I’m thrilled to announce that SimpsonScarborough and the Chronicle of Higher Education have partnered to conduct an important study of higher ed marketing investments. In our work around the country, we are constantly asked if any benchmarks exist regarding marketing budgets, staff, priorities, and responsibilities. Our clients (which are mostly VP level marketers on college/university campuses) want to know how much their peers are spending, how they are organized, how many staff members they have, and how those staff members are allocated across the various roles on their team. A few studies have attempted to get at this information but the findings are hampered by low sample sizes when you break down the data by institution type.
We have been working with the Chronicle for months to develop a strong survey instrument to gather this information once and for all. I can’t say the instrument is “short.” It will require about 15 minutes to complete. But, the questions are reasonable and can be answered off the top of your head. You will not have to open any of your budget documents to participate. But, participation is critical. Good data will only come from a very strong response rate. So if you are fundamentally in charge of marketing at your institution, be on the look out for an email inviting you to participate in the study. Data collection will most likely begin late next week.
Our industry NEEDS this data so please participate. Those who do will receive a special copy of the findings.
If you want to absolutely ensure that you receive an invitation to participate, please send an email to Wanda Hoath at wh@simpsonscarborough.com.
