Regardless of how you’re developing your strategic marketing plan, there are core principles that guide successful and authentic brands. As you think about your own institutional efforts, what are the key “truths” that differentiate and set successful brands up for success? Hear from conference faculty as they share their insights and provide examples.

RIT University Communications is responsible for strategically enhancing the reputation of the university through owned, shared, and earned media efforts. Much of this work starts with “owned media” and strategic content marketing. Working with University Marketing Intelligence, a measurement framework was developed to assess the exposure of owned media and the amplification of brand messaging. Using that framework, a dashboard was developed that provides the University Communications team with information to make data-driven decision-making with respect to content development. RIT is also measuring how earned media aligns with key university messaging.

As higher education institutions adapt how they’re marketing and conveying value to stakeholders, brand experience and strategy have grown into an integral part of the process. With universities across the nation struggling to differentiate their product within a crowded market, it’s hard not to promise similar aspects: great location, great academics, great opportunities. So how does one institution convey their unique campus and academic highlights in a noticeable way? The University of Montana has leaned into branding, both from a strategy and experience standpoint. By reframing the term ‘brand,' we can deliver authentic experiences for both prospective and current students.

“Enrollment cliff” is one of the critical challenges threatening the financial and reputational sustainability of many institutions. This interactive session provides an overview of Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Universities survey, highlighting trust as one of the key brand health metrics. It shows the importance of bridging the trust gaps that exist by race/ethnicity, gender, first-gen, and Gen Z high school students as the key to unlocking the potential for growth in enrollments and endowments. This session will also include reflections and experiences of a university leader on building data-informed strategies that aim at measuring and improving brand health metrics.

Strategic branding in any industry is hard but in the education sector, it is especially difficult because of culture, history, misunderstanding, and traditional academic leadership. CASE’s international membership provides a global perspective on this challenging work and why it has never been more important. Kinnari Sejpal, Vice President at the University of Redlands, hosts a conversation with two experienced senior marketing leaders, Terry Flannery, CASE Executive Vice President and COO (and author of How to Market A University) and Jane Chafer, CASE Vice President for Membership. They’ll share expertise, encouragement, and perspectives gleaned from marketers around the world to provide you with inspiration, fresh ideas, and guidance to survive your branding initiative with your career intact.

Personalization is the future for higher ed websites. Building a personalization strategy doesn't have to be intimidating. Learn five simple steps to creating personalized, frictionless website experiences that drive conversions by key audiences with minimal technical knowledge. See how Ferris State University put these steps in place to power an astonishing 2800% increase in website clickthroughs and start building your own personalization plan.

Welcome to the C-suite! As a communications and marketing professional you have worked long and hard for a seat at the table. Once you’re there, how will you jumpstart your success? In this session we’ll discuss how to prioritize your time in your first 90 days as a communications and marketing leader. Every attendee will leave with a 30-60-90 Day Checklist that they can customize for their own role and experience. Aspiring Chief Communications Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, and vice presidents are welcome to join.

There’s no shortage of chatter about what makes a university “good” these days, and we all understand shortcomings of rankings. But what does that mean for higher education, where people use rankings to make philanthropic and enrollment decisions? BVK will present findings from a study conducted among higher education leaders, where we discuss the science of perception, the role of orderings, and what that means for gaining favor among peer institutions. By attending this session, participants will gain proprietary insights into the channels, content and timing that influences how other higher ed leaders view their university or college.

College enrollment decline is at the forefront of many campus conversations. Whether an institution faces a crowded educational ecosystem, budget reductions tied to enrollment, or the impending “enrollment cliff,” marketing communications teams are called forward to provide solutions. This moderated panel will explore how leaders used the pandemic as an opportunity to rethink the enrollment process and strategize for the future, addressing today’s and future students’ expectations for their educational experience. Panelists will provide insight on trends, best practices, challenges and which metrics point to the greatest return.