Insights

Nice to knows and need to knows.

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

SimpsonScarborough

SimpsonScarborough

Recent Posts

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All Viewbooks Have an Expiration Date

If someone picked up your viewbook 50 years from now, what would they notice? Would they recognize the latest design trends? Would they understand what is important to prospective students of the...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Research?

Is it possible for a college or university to have too much information about prospective students? Too much data on their parents? Too many insights into what makes alumni want to reconnect and...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Why Can’t Higher Education Even Utter the Word “Marketing?”

CASE recently held an event titled, “Claiming Our Story.” I was excited to watch the live stream, especially as a follow up to the Inside Higher Ed program, “Higher Ed in an Era of Heightened...

Resources, Thought leadership
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How to Assemble Your Team of Brand Co-Conspirators

New and prospective clients often ask us for advice regarding the process and management of an institutional market research and branding effort. At this point in the initiative, they typically have...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Breaking Brand: Challenging the Status Quo to Stand Out from the Pack

There’s no doubt that higher education is in the midst of challenging times. Moody’s recently rated the sector’s outlook to “negative,” a downgrade from 2015’s “stable” rating. Costs are rising....

Resources, Thought leadership
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Higher Ed’s Existence is Not a Marketing Strategy

Recently, SimpsonScarborough’s Elizabeth Johnson was a panelist at Inside Higher Ed’s conference on “Higher Ed in an Era of Heightened Skepticism.” Along with Brandon Busteed of Gallup and Zakiya...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Protecting Your Institution’s Brand During Times of Crisis

From sexual assault to conflicts of interest, from controversial speakers to fraternity hazing, every day seems to bring a new scandal to the pages of the Chronicle and Inside Higher Ed. As marketing...

Resources, Thought leadership
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You Heard It Here First

Higher ed marketing is a complex and growing industry with its own unique set of needs and challenges. Recognizing the need to shape new leaders in the field, the University of Texas has launched the...

Announcements, Resources
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Social (Media) Cues, Part II: Give Instagram More Love in 2018

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

Resources, Thought leadership
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The Impact of Mobile Devices in Survey Responses

Back in August 2015, we started a blog series about our attempts to better monitor mobile device usage for online surveys and its impact on data quality, response time, and respondent experience. Not...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Market Research: Where Does the Money Come From?

Almost every college/university President and CMO I talk with tells me they need and want to develop a more data-driven marketing and communications function. But most laugh nervously when I ask...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Make it Your 2018 Resolution to Avoid These Common Research Mistakes

We’re gearing up for another year of brand research and creative, and it seemed like the perfect time to review some market research best practices. Sometimes, knowing what doesn’t work is just as...

Resources, Thought leadership
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Is Your Brand Working? A Checklist for Assessing Its Endurance

How do you know if you have a strong brand strategy? When you achieve your marketing goals, of course! But there are other, more subtle ingredients for branding success. If you can give a firm “yes”...

Resources, Thought leadership