CCCU
Chief Communications
Officers Conference
Stra-TEA-gic Marketing
Communications
June 21, 2001
Maguire Associates, Inc.
www.maguireassoc.com
Goals of the Project
 Listen to your audiences
 Market behavior
 Preferred communications vehicles
 Educational priorities
 Visibility/Identity of Christian colleges and
universities
 Establish a distinctive image
 Strengthen the CCCU’s competitive position
 Uncover profiles of target audiences
 Gain a longitudinal perspective (1986 vs.
2000)
The art of research.
The science of
communications.
Research Audiences
Rising
Juniors
Rising
Seniors
2002
2001
High
School
Graduates
2000
Prospects
Inquirers/
Parents
1986
Prospects
Inquirers/
Parents
Admitted
Students
1986
Inquirers
4
Market
Behavior
Timing of College Search (2000)
50
40
28.2%
27.4%
30
21.0%
21.0%
18.0%
20
10
0
19.6%
17.1%
8.8% 8.8%
5.9%
6.0%
B e f o re F re s hm a n
Year
3.5%
B e f o re F re s hm a n
Year
D uring S o pho m o re
Year
Inquirers
B e f o re m id- po int
o f J unio r Y e a r
S pring o f J unio r
Year
S um m e r a f t e r
J unio r Y e a r
Parents of Inquirers
5.8%
2.4%
F a ll o f S e nio r Y e a r
Timing of the College Search
 Begin communication with families early.
 Build recruitment communications plans
based on the first point of contact, not the
institution’s calendar.
 Quickly establish an identity
With CCCU
For your institution
Use of Source
100
93.0%
94.9%
80.7%
80
51.8%
60
47.3%
40
20
0
18.9%
7.0%
Printed materials
4.7%
The Internet
Yes
Personal
contacts
No
Personal
communication
via e-mail/chat
rooms
Use of Information Sources
 Re-allocate resources toward the Web and
other electronic communications.
 Make careful decisions about which print
media should be continued.
 Apply the research to messaging in all
resources.
Printed Materials
100
85.6%
86.0%
92.4%
80
60
49.2%
40
20
0
Prospects
Inquirers
NonMatriculants
Matriculants
Christian College Web Site Visits
100
72.0%
79.3%
80
60
40
45.5%
21.3%
20
0
Prospects
Inquirers
NonMatriculants
Matriculants
Use of Information Sources
 Design a breadth-and-depth Web site.
 Provide hyperlinking services.
 Negotiate hyperlinks to/from the CCCU and
other sites where students might be more
inclined to travel.
Prospects’ Priorities
 Value of Education (4.57)
 Preparation for Future Careers (4.55)
 Availability of Financial Aid/Scholarships to
Meet Need (4.54)
 Employment Opportunities after Graduation
(4.50)
 Quality of Major (4.48)
 Total Cost (tuition, room, board, etc.) (4.41)
 Quality of Faculty (4.29)
Image of CCCU
Institutions
Familiarity with Christian Liberal Arts
Colleges and Universities
(1986 vs. 2000)
(Totally 5
Familiar)
4
2.73
3.08
3.34
3.53
3.28
3
2.42
1.79 1.97
2
(Not at All
1
Familiar)
Prospects
Inquirers
1986
Non-Matriculants
2000
Matriculants
Level of Visibility
 Visibility among prospects:
1.79 in 1986
1.97 in 2000
 2.25 rating for CCCU visibility is a good
target to reach in the next 5 years.
Interest in Applying to Christian
College or University (2000)
(among those who do not intend to apply to a Christian college or university)
50
40
30
33.4%
23.2%
22.6%
24.7%
22.6%
18.9% 19.1%
18.4%
20
14.7%
10
0
2.2%
No Interest
Little Interest
Unsure
Prospects (mean=1.62)
Some Interest
Inquirers (mean=2.94)
Great Interest
Market Definition of a Christian
College or University
 The first word or phrase that comes to mind when
prospective students hear “Christian colleges and
universities”:
 “Religion” (5%)
 “Christian environment” (5%)
 “Christian faith” (4%)
 “Church” (4%)
 The addition of “liberal arts” diminishes their ability
to gain a clear impression of CCCU institutions.
