Salem State College
School of Graduate Studies
Graduate Education Programs
Market Research and Marketing
Plan Development
Request for Proposal # 2011-03
August 13, 2010
Table of Contents
Cover Letter
Page
Adjust the table of contents to match the new page #s.
Part 1:
SEM Works Background Information
 Company History
 Philosophy and Values
 Special Expertise
 Differentiation from Competitors
 Consulting Model
 Project Management
3
Part 2:
Qualifications and Expertise
 Capabilities and Expertise
 Project Team
 Staff Biographies
14
Part 3:
Project Scope and Proposed Approach
19
Part 4:
Proposed Research Methods and Consultancy Process
24
Part 5:
Project Timelines and Cost
34
Part 6:
References
 Partial Client List
 Client References
37
Part 7:
Vendor Identification and Contact Information
42
Addendum 1- List of Institution Supplied Reference Materials
Addendum 2- Academica Group Inc. University/College Applicant Survey™ (UCAS™)
43
45
Enrollment Management Department
c/o Ms. Evelyn Wilson, C.P.M., Director of Purchasing & Materials Management
Salem State University
Dear Ms. Wilson:
Salem State’s Enrollment Management department (EM) is seeking proposals from experienced and qualified
vendors to partner with the college to conduct market research for the School of Graduate Studies, and to make
marketing related recommendations that will serve to inform the development and implementation of a branding
and marketing/communication strategy. This proposal is in response to Salem State’s invitation for professional
research and consultancy services.
Salem State College is in the process of transitioning to a new mandate as Salem State University. Congratulations
on this historic milestone! As an institution in transition, the School of Graduate Studies (SOGS) understands that to
be successful into the future, it must develop and consistently convey a unique identity in meeting the needs of
target audiences and regions. If executed properly, your brand strategy will ensure that the School is “top of mind”
among potential students, employers, donors, and other key constituents.
Truly strategic approaches to positioning the SOGS within today’s global and highly competitive higher education
marketplace require a solid foundation of reliable data and market research, as well as an integrated strategy
that aligns the institution’s brand strategy with the SOGS’ student recruitment marketing and communications.
Our passion is to develop customized solutions that will competitively position the School of Graduate Studies for
continued success into the future.
SEM Works’ expert consultants will work in partnership with you, our client, in the development and implementation
of an integrated brand and marketing/communications strategy that will help leverage your competitive position.
Our professional services include a combination of strategic research, consultation, and planning for data-driven,
best-practice-informed institutional positioning.
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We appreciate the opportunity to work with Salem State University and are confident that SEM Works can
provide you with exceptional results. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Jim Black, Ph.D.
SEM Works President and CEO
2
PART 1:
SEM WORKS BACKGROUND INFORMATION
History
Jim Black and Associates converted to SEM Works in February of 2004 as an LLC. Prior to February 2004, Jim
Black and Associates had been working and performing services in the higher education consulting industry for ten
years. SEM Works was founded by Dr. Jim Black and is grounded in a long history of higher education clients
through consulting and professional development. SEM Works’ staff has experience with community colleges,
technical colleges, four-year public and private institutions, graduate and professional schools, proprietary schools,
nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and college and university systems.
The SEM Works staff is comprised of twenty-nine individuals, primarily current or former practitioners in the field
and creative services professionals (refer to Section V for details). SEM Works provides consulting services to
colleges and universities needing to assess existing operations and develop related plans. Areas of consulting
expertise include:

Enrollment Management

Marketing

Branding

Student Recruitment

Student Retention

Customer Service

Student Services

Relationship Management

Market Research

Environmental Scanning

Organizational Change

Process Redesign

Web Development

Graphic

Electronic Communications

Design/Publication Development
While our core business is consulting, we also provide some of the best conferences, technology services, on-site
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training opportunities, market research, and creative services in the industry. In fact, we recently facilitated a
customer service workshop for Salem State.
Philosophy and Values
Dr. Black, president and CEO of SEM Works, has been in higher education for over twenty-five years. He has
dedicated his professional life to finding solutions to enrollment management issues, first as a professional in
enrollment management and most recently performing services in the higher education consulting industry for
fourteen years. Strategies recommended by Dr. Black and the SEM Works team are more than just theory. They are
grounded in reality. SEM Works does not offer clients boilerplate solutions. We believe that each institution is
different, and our client’s needs and resources call for tailored solutions.
Our mission is to provide higher education institutions and organizations with objective insight,
customized training, and the tools needed to accomplish their goals.
Our business philosophy is simple. Our success is determined by the success of our clients.
To ensure your satisfaction we will:

Seek to understand your needs, your enrollment, recruiting and retention objectives, your competitors, and your
institution culture

Prepare diligently for every meeting, every phase of the planning process, and every deliverable

