.559 anyone and connect with anyone or answer any questions. Perfect. Thank you for 310 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:51.519 being so generous with your time and your wisdom today, Peter. We really 311 00:21:51.559 --> 00:21:53.000 appreciate it. Oh, I appreciate it very much. Thank you so much, 312 00:21:53.079 --> 00:21:59.839 troy and bar you're welcome. The highered marketer podcast is sponsored by Taylor 313 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:04.789 solutions and education, marketing and branding agency and by thing patented, a marketing 314 00:22:04.869 --> 00:22:10.390 execution, printing and mailing provider of higher red solutions. On behalf of my 315 00:22:10.589 --> 00:22:17.859 cohost Bark Taylor, I'm troy singer. Thank you for joining us. 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