Top Impressions of “Christian
Colleges and Universities”
(2000 Prospects):







Nothing (18%)
Religion (6%)
Church (6%)
God’s will (6%)
Strict (3%)
Bible school (3%)
Good atmosphere/
Environment (3%)
 Good school (2%)
 Private school (2%)
 Christian environment
(2%)
 Christians (2%)
 Christ-like school
(2%)
 Christian school (2%)
 Value beliefs (2%)
Positive Images of a Christian
Education
 In 1986, prospects thought most positively
about quality-of-life issues:
“Community”
“Close atmosphere”
“Faculty-student relations”
“Personal attention”
Positive Images of a Christian
Education
 Among Year 2000 prospects, quality-of-life
issues emerged again:
“Good atmosphere”
“Good environment”
“Nice/friendly/caring people”
“Values/morals”
“Christian fellowship”
“Christian atmosphere”
Negative Images of a Christian
Education
 Top negative mentions for prospects are:
“Too small”
“Too sheltered”
“Too protected”
“Closed-minded”
”Strict”
“Expensive”
Concerns about Cost of Christian
Colleges and Universities
(1986 vs. 2000)
Top Mention = “Expensive”
50
40
30
20.7%
19.3%
20
14.3%
12.0%
9.1%
20.2%
14.4%
10.1%
10
0
P ro sp ects
In q u irers
NonM atricu lan ts
1986
2000
M atricu lan ts
Parents
Timing of College Search (2000)
4 .3 %
B e fo re F re s h m a n Y e a r
2 1 .0 %
0.6%
16.5%
6 .1 % 8 .8 %
8.8%
B e fo re S o p h o m o re Y e a r
24.5%
1 8 .0 % 1 8 .7 %
D u rin g S o p h o m o re Y e a r
B e fo re m id -p o in t o f J u n io r
7.7%
S p rin g o f J u n io r Y e a r
0 .4 %
0.0%
0
1 7 .4 %
1 7 .1 %
1 0 .7 %
5 .9 %
3.5%
1.6%
F a ll o f S e n io r Y e a r
28.2%
19.6%
1.6%
S u m m e r a fte r J u n io r Y e a r
4 3 .5 %
3 1 .9 %
2 1 .0 %
Ye a r
In q u irers
27.4%
9 .1 %
5.8%
10
P aren ts o f In q u irers
20
30
N o n -M atricu lan ts
40
M atricu lan ts
50
Parents’ Influence in Choice of
College/University (2000)
(Very
Influential)
5
4
3.49
3.49
3.34
3.41
3.44
3
2
(Not at All
Influential)
1
Prospects
Inquirers
Parents of
NonMatriculants
Inquirers Matriculants
Parents
 Prospective students gave even higher ratings
to their parents’ role than parents did
themselves.
 Parents have a propensity to look at the big
picture.
 They attach higher priorities to the special
opportunities provided by a Christian education.
 They see a stronger linkage between
academics and faith.
 Financial aid plays a more dominant role in
defining cost considerations.
Parents
Member Recommendations:
 Craft a communications flow for parents,
based on the messages in the research.
 Include a series of personalized letters.
 Concentrate on communicating the benefits
of integrating academics and a Christianbased community from the outset.
Parents
Member Recommendations:
 Message concepts for parents:
 Make the case for value
 Highlight the faculty in all their dimensions
 Commit to continue family values
 Encourage financial planning
 Safety and security
 Career counseling and services
Parents
Member Recommendations:
 Provide evidence of investment value:
 Job placement records
 Lists of companies that visit the campus each
year to recruit students
 Holistic success stories
Hallmark Themes
for CCCU
Purposes of Hallmark Themes
 Increase public’s appreciation for the overall
value of a Christian education
 Set stage for presenting identity of each
institution
 Provide an effective, strong, clear message
for a variety of audiences
Hallmark Themes
 Academic Quality: A high-quality education
in a secular world.
 Christian-centered Community: A close-knit,
Christian community that emphasizes
character development and spiritual growth.
 Future Orientation: Preparation for life as
well as a living.
 Financial Investment: The value proposition.
Academic Quality
Academic Quality
 Academic quality is linked to:
 Preparation for graduate school
 Quality of specific majors more than overall
reputation
 Quality of faculty
 Concerns surfaced about the meaning of
liberal arts and the relationship between
learning and religion.
Academic Quality
Council Recommendations:
 Lead communications messages with direct
reference to scholarship, followed by concept of
faith and learning.
 Voice the Council’s commitment to providing
academic quality.
 Drop the term “liberal arts” from the generic
description of Christian colleges and universities.
Academic Quality
Member Institution Recommendations:
 Tackle perceptions that CCCU institutions
may lack intellectual depth. Issues:
 Intellectual freedom
 Rigidity
 Academic rigor
 Provide evidence of quality throughout the
communications flow.
Academic Quality
Member Institution Recommendations:
 Develop the concept of integrating faith and
learning over time.
 Emphasize faculty commitment to the
development of the whole person:
 Attend to intellectual, social, spiritual dimensions
 Use faculty voices
Academic Quality
Member Institution Recommendations:
 Develop appreciation for the value of a
Christian faculty.