Serve you passionately

Deliver more than you expect, and more than the contract requires

Respond promptly to your requests

Ensure the highest quality in everything we produce for you.
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Principal Consultants
Jim Black, Ph.D., President and CEO
Project Responsibilities: Lead Consultant
The president and CEO of SEM Works, Dr. Jim Black, is the founder of the National
Conference on Student Retention in Small Colleges and cofounder of the National Small
College Admissions Conference and the National Small College Enrollment Conference. He
formerly served as the director of AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management Conference.
Dr. Black has published a monograph titled, Navigating Change in the New Millennium:
Strategies for Enrollment Leaders, and three books, The Strategic Enrollment Management
Revolution, considered to be a groundbreaking publication for the enrollment management
profession, Gen Xers Return to College, and Essentials of Enrollment Management: Cases in
the Field.
Among his other published works are numerous articles and book chapters including a feature article in College &
University, “Creating Customer Delight”; a chapter, “Creating a Student-Centered Culture,” for a book on best
practices in student services published by SCUP and sponsored by IBM; a chapter on enrollment management in a
Jossey-Bass book on student academic services; as well as a bimonthly feature in The Greentree Gazette.
Black was honored as the recipient of the 2005 AACRAO Distinguished Service Award. He has been interviewed by
publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Converge Magazine, The Enrollment Management Report,
The Lawlor Review, and was interviewed for AACRAO’s Data Dispenser. Black also was featured in an international
teleconference on enrollment management sponsored by The Center for the Freshman Year Experience at the
University of South Carolina, and a PBS broadcast on “Blending High Tech and High Touch Student Services.” Since
1999, Jim Black has been an IBM Best Practices Partner, one of only twenty-three in the world. He was invited by
The College Board to Heidelberg, Germany, to evaluate the APIEL Exam and most recently was invited to lead
conferences on enrollment management and student services in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
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Dr. Black has served on the boards of several technology companies and has consulted with companies such as
Microsoft, Blackboard, and the SAS Institute. Higher education clients have included two-year, four-year, public,
and private institutions. Jim earned a B.A. in English education and an M.A. in higher education administration from
the University of South Carolina, as well as a Ph.D. in higher education curriculum and teaching from The University
of North Carolina at Greensboro.
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Principal Consultants
Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, Vice-President of Strategy
Project Responsibilities: Project Management
Lynda Wallace-Hulecki is a seasoned professional with over thirty years experience in
higher education. She has an extensive track record of accomplishments in advancing a
strategic approach to enrollment management, in facilitating an integrated approach to
academic and enrollment planning, in managing change, and in developing systems for
enrollment performance management, assessment, and accountability. Ms. WallaceHulecki has held a variety of leadership positions at both a research-intensive university
and a four-year comprehensive college in Canada. For twenty-three years of her career,
she served as the director of an institutional analysis and planning office─ a position for
which she was awarded a distinguished administrator award.
Ms. Wallace-Hulecki has served on both provincial and federal committees related to inter-provincial student
mobility and higher education accountability systems in Canada. She has been an active member of numerous
professional organizations (e.g., AACRAO, ARUCC, NASPA, AIR, SCUP, EDUCAUSE) at which she has been both a
presenter and a presentation reviewer. In 2000, she participated in Harvard’s Institute for Management and
Leadership in Education (MLE).
Ms. Wallace-Hulecki holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the mathematical sciences from the University of
Manitoba, and a Master of Educational Administration degree in higher education from the University of NebraskaLincoln. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Her graduate research has focused on the evolving field of SEM, and on the application of learned
concepts in leading change, in building organizational capacity for enrollment performance measurement, and in
building shared responsibility for enrollment outcomes with the campus community through an integrated approach
to academic and enrollment planning.
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Special Expertise
Your lead consultant, Dr. Black, is an internationally recognized expert in enrollment management as well as in
change management. He is highly sensitive to the nuances that exist between organizations and people and as
such, effectively facilitates the enrollment planning process to ensure maximum engagement and adoption.
Moreover, his doctoral experience in higher education curriculum and instruction provides our clients with insights
into innovative pedagogical, curricular, and program opportunities that impact enrollment outcomes. To the best of
our knowledge, no other enrollment management consultant possesses this vital perspective. Leveraging his
expertise along with his many years as an associate provost, dean, and faculty member in a higher education
environment, Dr. Black will work with your deans, department heads, and faculty to ensure academic offerings are
competitively positioned and designed to optimize student recruitment and retention efforts.
Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, SEM Works’ Vice-President of Strategy, has extensive experience and a proven track record
of accomplishments in bringing about campus-wide strategic enrollment planning success and transformative
change in policies, systems and practices at colleges and universities. Ms. Wallace-Hulecki has more than twentythree years experience in directing a Research and Planning Office, followed by almost a decade in leading
transformative change in enrollment management operations in the dual capacity as Registrar and chief enrollment
manager at both a research-intensive university and a four-year college. She specializes in facilitating an integrated
approach to academic and enrollment planning, which was the topic of her Master’s thesis, Creating Shared
Responsibility for Enrollment Outcomes: Reframing SEM from the Academic Lens. As a current doctoral candidate at
the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, her dissertation is focused on building organizational capacity for enrollment
performance measurement and culture change.
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Differentiation from Competitors
SEM Works is among a very few consulting firms that offers a full range of enrollment management consulting and
planning services. Our advantage lies not only in the quality and breadth of our services, but also in our unique
approach to facilitating integrated campus-wide marketing planning and implementation processes. We will work in
partnership with you in fostering collaboration across divisional boundaries to identify strategic issues and
opportunities, a data-driven approach to decision-making, and a managed change program that leverages
organizational strengths to realize short-term results and sustainable success.
There exist best practices in marketing and research, standards to guide marketing strategy development and
deployment, and even some predictable gaps and areas needing improvement. However, there is no single
marketing solution that fits all institutions or graduate programs. In our experience, each institution has its own
unique mission, vision, service region, marketing challenges and opportunities, and resource limitations. Perhaps,
more importantly, every institution has a distinctive culture. Integrated marketing is largely about changing the
campus culture to adopt a heightened marketing, recruitment, retention, and service orientation—at both the
tactical and strategic levels.
Our unique approach to SEM planning and implementation focuses on:

Uncovering the institution’s existing competencies

Leveraging the use of strategic intelligence to improve competitiveness

Fostering collaborative leadership in strategy development

Engaging the institution constituents and cultivating buy-in to the process

Identifying strategic opportunities to advance the institution’s market position and enrollment goals

Clarifying organizational capacity conditions for sustained high performance
Mobilizing a campus community around a common marketing purpose is the secret to producing dramatic,
sustainable results. Our team will work in partnership with you in identifying, defining, and organizing around that
common purpose—what we refer to as strategic opportunities. Typically, the marketing planning process yields five-
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to-seven strategic opportunities along with complementary key performance indicators, metrics, strategies, and
detailed action plans.
In the Jim Collins book, Good to Great, the author describes a common phenomenon among companies that is
equally as prevalent among colleges and universities. Collins calls it “the flywheel”—the belief that one dramatic
strategy or effort transforms an organization from good to great. Unfortunately, there is no single defining action or
strategy significant enough to turn the giant flywheel—to yield dramatic results that are sustainable over time. It
will be the cumulative effect of your efforts that will pave the path to success. It will not be the strategies per se
that will get you there, but rather your ability to execute better than your competitors. The flywheel will turn if
everyone is pushing in the same direction with equal vigor.
Our goal in working with you goes far beyond the development of strategies. We will assist your institution in
defining its unique “flywheel” aligned with the promise you make to your key constituents; consistent with your
mission, vision, and values; and inherently in synch with the raison d'être of your employees. Marketing, itself, is
not a vehicle for culture change. It is simply a tool to focus an institution on marketing issues and opportunities. To
create a marketing-oriented culture and thus, the “flywheel” effect, we fervently believe a college or university must
identify and tap into the distinctive quality of the institution that internal and external stakeholders are passionate
about supporting. SEM Works’ process for accomplishing this objective is not practiced by any other firm in the
industry.
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Consulting Model
SEM Works offers a full range of marketing planning and consulting services and programs that are sought by
Salem State University’s School of Graduate Studies. In addition to consulting, we offer a breadth of
complementary programs and services including:

Research services to inform strategy development

A repository of secondary research sources and institution best practices

Creative and technology services to inform marketing-related product development

Training programs in student recruitment, customer service, and change management that support strategy
implementation

