IN THE JULY ISSUE OF UNIVERSITY Business I broached the topic of experience marketing and laid a broad foundation for how to develop an experience marketing strategy. For this month's column, I want to look at two examples of extraordinary experiences delivered by two colleges. In reviewing a myriad of potential examples, I wanted to focus on examples that had these three qualities:
They are easily replicable at institutions that are large or small, public or private.
Providing these experiences does not require significant dollar resources.
These experiences deal with relatively common campus activities-activities that almost all institutions need to routinely undertake.
A QUICK LOOK BACK
Before we proceed I want to review what experience marketing is. Experience marketing is a holistic approach to identifying and managing, to a specific end, the key touchpoints that define an experience that a customer has with a productor service.
Like all aspects of integrated marketing, experience marketing is holistic. In other words, it requires a systematic approach and typically includes cross-functional teams.
Done right, experience marketing benefits both the student and the institution.
Identifying, in this case, means using research to isolate the individual touchpoints that combine to form larger experiences. Touchpoints are the physical, communication-based, and human interactions your customers experience during their relationship with you and your brand. To manage means to be purposeful rather than casual.
EXAMPLE ONE: HENDRIX COLLEGE
My friend Jeff Kallay is the "experience evangelist" at interactive recruiting company TargetX. Last year he wrote a blog on the campus visit experience at Hendrix College (Ark.). With his permission I want to run a portion of his blog. It is, in a nutshell, a primer on how to deliver a great branded experience.
Says Kallay: "For years I've been preaching to college admissions folks that their campus visit should be an experience not just a passive tour. During the past three years, I've toured many campuses. While several campuses have impressed me, I recently returned from spending two days on the campus of Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas and it really wowed me.
This top-tier, national, liberal arts college knows who they are and which students will thrive there. They are crafting one of the most engaging campus visit experiences I've come across. They call it 'The Hendrix Experience' (and the homage to rebel rocker Jimi is authentic to the place).
Loren Pope, former New York Times education editor, and author of Colleges That Change Lives (Penguin Books), says of Hendrix "... this Shangri-la north of Little Rock must be one of the most beautiful campuses." So they've got the esthetics down. Here's a breakdown:
Saving...
When I went into the admissions house, they had my name on a welcome sign.
I received a simple customized tri-fold that included my schedule for the day; a schedule determined from an online form (or telephone call).
After picking from a list of three classes (I chose "The Modern Middle East"), I was outfitted with a backpack and escorted to class. A PhD lectured on "The Ottomanism of the Young Turks" and then it was off on a campus tour.
My tour guide, Megan, told great stories and really engaged the three of us (I hitched with a prospective student and her mom) with questions and answered our questions honestly.
Halfway through the tour we said good-bye to Megan and were introduced to Courtney. She took us into the Dining Hall where we were joined by two other students as we enjoyed lunch. Mac and cheese came highly recommended.
After lunch, the prospect and her mom went on to visit the dorms, and I was in meetings for the rest of the day. But, on our way to the meetings I stopped by my mailbox for the day. Waiting for me was a note from an administrator and a coveted blue slip (indicating I had a package). My box of memorabilia included a tie-dyed t-shirt, Frisbee, water bottle, pencil, chocolate, and candies. All items were very authentic to the Hendrix student experience.
The t-shirt proudly proclaims "Not just another college visit."