Profile faculty, students, and alumni (multidimensional).
Post their honors and achievements.
Use high-profile alumni quotations and
testimonials.
Christian-centered
Community
Christian-centered Community
 Students have a narrow vision of a Christian
campus environment at the beginning of the
college search process.
 Christian-related variables impact upon
students’ decisions throughout the
“admissions funnel.”
Christian-centered Community
 Families are paying close attention to
character development.
 Students are thinking about Christian
communities compartmentally:
 Social lives
 Religious life
 Community service/service learning
Christian-centered Community
Member Recommendations:
 Align personal growth with spiritual development to
define and distinguish Christian communities.
 Develop Christian fellowship and its impact on all
aspects of student life – an integration of faith and
living.
 Illustrate ways that students work together in
Christian and community service activities.
Christian-centered Community
Member Recommendations:
 Draw attention to:
the intimacy of the campus community
Social life and social responsibility
 Help students to appreciate the full scope of
on- and off-campus programs available.
Christian-centered Community
Member Recommendations:
 Create a multi-dimensional perspective of
student life:
 Quality of other students
 Social and religious traditions
 Best examples of a typical day
 Evidence of social life with a sense of social
responsibility
 Opportunities for fun and community service on
and off campus
Future Orientation
Future Orientation
 Students are focused on graduate school,
their first job, and their careers.
 Top priorities are:
 “Preparation for future careers”
 “Employment opportunities after graduation”
 Academic quality and preparation for the
future are intertwined.
Future Orientation
 Parents also give substantial weight to
practical outcomes:
“Employment opportunities after graduation”
 “Preparation for careers”
 Career preparation is tightly linked to value
in students’ and parents’ minds.
Future Orientation
Member Recommendations:
 Provide ample information throughout the
recruitment process about practical
outcomes.
 Lists of first jobs received
 Graduate school acceptances
 Lists of recruiters to the campus each year
Future Orientation
Member Recommendations:
 Demonstrate how students get “real world”
experiences while still enrolled.
 Continue to convey successes in preparing
graduates for leading responsible, socially
conscious lives.
Financial Investment
Financial Investment
 A college education is worth the money if:
 “Good education”
 “Employable at graduation”
 “Preparation for life”
 “Christian atmosphere”
 “Quality of major”
 Parents focus more on preparation for life
than employability.
Financial Investment
 Message testing for adding the most value
across all four prospective student groups:
 “…encouraged to form their own view of the
world and are prepared to achieve success in
their chosen field, while engaging society with
Christian principles and ideas.”
 “…a commitment to continue the Christian
values of families and to foster individual
spiritual growth.”
 “Christian morals and character development
are central to the educational process.”
Financial Investment
 Most effective messages for parents are:
 “…a commitment to continue the Christian
values of families and to foster individual
spiritual growth.”
 “…encouraged to form their own view of the
world and are prepared to achieve success in
their chosen field while engaging society with
Christian principles and ideas.”
 “…a firm commitment to the integration of
Christian faith and learning.”
Financial Investment
 All student audiences think about money
issues mostly in terms of sticker, not net,
price.
 Prospects have an integrated definition of
educational value:
 Closely tied with the importance of preparation
for future careers and character development
Financial Investment
Council Recommendations:
 Write a value proposition that augments the
signature statement.
 Talk about value in terms of investments in
preparation for future careers and character
development.
Financial Investment
Council Recommendations:
 Use the following messages to
communicate value most effectively to
prospects:
 “Students are encouraged to form their own view
of the world and are prepared to achieve
success in their chosen field while engaging
society with Christian principles and ideas.”
 “Christian morals and character development
are central to the educational process.”
Financial Investment
Member Recommendations:
 Communicate the valued-added benefits of
a Christian education throughout the
communications process.
 Increase families’ understanding of the
concept of net cost.
Building the CCCU/
Member Institution
Partnership
Building the CCCU/Member
Institution Partnership
Council Recommendations:
 Develop a research-based signature
statement.
 Be bold in defining the uniqueness of a
Christian education, but use “cascading”
language.
 Position the CCCU membership against
public university competitors.
Building the CCCU/Member
Institution Partnership
Member Institution Recommendations:
 Use the CCCU’s signature statement to
reinforce the national organization and to tie
the school to it.
 Use the CCCU logo to add visibility to the
organization.
 Adapt the hallmark themes to reflect the
member institution’s distinctive character.
Building the CCCU/Member
Institution Partnership
Member Institution Recommendations:
 Base institutional messages on what is in
place at the institutional level, not what is
planned for the future.
 Promote the “Christian variables.”
 Strength of other five variables
 Role of church affiliation
Conclusion
“The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.”
Harry Lauder