Project management that provides you with a single point of contact, weekly progress status reports, and
unlimited access to remote consultation for the duration of the project
Integrated marketing is largely about changing the campus culture to adopt a heightened marketing, recruitment,
and service orientation—at both the tactical and strategic levels. Therefore, SEM Works’ approach to marketing
planning is highly collaborative and participatory in order to create an understanding of marketing concepts and
build buy-in to the marketing plan. By developing an understanding of your unique challenges, we are able to
develop customized marketing solutions that become an integral part of your strategic plan. Our recommended
solutions are grounded in research on effective practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in the marketing
planning process, and our strategies are based upon best practices in marketing and research. However, our
thinking around strategies is not limited to best practices. We will work with your personnel to identify one or
more strategies that are “game changers”—catapulting your institution beyond competitors. In our experience,
this approach is necessary to create a sustainable competitive advantage.
Even with the best marketing strategies, your success in sustaining a competitive advantage is directly correlated to
your ability to execute better than your competitors. This requires broad buy-in to the marketing plan. Our planning
approach is grounded in research on exemplary practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in marketing
planning.
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SEM Works’ consulting model typically involves five stages:
(1) Scope
(2) Discover
(3) Plan
(4) Implement
(5) Assess/Adjust
Recommendations stemming from our consulting process are based on a combination of physical evidence provided
by the institution along with secondary data sources, on-campus interviews, and direct observations of existing
practices, and will utilize a research method known as “triangulation” to validate findings. Any finding supported
by all three research techniques are considered valid. A complementary method called “pattern matching” will
validate findings that do not appear to be triangulated, but are reoccurring themes that emerge from one or more of
these research techniques.
This model serves as the framework in the sections that follow for describing our professional programs and
services. A brief description is provided of the typical approach we take in partnership with you, our client, every
step of the way to develop strategies and tactics that yield maximum return on institutional investment (ROI) to
improve recruitment, communications, marketing, as well as data-based decision making, optimization of
resources, and effectiveness of organizational structures.
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Project Management
Your project manager, Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, will provide Salem State University with a single point of contact
service following the project management protocols depicted below. Lynda will be available on an as needed basis
throughout the duration of the project.
SEM Works Project Plan Protocol
Contract
Client Signoff
Progress Report
Progress Report
Satisfaction
Confirm contract
specifications and
obtain signed
contract from the
client.
Obtain client
input, revise
accordingly and
obtain client signoff on the project
plan.
Provide the client
with the first
progress report
outlining related
deliverables and
milestones.
For the duration of
the project,
provide the client
with weekly
progress reports.
At the conclusion
of the project,
assess client
satisfaction
(survey), and
request a quote.
Week 1
Project Plan
Develop a project
plan with a
timeline and
milestones.
Week 2
Project Management
(PM) System
Load the project plan in
SEM Works’ PM system
and grant the client access.
Week 3
Ongoing
Best Practices
Client Contact
As appropriate,
provide the client
with best practice
examples,
articles, links, etc.
As needed,
contact the client
to address
project issues and
seek feedback.
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PART 2:
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERTISE
Capabilities and Related Experience
SEM Works’ main office is located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The SEM Works staff is comprised of twenty-nine
individuals, primarily current or former practitioners in the field and creative services professionals. Including Dr.
Black, there are eleven SEM Works consultants— each with their unique specialty areas. In addition to the
consulting group, SEM Works employs a director of creative services, director of market research, a research
analyst, director of educational research, a director of marketing, a director of business development, a conference
director, two account representatives, a director of operations, a team of web designers, three graphic designers, a
copywriter, and an editor. We are able to share our expertise, talents, and innovations with SEM Works’ clients and
work to reinforce some of the fundamental tenets of best practices in higher education. Our first priority is your
SUCCESS!
In working with our management, consulting, or creative team, you will learn first-hand that we strive to ensure
your needs are met. For your project, Dr. Black will be your lead consultant, and Ms. Lynda Wallace-Hulecki will
be the project manager and your primary contact. Other SEM Works’ key personnel who may provide research and
technical services include Dr. Bryant Hutson, Director of Educational Research.
SEM Works has a strong and growing strategic partnership with Academica Group Inc. in the delivery of research,
technical, and creative services. Academica Group Inc. is a wholly Canadian and American owned private
corporation incorporated in 2003 with a head office in London, Ontario, and satellite offices in Toronto, Ontario and
Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to 2003, the research division operated as Acumen Research Group, incorporated in
London in 1997. The Academica Group Inc. research division consists of over a dozen full-time research associates
and a team of senior consultants. The Academica team has designed and executed hundreds of studies for private
and public sector clients, including all levels of government. Most of their work involves research to support
organizational strategic planning, evaluation, and communications for colleges and universities.
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The research services associated with this proposal have been developed in partnership with Academica Group
Inc., and will involve Mr. Oded VanHam, Director of Research, Academica Group, Inc.
For your project, all components and phases will be under the control of SEM Works.
Professional bios for each of the aforementioned key personnel are presented below.
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Professional Research Team
Bryant L. Hutson, Ph.D., Director of Educational Research
Project Responsibilities: Situational and Retention Analyses
Dr. Bryant Hutson has over fifteen years of experience in higher education as faculty,
administrator, and program evaluator. Before joining SEM Works, he served as Associate
Director for Student Academic Services at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
(UNCG), where he coordinated first-year experience and retention programming and led
assessment development and program evaluation efforts.
Hutson was also research associate at the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation at UNCG, where he
participated in large-scale program evaluation projects and played a key role in developing instruments used in K–
12 and higher education settings. He served as the technology and research coordinator for The College Foundation
of North Carolina Resource Center when it was first established, and has been a faculty member at The University of
North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro College, Rockingham Community College, and Guilford Technical
Community College.
Hutson holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in educational research,
measurement, and evaluation. His research focuses on the development and impact of first-year experience and
retention programming on student success. He has been an active member of the National Academic Advising
Association (NACADA), American Educational Research Association (AERA), and American Evaluation Association
(AEA) and has made over thirty refereed presentations at national conferences. Collaborating with international
colleagues, he has presented at international conferences and was an invited guest lecturer at Shanghai Normal
University. His recent publications include The Appreciative Advising Revolution, a chapter for a NACADA research
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monograph, a chapter in Gen Xers Return to College, a section in the Academic Advising Handbook, and refereed
articles in the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education and the Journal of College Student Retention.
His current responsibilities as director of educational research include leading the research arm of SEM Works,
overseeing research projects and providing project management and quality control. In addition to planning,
coordinating, and conducting research on environmental scanning, market opportunity analysis, academic program
review, and application and retention enrollment decision studies, he also is responsible for developing assessment
and program evaluation plans and instruments to meet the clients’ research needs.
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Professional Research Team
RESEARCH ADVISOR
Rod Skinkle
President & CEO, Academica Group Inc.
Rod Skinkle is the founder and president of Academica Group Inc. as well as a Lecturer in Applied Research at the
university and college level. Rod has been dedicated to higher education focused research since 1987, and leads a
team of creative and innovative researchers and consultants who work internationally to deliver a wide range of
solutions to clients. His primary interests concern youth perceptions and decision processes about higher education,
and higher education pathways and career development.
From 1987 to 1996, he served as Coordinator of Research in Student Services at the University of Western Ontario,
one of Canada’s largest research universities, where he developed deep insight in PSE student development theory
and practice, and designed groundbreaking research studies across the continuum of student experience. During
his time at Western, Mr. Skinkle established Ontario’s first province-wide student housing evaluation, the Residence
Environment Survey (RES), which was eventually adopted by all Ontario universities. He worked on the national
steering committee to launch the national Incoming Student Survey, designed and executed Western’s first-ever
longitudinal Student Quality Study, and worked with Dr. James Rush to assess education-career competences. He
also worked with a consortium of universities across Canada to design the “First Year Student Experience” surveys,
and coordinated the launch of the National Student Engagement Survey in Canada. More recently, he has engaged
in an ongoing collaboration with Dr. James Coté to study student motivation, development and outcomes.
Throughout his career, Mr. Skinkle has co-authored numerous published studies and government reports on postsecondary education issues.
Building upon Rod’s background in PSE student services, Academica Group has become a leading provider of PSE
focused policy, consumer research and education marketing in Canada. As an expert in applied research with a
focus on PSE, Rod has designed and coordinated numerous national studies for a wide range of policy/government
groups. Rod is the principal author of Canada’s first and longest running study dedicated to post-secondary student
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recruitment, marketing and policy research, the University/College Applicant Survey (UCAS™). He has presented
research across North America to groups including for example: The Council of Ontario University (COU) Presidents,
The Canadian Marketing Association (CMA), The Professional Marketing Research Society (PMRS), and The Canadian
and American Psychology Associations.
Rod has recently been appointed one of the principal Canadian investigators on SSHRC funded project to bring
together a joint Canadian and Finish team of academics to design a comparative study of Youth Identity
Development and Transformation from high school to higher education.
Rod has a Masters Degree in Applied
Research from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Mr. Oded VanHam, Director of Research, Academica Group Inc.
Project Responsibilities: Coordination of Academica Research Services
Oded has spent more than 10 years in consulting, market research and project management. His clients benefit
from an expertise in data collection and analysis, gaining knowledge from data. He also brings personal knowledge
of academia, having taught undergraduate business and worked as a Business Development Manager at the
Chinese University of Hong Kong. Oded holds an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the Ivey School of
Business, an MSc from the University of Western Ontario, and a BSc from the University of Waterloo. His
combination of business and scientific background allows him to go beyond data analysis to understand the business
drivers, their impact and significance, and to then make practical recommendations.
At Academica Group, Oded developed novel approaches to analyzing applicant trends based on geography that
allow detailed recommendations regarding the allocation of recruitment resources. He played leading roles in the
2007 UAS™ reporting, 2008 and 2009 UCAS™ instrument design, Mount Royal College strategic positioning summit
and Dalhousie University market research planning. He continues to look for new ways to view data for greater
insight on behalf of our clients.
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PART 3:
PROJECT SCOPE AND PROPOSED APPROACH
An effective marketing strategy should create a unique identity that will differentiate the SOGS at Salem State
from your competitors while aligning with the institution’s brand. If effectively deployed, your marketing strategy
and communication messages will ensure that the institution is “top of mind” among students considering graduate
study. More importantly, potential students and other key constituent groups will not just think of Salem State’s
SOGS generically, but they will have a clear and consistent image of the School—an image that can be further
defined by audience segment with some specificity.
Salem State University’s Enrollment Management department (EM) seeks professional market research and
marketing/communications consultancy services to partner with the School of Graduate Studies (SOGS) and related
graduate programs to address two inter-related purposes:
1. Develop, implement, and analyze results of market research in order to:

