Insights

Nice to knows and need to knows.

The hottest trends and latest insights from around the world of higher education.

Matt McFadden

Matt McFadden

Recent Posts

Harvard University. Photo by Somesh Kesarla Suresh courtesy of Unsplash.
Universities are Big Brands (So Why Don't We Treat Them as Such?)

What qualifies an entity as a big brand? Is it sheer size? Market cap or total revenues? Market share in their particular category? Societal impact? Large fan bases? Use or interaction in our...

Thought leadership
Students sitting under trees on a college campus. Photo by Richard Cabusao, courtesy of Unsplash
How Silos Hinder Brand Experience in Higher Ed
Back in 2017, I made up what I thought would be a valuable role on college campuses . Someone in charge of brand experience, a role that would connect marketing and communications with the...
Thought leadership, Branding
Aerial view of forest. Photo by Giovanni Bianchi, courtesy of Unsplash.
2020: Hope Was Just in Retrograde

Things don't move backward, but sometimes you have to look back to see they've been moving forward the whole time. 

My keyboard stopped working. This would eventually lead to me presenting on Zoom...

Thought leadership, COVID-19
Student on computer. Photo by Andrew Neel courtesy of Unsplash.
Weekly Brief: The New Proof Points

We know that this week will be the most challenging week for many of you in a long line of really challenging weeks. So for this week's brief, we decided to look toward the future. But if you're not...

Weekly Brief
Empty classroom. Photo by Changbok Ko on Unsplash.
Weekly Brief: Grand Opening, Grand Closing

Is there a reputational risk in actually opening now?

Weekly Brief
An empty shopping cart. Photo by Bruno Kelzer via Unsplash.
Weekly Brief: An Education Should Be Easier to Buy

Historically, the buying experience at most institutions has been — how should we say it — not great. We can blame complexities like the application or admissions process, but I'd argue most of it is...

Weekly Brief
Keeping Your Brand Relevant
Keeping Your Brand Relevant

Each year, the brand consultancy Prophet releases its Brand Relevancy Index. By their definition, relevant brands fall into four categories:

Weekly Brief
Never Read the Comments
Never Read the Comments

In the last few weeks, a number of colleges and universities have made announcements to remove statues and artwork with racist lineages. The news has been received positively by many but, as...

Weekly Brief
Product, Place, Price, and Packaging
Product, Place, Price, and Packaging

When the marketplace gets cloudy or uncertain, I go back to MKTG 301: Intro to Marketing at Auburn. I want to remember the basics and how they are applicable today. I thought a lot about the 4 Ps...

Strategy, Weekly Brief
A woman working on a computer looking out of a window. Photo by Kristin Wilson.
Remote College and the Daydream Believer

A friend from college sent me a direct message on Twitter with a thought about this article on the coming disruption of college from New York magazine. 

Thought leadership, COVID-19, Weekly Brief
Summer Melt, Moms, and an Ill-fated Timeout
Summer Melt, Moms, and an Ill-fated Timeout
In between Zoom calls yesterday with family and watching  The Fab Five 30 for 30, I remembered my first college visit. Specifically, April 5, 1993. I was sitting on the edge of a hotel room bed in...
Strategy, Weekly Brief
May 1, Fall Planning & Three Luke Skywalkers
May 1 Deadline, Fall Planning, and Three Luke Skywalkers

Today is May the 4th. Which is either Star Wars Day or the first business day after May 1, depending on your priorities. While many schools have pushed the traditional enrollment deadline, most...

Strategy, COVID-19, Weekly Brief
Let's Be Honest
Let's Be Honest

Ah, the internet. Way back in 1994, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, and others pondered what it was and what it may become. Today, Al Gore's seminal invention (or Stanford's or UCLA's or MIT's –...