Enrolment to Alumni: Building Relationships that Last
- 1. FROM ENROLMENT TO ALUMNI: THE RELATIONSHIP MARKETING & MANAGEMENT OF UNIVERSITY-STUDENT RELATIONS A Study of U.S. and Canadian Universities
- 2. Transition from Discrete to Relational Exchanges The New Social Contract: We have transitioned from a discrete exchange to a relational exchange; ever purchase has an opportunity for another (Macneil,1980). relational exchange transpires over time; each transaction must be viewed in terms of its history and its anticipated future (Dwyer, Schurr, Sejo, 1987). 油 The Relationship Development Process according to Scanzoni (1979) Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Awareness Exploration Expansion Commitment Dissolution
- 3. Relationship Marketing Relationship Marketing: Refers to all marketing activities directed towards establishing, developing and maintaining, successful relational exchanges (Morgan & Hunt, 1994). synthesis of marketing, customer service and quality management (Christopher et al. 1991). Relationship marketing emphasizes a long-term interactive relationship between the supplier and the customer, and long-term profitability with each partner in a win-win situation(Worthington,1996).
- 4. Relationship Management Public Relations is Relationship Management: We have started to conceptualize public relations as relationship management (Bruning, 2000). 則р organizations and publics need to determine common interests and shared goals (Lendingham, 2004). 則р link exists between organization-public relationships and outcomes such as enhanced satisfaction and improved levels of loyalty (Bruning, 2000).
- 5. Relationship Marketing Techniques Relationship benefits are part of establishing and maintaining the relationship via communication and social engagement. u汲 Seller Expertise: refers to the proficiency with which an organization utilizes to sell its product. It includes cross-training techniques in order to create a more informed seller on all aspects the buyer may want information concerning the organization. The focus is on the buyer, in so much as the end goal is to create a better service atmosphere in the buyer-seller exchange. u汲 Communication: refers to the strategic use communications in order to establish and maintain a relationship with an audience. u汲 Interaction Frequency: the frequency which an organization and its public interact in person or online. u汲 Relationship Benefits: Advantages or rewards gained from establishing, participating in and maintaining a relationship with an organization. (Palmatier, 2006; Journal of Marketing)
- 6. Relationship Marketing & Enrolment u汲 Goal: building a relationship from the moment of inquiry until after graduation enhance the student experience and meet the students needs (Vander Schee, 2010). u汲 Outcome: 12% increase in enrollment at both institutions, student satisfaction increased, and complaints decreased to zero in one year. Simultaneously, job satisfaction and productivity increased on the administrative side (Vander Schee, 2010). Four Components of Relationship Marketing applied to university enrolment in two American Universities: q奄 Seller Expertise q奄 Communication q奄 Interaction Frequency q奄 Relationship Benefits
- 7. Relationship Building Strategies for University Retention Communicate value to the students Maximize opportunities for social engagement Foster Community Create opportunities for students to develop relationships with university reps. Bruning, 2000
- 8. Research Problem Communication Strategy Relationship building tactics Feedback & Measurement What are the best practices for building long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with students during their years at the university?
- 9. Research Questions 1. What relationship management strategies do university communicators employ to establish long-term mutually beneficial relationships with the student body? 2. What are the current techniques among university communicators with regard to student relationship building? 3. How do universities evaluate their success in relationship building students?
- 10. Methodology 則р Qualitative study of university practitioners in a management position 則р 36 item questionnaire 則р Questions formulated with Relationship Management Theory & Relationship Marketing Techniques 則р Three areas: Strategy, Tactics, and Measurement 則р 17 Qualitative interviews 則р 1-2 hours in length
- 11. Organizations Studied o Participants varied in: o Job titles o Audience o Enrolment Size o Public v. Private 10 American: 8 Cal-State 1 private 1 UC in the top 30 in the world rankings Six Canadian: 5 Ontario 1 Quebec 1 top 20 in the world rankings
- 12. 則р Director of Public Affairs 則р Vice Provost of Student Services 則р Dean of Student Affairs 則р Alumni Advancement 則р Dean of Graduate Studies 則р Director of Student Life 則р Dean of Students 則р Director of Social Media 則р VP of Communications 則р VP Students & Registrar Participant Job Titles
- 13. Results: Communication Strategies Reputation & Affinity Building Student Citizenship Community-Building
- 14. Peer to Peer Communications Activation Communication Access to Student Leaders Dialogic Communications Interactive Social Media Community Building Activities Shared Mission Statement Inter- Departmental Planning & Eval Best Practice: Tactics
- 15. Results: Measurement & Feedback Measurement Open & Click Rates Interactive Social Media Open Forums Feedback Loops Student Focus Groups Evaluations & Surveys Event Attendance Qualitative Email Measurement
- 16. University Administration Collaborations Town Halls Cross- Training Student input Bi-Monthly Meetings Campus Comm. Groups State of the Union Staff Dev. Curriculum Share Mission Best Practices:
- 17. Freshman Class Groups Timely Response Provide info not available anywhere else Open & Transparent SM Crisis Monitoring Use Storify to combine channels Adapt to new channels quickly Memes Super User Dialogic Facebook Chat Peer to Peer Best Practices: Social Media
- 19. From Enrolment to Alumni Awareness Enrolment Exploration Engaged Student Graduation Active Alumni Ideal Student Life Cycle Relationship Management Best Practice: Maximize the opportunities to demonstrate commitment, communicate shared goals and establish trust with regular social engagement and dialogic communication at each life cycle stage.
- 20. Contribution to the Practice 則р This study contributes best practices in the areas of strategy, tactics and measurement for creating and implementing a community-building strategy for relationship management.
- 21. Limitations and Further Research 則р Variety of departments with different goals; audiences 則р Limited to two distinct geographic regions; California and Ontario 則р Large sample from Cal-State School system 則р The study did not look at the student perspective 則р Unable to measure interaction frequency quantitatively 則р No qualitative analysis of print materials and communications.