Identify existing perceptions/brand associations of Salem State’s SOGS by select target student segments
(i.e., prospective students, current graduate and undergraduate students, graduate and undergraduate
alumni, as well as non-SOGS faculty and staff)

Identify gaps (if any) between the perspectives of internal and external constituents

Provide a competitive analysis and perceptual map relative to competitors

Identify programs/services the SOGS does not currently offer that are of interest to target student groups
2. Recommend a marketing strategy based upon the research findings that aligns with the institution’s existing
brand and includes the following components:

Distinctive institutional and program characteristics that may be used to articulate the SOGS brand and
position;
20

Strategies to address negative/misperceptions regarding SOGS programs

Positioning strategies for the SOGS and select programs (i.e., MBA, GIS, I/O, Graduate Education
Programs)

A comprehensive marketing communications plan for both external and internal audiences

A cost analysis/projection for the various activities/tactics outlined in the communications plan
Leveraging the expertise of our research partner, Academica, SEM Works proposes a full range of marketing
planning and consulting services and programs to meet your needs. In considering the aforementioned purposes
and detailed specifications outlined in the Request for Proposal, SEM Works proposes a multi-stage process that
involves a combination of strategic research, consultation, and planning for data-driven, best-practice-informed
positioning of the School of Graduate Studies.
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STAGES
ACTIVITIES
DELIVERABLE
1. SCOPE

Confirm Project Scope and Timelines
2A. DISCOVERY

Perform a Situational Analysis
2B. DISCOVERY

3. PLANNING

Develop a Marketing Strategy
4. IMPLEMENTATION

Facilitate Implementation with Strategy Team(s)
Detailed implementation plan,
inclusive of media tactics and
associated costs
5. ASSESS

Evaluate the Effectiveness of Early Implementation
Preliminary assessment of returnon-investment and suggested
changes, if any, to the plan.
Conduct Market Research
Webinar report identifying
observed strategy gaps and
opportunities along with
constituent perceptions
Market research report and
recommendations
OPTIONAL
SERVICES
The Consulting Map depicted below presents an overview of each of the process stages associated with our
integrated research and planning services that is consistent with SEM Works’ five-stage consulting model.
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23
PART 4:
PROPOSED RESEARCH METHODS AND CONSULTANCY PROCESS
Each of the aforementioned process stages is described in detail in the charts that follow. It should be noted that
our professional services will be customized to the needs and resources of Salem State’s SOGS.
SEM Works
Consulting Process Details
1. SCOPE OF WORK
DEFINE THE PROJECT SCOPE AND TIMELINE
CONFERENCE CALL
An initial conference call is held with key stakeholders to establish the institutional context, scope,
S
timelines, and goals for the market research and the marketing and communications strategy
C
consultancy, as well as environmental constraints and/or risks.
O
P
E
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2A. DISCOVERY
SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
Off-site Review
In preparation for the market research and on-site visit, SEM Works conducts a review of the
institution’s strategic plans, enrollment and marketing trends information, competitor information, as
well as institution supplied marketing and communications materials and web-based resources.
Communications materials (print, web, etc.), Web sites and related resources are examined for
visual consistency, visual appeal, message relevance, message repetition, ease of navigation for Web
D
pages, and impact on target audiences. If warranted, recommendations are made to address critical
I
gaps in information and research via internal and/or third party services such as an environmental
S
scan. Refer to Addendum 1 for the requested list of institution supplied reference materials.
C
O
On-site Visit
V
During a three-day site visit, a strategy audit of existing marketing and communication strategies
E
will be undertaken, as well as constituent interviews to identify the SOGS market position, and
R
stakeholder interviews to clarify market research scope and objectives, as follows:
Y
 Strategy Audit
A one-day site visit is conducted for purposes of assessing graduate marketing and communications
strategies, infrastructure, staffing patterns, and financial resources. The process is designed to
foster institution-wide understanding of the value of an integrated strategy and marketing plan.
Elements of the approach include, but are not be limited to:

