All aspects of the brand experience

From Inside Higher Education:

In higher ed institutions, the role of marketing can be fuzzy.

We typically say that marketing is responsible for elevating the position and prominence of the institution. But what does that really mean? It’s pretty simple to define the responsibilities of some groups: Enrollment Management is responsible for recruiting the incoming class; Development is responsible for raising money from donors. But how do you define the goal of higher ed marketing in a similar, more tangible way?

I believe that the role of marketing is to represent the voice of the customer in strategic decisions affecting all aspects of the brand experience. [Emphasis in original] Experience tells me, though, that’s not typically how higher ed marketing is viewed.

In an earlier post on this blog, Paul Redfern discussed the 4 P’s of marketing popularized by Philip Kotler and drilled into the heads of MBA students everywhere:

Product – What product or products should we offer?
Price – How should our products be priced?
Place – Where should we offer our products for sale?
Promotion – What’s the compelling story we tell about our product and where do we tell the story to get people to buy our product?

The author of these insights is the Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications at Columbia College Chicago, and describes herself as “a leading voice in higher education marketing.”

Highest paid people at this institution in 2012-13 per tax filings:

(Total reported comp rounded to nearest 000)

Former President 677K

Vice President of Legal Affairs and General Counsel 235K

Vice President of Business Affairs and Chief Financial Officer 145K

Interim Provost 246K

Former Provost and Senior Vice President 328K

Vice President of Campus Environment (I swear I’m not making this up) 238K

Associate Assistant Vice President/Dean (Really, I’m not) 204K

Vice President of Student Affairs (Where’s David Lodge when you really need him) 257K

Associate Vice President Information Technology 213K

Vice President of Institutional Advancement 256K

Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff 247K

Dean School of Liberal Arts and Sciences 209K

Dean School of Media Arts 221K

Dean School of Media Arts (Yes they have two) 205K

Dean School of Fine and Performing Arts 247K

This school has an “academic staff” of 2000, for 9400 students. Since the above list is of the institution’s 15 highest-paid employees, apparently the highest paid person on campus who does any teaching is making less than $145K in total compensation (not just salary).

The school’s motto is Esse Quam Videri, which I am informed translates as “To be, rather than to seem.”

Let be be finale of seem.