The AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education has long been known as the preeminent conference for higher ed marketers, and while we're disappointed we won't be seeing everyone in-person in Chicago, what's one more (or a few dozen more) Zoom meetings?
In all seriousness, despite the challenges in adapting to a virtual environment, the AMA has — as always — put together an incredible lineup of keynote speakers and presenters that will continue to advance our industry forward. We're honored to be a sponsor of the event and have two presentations to share with the community — one as part of the senior-leader track and one extended marketing session covering our favorite topic of all: the power of data.
Read on for all the details. We hope to see you there.
The Integration Imperative
No doubt this year of adversity has created a sense of urgency not only in our higher ed but especially in our function as marketing professionals. Never has it been more clear that the role of higher education marketing communication is a strategic driver for every institution, and those that have elevated that role to have a seat at the leadership table have navigated the myriad of challenges far better than those who haven't.
But we know that significant changes for our industry lie ahead, and the things we talked about with a sense of urgency before COVID now feel as though they are fire. One of those impending changes is the organizational structure of the MarComms office.
Our Founding Partner & Chairman, Elizabeth Johnson, will host a discussion about The Integration Imperative with Kyle Henley and John Kiralla, Vice President for University Communications at the University of Oregon, and Senior Vice President for Marketing, Communications, and External Relations at Loyola Marymount University, respectively. They will each talk about their own institution's journey with their departments' reorganization and how those changes better equipped them to achieve their institutions' strategic goals. They'll cover centralized vs. decentralized, consultative vs. center-led, and how we must evolve to meet the new challenges we face.
Session Description
Marketing integration was ideal before. It’s imperative now. With the societal challenges arising from COVID-19, enrollment pressures, and a larger questioning of the value and cost of higher education, ensuring marketing communications is truly integrated is the only way to deliver results. This session will share key industry trend data on the make-up and distribution of staffing and resourcing as well as addressing different organizational models, centralized advertising strategies, managing external partners, content across silos, digital expertise, and creating buy-in with university leadership. You’ll hear from practitioners that have aligned their organizations and those that are working to do so.
Who Should Attend?
As part of the Senior Leader Track, this session is intended for your institution's senior-most marketing professional.
Presenters
Elizabeth Johnson, Founding Partner & Chairman, SimpsonScarborough
Kyle Henley, VP for University Communications, University of Oregon
John Kiralla, SVP for Marketing, Communications, and External Relations, Loyola Marymount University
Time & Date
Tuesday, November 17th @ 11:45am CST
The Power of Data
SimpsonScarborough was also asked to reprise our session, The Power of Data, as an extended marketing session open to all conference attendees on Monday, November 16th, at 1:45pm CST. Some of you may remember this presentation from the 2018 Conference in Orlando, where it was presented as a paid, pre-conference session. Given the changes in format this year, AMA elected to forgo the pre-conference sessions, which allows all attendees to participate in the extended marketing sessions.
Session Description
Data has long been a buzzword, but the real power of data isn’t about gathering more data — it’s about gathering better data. This session will uncover how to ask the right questions that produce the most meaningful, actionable, and insightful research, and how to benchmark and measure that data over time to inform crucial brand health metrics and inform strategic decision making.
Who Should Attend?
This is one of two afternoon extended marketing sessions on Monday and is open to all conference attendees. We may be a bit biased, but we think there's never been a more critical time for everyone to understand the role that better data plays in decision-making.
Presenters
Meredith Simpson, AVP of Research, SimpsonScarborough
Kristen Creighton, AVP of Strategy & Accounts, SimpsonScarborough
Andrea Kruszka, Director of Strategy & Accounts, SimpsonScarborough
Time & Date
Monday, November 16th @ 1:45pm CST
Meet With Us
SimpsonScarborough has evolved significantly in the past few years, growing from a predominantly market research firm to a full service integrated agency. We've hired some of the best people in creative, digital, web, and media planning, all the while continuing to press the envelope in our research & strategy offerings. We did all of this in the interest of best serving our clients, advancing the industry forward, and to unequivocally advocate for the role of the CMO in higher ed.
If you still think of SimpsonScarborough solely as a research firm, you should stop by our virtual booth and learn what we've been up to.
Or, if you have a project you want to talk specifics about, you can book a time here.