Interviews with key constituents (faculty, staff, administration and others) to share their
perspectives on the marketing challenges and opportunities, and their involvement in the
marketing, recruitment, and branding processes

Review of admissions operations to identify opportunities that will improve recruiting
25
(inquiry generation, application processing, and conversion strategies, etc.), marketing,
branding, and communications strategies (Web marketing, media mix, resource allocation,
etc.)

Analysis of existing practices and operational procedures such as inquiry, response and
fulfillment for efficiency and effectiveness

Review of institutional marketing and communications efforts to identify opportunities that
will improve awareness, image, and market position
 On-site Constituent Interviews
D
I
S
C
O
V
E
R
Y
A one-day site visit to identify the SOGS’s market position, SEM Works will collect internal and
external constituent perspectives through a series of constituent interviews. At a minimum,
constituent groups will include: prospective students, current students (undergraduate and
graduate), alumni (undergraduate and graduate), non-SOGS faculty. Each interview session will be
60 minutes in length. Findings from constituent interviews will be used in combination with other
research to determine current and desired positioning, needed programs and services, as well as
messaging that compels constituent commitment to the institution and SOSG’s programs.
Interviews with internal constituent groups will focus on:

Shared values

Perspectives on “the ideal” graduate student experience

Student expectations of the institution

Other key constituent group expectations of the institution

Existing and potential institutional guarantees
Interviews with external constituent groups will consist of the following:

“Top of mind” perceptions of the institution

Constituent expectations
26
D
I
S
C
O
V
E

Institutional promises that matter most

Alignment of the institution’s strengths with promises that matter

Identification of gaps related to promises that matter
 On-site Stakeholder Interviews
A one-day site visit to assess the specific research interests of key stakeholders. Each interview
session will be 90 minutes in length. Findings from constituent interviews will be incorporated into
the UCAS™ instrument.
Interviews with stakeholder groups will focus on:
R

Program demand to be assessed
Y

Service needs to be identified

Perceptions and brand associations to be tested
Deliverable: A webinar report on the findings from the site visit audit and interview processes will
be presented within approximately one week following the site visit. The report will identify observed
strategy
gaps
and
opportunities
along
with
constituent
perceptions,
as
well
as
include
recommendations associated with the market research.
D
2B. DISCOVERY
I
MARKET RESEARCH
S
C
A quantitative perceptions study (with an optional qualitative component) will be designed to meet
O
the specific needs of the SOGS. To maintain overall project costs, one base survey will be used with
V
only minor adjustments for each of the required target populations. The base survey will be
E
Academica
R
Addendum 2 for an overview of Academica Group’s proprietary SEM Analytics survey tool.
Group’s
flagship
University/College
Applicant
Study™
(UCAS™).
Refer
to
Y
27
Given your information needs, we think it best you focus first on attempting to quantify trends with
respect to your major research questions. Below, we have proposed a quantitative research design to
be executed in three steps.
Research Methodology Overview
Sampling
In recognition of the timing for the research noted in your RFP, we recommend conducting the
customized graduate UCASTM survey in mid November when you should have received the bulk of
graduate applications. We propose two sample sources for prospective students:
D
1. All applicants to all graduate programs at SSU.
I
2. Purchased list of prospective graduate applicants in selected geographic locations.
S
C
O
V
E
R
Y
Your total applicant pool will include a significant proportion of applicants who have applied to
multiple other schools. In some cases, SSU will be a 2nd or even 3rd choice destination. Therefore,
your applicant pool provides a ready source of applicants to your competitor schools which enables
us to develop a competitive set analysis for the UCASTM findings.
The second sample source of purchased contacts provides an optional source to significantly enhance
the applicant pool sample by including graduate school test-takers from across the region and
neighbouring states of interest1.
We also recommend a customized version of the applicant survey that can be used with the
additional key target groups noted in your RFP:
3. Current undergraduate students
4. Current graduate students
5. Alumni
1
The costs of purchasing contact information from any required external sources is external to this budget.
28
Below we provide a concise summary of overall research process and specific deliverables for each
stage.
STEP 1: SURVEY DESIGN AND IMPLIMENTATION
We find that it is vital to have adequate consultation with the client EM team. This stage involves
three steps:
D
I
1. Via tele/video conference, SEM Works and Academica will consult with key internal stakeholder
S
groups to review and customize the UCASTM survey instrument to address the specific
C
information objectives identified in your RFP. As previously stated, to maintain overall project
O
costs, one base survey will be used with only minor adjustments for each of the required
V
target populations.
E
2. Consultation to review/refine sampling and survey administration procedures.
R
3. Administer the customized on-line survey to the selected target groups.
Y
STEP 2: ANALYSIS AND CONSULTATION
Step 2 will focus on the analysis of online survey results including key decision factor push-pull
graphs and perceptual mapping radar graphs. The specific tasks include:
1. Download and consolidate data from each target population.
2. Analyze and prepare results across target groups
STEP 3: CONSOLIDATION OF FINDINGS AND DEVELOPMENT OF FINAL REPORT
This stage of the study will conclude with the preparation and submission of the consolidated
research report. Academica senior consultants working with SEM Works’ consultants will develop a
report that will provide the basis for the development strategic recommendations concerning brand
and competitive positioning, key value propositions, and specific information to support tactical
29
communication plans.
OPTIONAL - QUALITATIVE – CONSUMER RESEARCH PANEL
An important step to ensure that ‘data’ are translated into ‘market intelligence’ is to include a
‘marketing concept testing’ component within the overall project. We find that a qualitative research
component adds real value by allowing you to: a) delve deeper into the key learning(s) from survey
findings, and b) provide feedback on preliminary marketing implications and creative concepts. This
stage can save the institution money by getting feedback from the target audiences before you
allocate money and resources to the development of creative marketing materials and purchasing
advertising. Given expressed budget limitations, the ‘consumer panel’ qualitative research is provided
as an optional component. Refer to Addendum 2 for details.
3. PLANNING
STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT
PLANNING RETREAT (ONE-DAY VISIT)
P
SEM Works facilitates a one-day planning retreat to initiate the marketing planning process with the
L
SOGS leadership team, graduate program directors, and key campus constituents. The quantitative
A
and qualitative data gleaned from the off-site review, the strategy audit, constituent and stakeholder
N
interviews, as well as the market research inform the development of the agenda for this workshop-
N
I
N
G
style retreat. The primary focus of the retreat is to confirm:

