HE marketing insights and innovations from other sectors
Universities are at the cutting edge in many areas. But with small teams and limited budgets, university marketing teams often lag behind their peers from more commercial sectors.
Why not turn being the runner-up into an advantage? Take inspiration from your academics and implement a little interdisciplinarity. Let the bigger commercial marketing teams test out the newest developments – and learn from their successes and failures.
As HE specialists that work across other sectors, we often notice areas where universities could take inspiration. Here are some of the top insights from other industries you might like to use for your own marketing efforts.
A more unique tone
Let’s take a guess. Your tone of voice values are something like ‘friendly, confident and welcoming’?
Very few universities have a distinctive tone of voice. It’s not essential – especially if you’re a selective university that can rely on its reputation to attract students. But a distinctive tone makes you easier to remember, and more likely to appeal to someone who hasn’t quite made their mind up.
In competitive commercial sectors, a distinctive tone of voice is a powerful tool for gaining an edge over rivals. With more competition for students these days, many universities could benefit from the same approach.
Cards Against Humanity is a great example of a strong brand using a unique tone of voice to its advantage. There’s more choice for entertainment than ever before – TV streaming services, video games, music, live events – and standing out is a great way to grab attention.
Obviously, universities shouldn’t be trying to insult or shock students, but Cards Against Humanity’s success shows that it’s pretty hard to push the tone too far.
What universities can learn from Cards Against Humanity:
As long as it feels authentic, commit to your tone as much as possible
Not everyone can sound unique, but if you can pull it off, go for it
The more competition you have, the more you need to differentiate yourself tonally
Progressive language
Universities are progressive places. But when it comes to writing, some of what gets produced at HE organisations is downright archaic.
Something that could be expressed simply becomes long and complicated. Materials that are meant to appeal to 17 year olds sound stuffy and boring. Documents that should be shared with everyone become impenetrable and elitist.
Maybe it’s academics insisting on correctness. Or senior leaders worrying about how they’ll be perceived. It could even be professional services trying to impress everyone else with their linguistic skills. Whatever the reason, universities are often too conservative with language.
For a sector that prides itself on its equality, it’s surprising the language hasn’t quite caught up.
Oxfam made headlines when they released their inclusive language guide. It’s probably the most comprehensive and prescriptive guide like this you’ll come across. While some people thought it was simply political correctness gone mad, the guide has clearly been thought through very carefully. It sets out the words the charity should use when talking to or about its various stakeholders.
What universities can learn from Oxfam:
Put some guidelines in place to reassure people and educate them about the correct terms and best practice
Place the emphasis on your audience and what they would like, not your organisation
Inclusive language is subjective and varies depending on context – any guidelines need to be specific to your organisation and its stakeholders
Slang or neologisms
No, don’t try to get down with the kids. But don’t try so hard to not act like you’re getting down with the kids that you sound like a bad Victorian novel.
Teenagers don’t like the idea of older generations trying to imitate them – it will never sound right. But, on the other hand, there are probably a lot of phrases that Boomers, Gen X and Millennials use that they don’t understand. So, you need to speak their language without trying too hard to sound like you’re speaking their language.
Give your copy a glow up fam, no cap.
Under Armour has a lot of loyal Gen Z fans. And their language is designed to appeal to that audience without seeming fake.
Phrases like ‘X collection just dropped’ are easily understood by people of all ages but are definitely more geared to a younger crowd.
They even throw in the word ‘basic’, with a nod to both its original meaning and its newer interpretation.
And their pride collection (with donations to charities) shows that they’re committing to causes their audience cares about and not just trying to use the same language.
What universities can learn from Under Armour:
If a colloquial term is mainstream enough, don’t be scared to use it
Always aim for authenticity – don’t jump on a cause or a fad superficially
A little goes a long way
Premium print
With prospectuses becoming smaller (or going completely digital), universities are taking a welcome step towards being less wasteful.
But a digital publication can never replicate the feel of thumbing through the pages of a quality piece of print.
Twice a year, Hermès present their latest collection to journalists at an event in Paris. This tiny book (which comes with its own magnifying glass inset inside) accompanied one of those presentations.
There are no lists of features or specifications. No sales pitches. No long blurb about heritage or brand story. Just a minimalist, extremely well-crafted miniature book of illustrations.
What universities can learn from Hermès:
Stay true to your brand – your print should reflect your ethos
Match the design concept to the purpose of the print
Think outside the box
Out-of-home advertising
Nearly every university ad falls into one of two visual styles:
Smiling multicultural students having a good time while demonstrating their STEM skills
Abstract shapes in a meticulously planned colour scheme, accompanied by a bold but vague line about changing the world
Prospective students aren’t impressed. They’re surrounded by ads everyday – some funny, some provocative, some downright weird. Most will be forgotten within seconds.
Why not take inspiration from the bold ideas big brands come up with? Like IKEA’s giant blue bag wrapping around their new Oxford Street location.
University leaders would be panicking that there’s no mention of the upcoming open day. No link to the website. No mention of the latest campaign line or hashtag. It takes a brave marketing team to come up with something bold and simple and commit to it.
What universities can learn from IKEA:
Doing something different is the best way to stand out
Once you’ve nailed your concept, commit to it fully, don’t tone it down
Less is more
Give it a go!
It’s easy to just keep doing things the way they’ve always been done. But if you don’t try anything new, you’ll never grow.
With universities always facing new recruitment challenges, taking inspiration from another sector could be a great way to gain an edge over your competitors. Get in touch if you want to benefit from our experience working with tech companies, law firms, charities and more.
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