Marketing goal parameters and principles

High priority strategic opportunities

Key performance indicators to track

Priority target student segments

Principles to guide marketing decision-making
30
STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT (ONE-DAY VISIT)
An integrated, multichannel approach to brand strategy is developed with multiple authors and
through multiple mediums to impact prospective student recruitment and current student retention
and loyalty. The integrated plan includes:

Both pull and push strategies that are the most effective with the target audiences.
P

Media and marketing mediums will be recommended for each target audience.
L

Promotional strategies will be developed for each target audience.
A

A marketing schedule with media and marketing selections will be presented in an easy-to-read
N
N
I
N
G
calendar.

Factors considered in our media and marketing recommendations include:
─ effectiveness for your institution and graduate programs
─ projected return on investment (ROI)
─ cost per lead and enrolled student
─ fit for the institution
─ impact on target audiences, etc.
31
4. IMPLEMENTATION (OPTIONAL)
ENSURE CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE EXECUTION, AND SUSTAINABILITY
STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION SESSIONS (2-DAY SITE VISIT)
I
M
P
L
E
M
E
N
T
A
T
I
O
N
SEM Works assists in the initial implementation and formative evaluation of the strategies and plan.
This typically involves a two-day visit with the institution’s strategy team(s). Particular attention is
given to the development of an internal awareness and engagement campaign, and accountability
mechanisms for monitoring progress on both the strategic and tactical levels, with a particular focus
on the development of performance indicators, metrics and reporting mechanisms that will provide
actionable intelligence going forward.
INTERNAL AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN
As part of the implementation process, a rollout campaign for the campus is developed with the
intent of raising awareness and seeking buy-in. Campus marketing evangelists will engage the
campus community using the rollout campaign that includes a rationale for supporting marketing
efforts, a common message designed around the SOGS’s promise to students, a marketing
presentation with relevant data, tips for guiding campus discussions, and a call-to-action with
concrete examples of ways to support ongoing brand strategy efforts at the divisional, departmental,
and individual levels.
OPTIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES

CREATIVE MARKETING SERVICES - Our creative team can assist you in revitalizing your current
Web presence and online tools, or in developing a customized microsite or an entirely new
site. SEM Works also provides creative services for the development of marketing materials
through its team of web designers, graphic artists, copywriters, and project managers.
32

MARKETING/RECRUITMENT ROI - Recruitment and marketing programs and activities are an
expensive albeit essential endeavor for any institution. Understanding the return on
investment of these activities is critical in order to manage them in a fiscally responsible
manner. Through specialized analysis of Academica’s UCAS™ applicant survey, a return on
investment analysis of the benefit of marketing/recruitment activities can be determined.
A
S
S
E
S
S
5. ASSESS (OPTIONAL)
FORMATIVE EVALUATION AND PROGRESS REPORTS
Following each strategy implementation session, SEM Works provides a brief formative evaluation of
the
planning
process
and
related
deliverables,
including
recommendations
for
mid-course
adjustments, if warranted.
33
PART 5:
PROJECT TIMELINES AND COSTS
SEM Works offers solutions designed to improve enrollment outcomes without overtaxing the client’s resources
such as budgets, staffing, and technology support. We will customize our services to meet Salem State
University’s needs within the context of the institution’s resource constraints.
The charts provided below present an overview of SEM Works’ programs and services and associated cost
estimates. The costs are based on the assumptions outlined above and on our current understanding of the details
presented in the RFP. The final budget will be adjusted and refined through the initial planning stages of the
consultation process.
34
Proposed
Timeline
Budget
Sep 24
$3,000
Sep 27
$0
Off-site situational analysis review
Oct 1
$0
On-site strategy audit
Oct 4
$4,000
On-site constituent interviews
Oct 5
$4,000
On-site stakeholder interviews
Oct 6
$4,000
Oct 13
$1,000
Planning Retreat
Jan 24
$4,000
Strategy Development
Jan 25
$4,000
Draft Marketing Plan
Feb 21
$0
Final Marketing Plan
Feb 28
$6,000
Breakdown of Costs Associated with the
Consulting Services
Project Initiation and Project Management
Step 1: Scope
Conference call
Step 2: Discovery
Webinar report
Step 3: Planning
Total (plus travel expenses)
Optional – Implementation Consulting Services
Optional – Assessment Consulting Services
Total (plus travel expenses)
$30,000
Mar 7-8
$8,000
June
$4,000
$12,000
35
Proposed
Timeline
Budget
Oct 14
$2,000
Client consultations and survey refinement (4+ target groups)
Oct 15 – 29
$2,800
Refinement of survey sampling and administration procedures
Oct 21 – Nov 8
$1,200
Administration of applicant survey(s) (includes $1,500 for prize incentives)
Nov 11 – Dec 5
$5,000
Dec 8 – 10
$1,500
Dec 10 – 19
$5,000
Dec 22 – 30
$5,000
Dec 30
$1,200
Jan 1 - 10
$1,200
Breakdown of Costs Associated with the
Market Research
Project Initiation and Project Management
Step 1: Survey Design and Implementation
Step 2: Analysis and Consultation
Download and consolidate data from each target population, data cleaning and
coding of open-ended responses
Analyze and prepare results across target groups
Step 3: Consolidation, Reporting and Presentation
Draft research report development
Tele-presentation and discussion with EM team
Report finalization
Total (plus applicable taxes)
Optional - Qualitative Research
$24,900
TBD
Development of research objectives, participant specifications, and draft discussion
guide
Tele-presentation and discussion with EM team
$2,000
$500
Recruit qualitative research participants
$1,200
Conduct 40 individual/small group interviews ($50/participant)
Summarize results
$11,000
$3,000
Total
$17,700
The costs of purchasing contact information from any required external sources is external to this budget.
36
PART 6:
REFERENCES: PARTIAL CLIENT LIST
Partial Client List
Adams State College
Alice Lloyd College
Andrew College
Arkansas State University
Belmont University
Buffalo State College
Carson-Newman College
Charter Oak State College
City University of New York
Clayton State University
Coker College
College of Saint Rose
Defiance College
East Stroudsburg University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Oregon State University
East-West University
Fanshawe College
Fayetteville State University
Ferris State University
Fort Lewis College
Francis Marion University
Franklin University
Guilford College
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
Ithaca College
Johnson C. Smith University
Kettering University
Lenoir-Rhyne College
Lincoln University
Mars Hill College
North Carolina Central University
Ontario Institute of Technology
Pacific Graduate School of Psychology
Paisley University (Scotland)
Robert Morris College (University)
Roosevelt University
Salem College
Seventh Day Adventist University
Sherman College of Chiropractic
Slippery Rock University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southern Adventist University
Southern New Hampshire University
Spalding University
Sunderland University (England)
University of Colorado at Denver
University of British Columbia
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Idaho
University of Maine at Fort Kent
University of Maine at Machias
University of Maryland—Eastern Shore
University of Missouri—Kansas City
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of Regina
University of Saskatchewan
University of St. Francis
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at El Paso
University of Vermont
University of Victoria
37
Medical University of South Carolina
Meredith College
Mount Olive College
Mt. St. Vincent University
Sherman Chiropractic College
New England Culinary Institute
University of West Florida
University of Windsor
University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire
Villanova University
William Paterson University
Winona State University
38
PART 6:
REFERENCES: CLIENT TESTAMONIALS
Ferris State University
Craig Westman, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost University College
University of Texas at El Paso
ASB Room 102, 500 West University Avenue
El Paso, TX 79968
cewestman@utep.edu or 915/747-5000
An enrollment capacity audit and enrollment planning consulting were provided. Key concepts such as branding,
marketing, the relationship continuum, integration, the enrollment funnel, student recruitment, student retention,
and student services were addressed.
"Ferris State University has had Jim Black to campus several times. Each time Jim has brought
institutional focus to enrollment management and how enrollment management is an institutional
imperative, not a singular unit's job. Jim has aided Ferris in realigning its recruitment activities to place
them into a firm strategic enrollment management context. About every two years, Jim comes to
campus to get our batteries recharged—to look critically and strategically at how we are doing our
recruiting. Jim's guidance has allowed Ferris to embark on successful e-Recruitment and print
campaigns. Jim's guidance has been instrumental in the past several years of Ferris's success—a
15.63% growth in enrollment!”
Enrollment Success:

15.63% increase in enrollment between 2002 and 2006, second highest among public institutions in Michigan.

Including fall 2007, the highest enrollment growth among public institutions in Michigan.
Craig Westman, Ph.D., Former Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of Admissions and
Records, Ferris State University
39
Arkansas State University
Rick Stripling, Vice Chancellor
PO Box 189
Jonesboro, Arkansas 72467
ricks@astate.edu or 870/972-2048
Jim Black, president of SEM WORKS, facilitated the development of an enrollment management plan and
branding strategy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Dr. Black worked directly with a planning
group at the University to identify objectives, a planning construct, a process, and timeline. An audit of existing
enrollment management operations was preceded by a review of institutional trend data, competitor information,
survey data, publications and Web sites, strategic plans, enrollment plans, organizational charts, and related
documents. The site visit included direct observations of operations, interviews with staff and those they serve,
along with focus groups with students. Ongoing consulting assistance with planning and implementation led to a
214 student increase in the entering class.
E-mail campaign technology and strategy provided by SEM WORKS are already yielding significant results. ASU has
had more visitors to campus this fall than ever before.
"There are a lot of consultants. We needed someone to understand our institution’s mission and
purpose. Jim Black's knowledge of the enrollment process and higher education marketing greatly
helped our institution focus on enrollment and marketing efforts that matter. We have seen an increase
in our freshman class for the second straight year. Freshman enrollment has increased 27 percent for
the past two years, and this year's class represents the largest freshman class that we have seen in
eight years. Our spring to spring enrollment increase is the largest in at least fourteen years and the
second highest spring semester enrollment in history. SEM WORKS and Jim Black delivered!"
Rick Stripling, Vice Chancellor
40
St. Louis Community College
Pat Crowe, Director of Communications
300 South Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63102-2810
314/539-5141 or pcrowe@stlcc.edu
SEM WORKS consulted with the four college campuses of St. Louis Community College and conducted a
comprehensive audit of existing communications and branding practices including the College’s recruitment
publications/Web site, logos and marks, promotional materials, standards and graphics, etc., analyzed existing
market research; administered a competitor analysis; developed a brand identity and marketing strategies;
completed Web site development; created strategies for Internet marketing; and developed collaterals, print,
broadcast, and out-of-home advertising. SEM WORKS established a detailed consulting agenda and consulted with
the college to include: a comprehensive audit of communications and branding practices; brand identity and
marketing plan; collateral development; and print and broadcast out-of-home advertising.
"We have been impressed with the branding and marketing consulting work that SEM WORKS has done
for St. Louis Community College. Dr. Black and the SEM WORKS team have carefully explored and
assessed our culture and image. Dr. Black is highly skilled at analyzing complex issues and providing
smart, realistic, and creative solutions. Thanks to SEM WORKS we are building a powerful brand through
a focused strategic marketing plan that will enhance our market position and sustain us for many years
to come."
Pat Crowe, Director of Communications
41
PART 7:
VENDOR IDENTIFICATION AND CONTACT INFORMATION (REQUIRED)
Company Name: SEM Works, LLC
DBA: _______________________________________________
Company's Federal ID Number: 20-3298510
Address: __________________________________________
Remit To Address: 1175 Revolution Mill Drive, Studio 3
City: Greensboro State:_NC ZIP:_27405
Telephone: (336) 844-4060 ext. 1006
Fax: __1-888-626-2374
Email: jimblack@semworks.net
Web address: http://www.semworks.net/
Name: Dr. Jim Black
Title: President and CEO
Authorized Signature ______________
Date: ___________________________
Main Contact: __________________________________________________
Person responsible for response (if different) ___________________________________________
42
ADDENDUM 1
LIST OF INSTITUTION SUPPLIED REFERENCE MATERIALS
Strategic Plans:

Institution strategic plan (mission, vision, values, strategic development directions),

Academic development plan and priorities

Institution enrollment goals, plans and strategies

Institution marketing goals, plans and strategies
Organization & Governance Structures:

Organizational charts

SEM Committee charter(s) and accountabilities
Environmental Analyses (conducted in past 5 years):

Environmental scan (external and internal)

Strategic research: e.g., campus climate studies, previously conducted market research (past 5 years)

SWOT analyses (if available)
Marketing Trends and Information Resources

Marketing impact assessment trend data (if available)

Competitor information

Publications

Advertising and promotion plans

Graphic identity system

Admissions presentations

Foundation materials
43
Enrollment Trends and Related Research:

Application, admission, and enrollment trends and yields by key student segments

Enrollment and student flow trends and analyses

Student geo-demographic profile

Student survey research: recruitment and applicant yield studies, student satisfaction surveys, student
engagement studies, completions/graduations studies
44
ADDENDUM 2
ACADEMICA GROUP INC.
UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE APPLICANT STUDY™ (UCAS™)
University/College Applicant Study™ (UCAS™)
Academica Group’s flagship UCAS™ Applicant Study is the ultimate benchmark for trend, attitude, reputation and
influence data among higher education consumers prior to enrollment. From its inception in 1997, this
comprehensive study has provided scores of subscribing institutions with insight into applicant demographics,
motivations, decision-making processes, post-graduate intentions, perceptions of university/college brand
positioning and reputation, key competitor strengths and weaknesses, and the influence and appeal of recruitment
marketing efforts. The study has been refined by enrollment management professionals to provide precise
measurement on all key variables to help guide and fine-tune recruitment and enrollment management strategies.
Note: The Graduate UCASTM has been designed specifically to emphasize graduate applicant decision factors.
The UCAS™ provides you with detailed, real-time, actionable data in 4 areas:
1.
Prospective Student Profile
This section of the UCAS™ describes the demographic, financial and academic characteristics of your prospective
graduate student pool and compares it to your key competitor institutions. More importantly, the profile data
provides the crucial ability to cross-tabulate data throughout the report, to isolate students from particular
geographic regions, age groups, income segments, grade averages, or ethnic backgrounds.
2.
Marketing Efforts
Today’s college applicants make use of a wide range of information sources in establishing their shortlist and
preferences. Some sources, like institutional websites, viewbooks, and campus tours, are largely controlled by your
recruitment or marketing departments, while others exist quite beyond your influence but require monitoring, such
45
as magazine rankings, social media, family recommendations or word of mouth. The UCAS™ includes questions to
measure the use, influence, and appeal of more than 20 key information sources and marketing efforts on your
applicants, and to benchmark your institution’s recruitment marketing impact against key competitor institutions.
3.
Decision Factors
The UCAS™ investigates the impact of up to 40 key decision factors on prospective student choice, and compares
your institution against a benchmark or specific competitor institutions for applicant perceptions of strengths and
weaknesses in five general categories (see Figure below).
Prospective students rate each factor on a seven-point scale from strongly negative to strongly positive. This
approach captures both perceived strengths and weaknesses of an applicant’s first choice college, reflecting the
complex trade-offs applicants sometimes experience as they make their final decision.
46
F IGURE 1: P USH /P ULL C HART SHOWS PRECISELY WHICH
PERCEPTIONS TEND TO ' PULL ' YOUR APPLICANTS IN COMPARISON
TO THE COMPETITIVE SCHOOLS
Academic Factors – including
program offerings, admission
criteria, and academic
reputation of programs
Financial Factors – including
merit- and need-based financial
aid, employment opportunities,
costs of living and of course
tuition
Outcome Factors – including
graduate employment
outcomes, graduate school
placement, credit transferability
and co-op programs
Campus Factors – including
residences, varsity athletics,
extracurriculars, student life
experience and recreational
facilities
Nurturing Factors – including
safety, class size, religious
affiliation and proximity to
home
47
4.
Reputation and Branding
Of course, institutional reputation is a key driver of graduate and undergraduate applicant decision-making, and
underlies the word of mouth that drives parental, family, and peer influences. Reputation is a complex and elusive
concept; often an amalgam of emotional preconceptions and gut-level reactions, but Academica Group’s proven
metrics have provided remarkably consistent data on marketplace perceptions for 14 years. College marketers now
have a heightened appreciation for brand positioning, and the powerful effect that a credible, compelling, and
competitively distinctive brand can have on all stakeholders—applicants, students, faculty and alumni alike.
With graduate student applicants the program can be as important as the institutional reputation. The UCAS™
measures reputation providing a multi-dimensional view of brand associations with key attributes, including
perceptions concerning: Perceived Overall Excellence, Reputation for Research, Teaching, Social Environment, Costs
(Affordability), Tradition and Innovation.
Where you are perceived on these dimensions will influence marketing strategy and communications plans. For
example, if you are perceived as a more ‘Traditional’ institution with less awareness as an “Innovator” within your
region, and in comparison to your key competitors, you face more and different challenges to market newer
programs (such green technology or leading edge internet and software development). Knowing where you are on
these key dimensions of overall reputation helps you to leverage your strengths and shore up your perceived
weaknesses.
48
F IGURE 2: M ULTI - DIMENSIONAL R EPUTATION M AP
49
Optional Consumer Panel Sample
At Academica Group we regularly recruit student consumer panels for follow-up research. To do this we simply
include a question on the survey asking participants if they would be interested in being contacted for further
contest and/or paid research opportunities. Generally, 40-60% of the respondents agree to be contacted. There are
many advantages to this approach. The foremost advantage is that we can select the sample on the basis of their
responses to the quantitative survey. That is, we can select the precise mix of students based on various factors,
such as their country (international students), state, demographic variables (age, gender), program of interest,
and/or the institution they selected as first choice.
The follow-up qualitative research can be done through in-person focus groups in certain urban locations or it can
be done via telephone or on-line interviews. The mass availability of high-speed internet has made on-line
interviews a very cost-effective approach to qualitative interview research. Academica has a well-developed and
cost-effective qualitative research methodology involving the use of on-line interviews with individuals and/or
groups of students. This methodology is similar to typical in-person interview studies and lends itself well to
research involving the presentation and testing of creative copy, messaging, and social media concept testing.
We normally recommend a minimum of 20 interviews per key segment (for example, 20 out-of-state applicants,
and/or 20 prospective students for each of the key programs of interest). One of the real strengths of this approach
is that we can link the quantitative findings up with the qualitative, providing the ability to follow-up key comments
or observations on an individual basis, if desired.
The specific tasks in this stage include:
1. Develop qualitative research objectives and discussion guide.
2. Presentation and discussion of above with the EM team.
3. Recruit on-line consumer panel.
4. Conduct on-line consumer interviews.
5. Summarize findings and prepare report for presentation.
50
Conclusion
To summarize, we envision a three-step methodology with extensive consultations. Each step builds upon the last
and the consultation between our research team, SEM Works’ enrollment management experts, and SSU’s EM team
is important to make the most of this opportunity. In this study we have stressed the quantitative research as the
most efficient starting point. This approach will enable you to reliably quantify applicant perceptions and beliefs
concerning the majority of your research questions and identify key factors that can be explored further through the
proposed follow-up qualitative research. The optional qualitative research component, although not completely
necessary, would enable us to delve deeper into the underlying basis of key perceptions and if desired, to provide
target group feedback on preliminary positioning and promotional concepts and copy.
51