2008 teens talk
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TRANSCRIPT
2007 TeensTALK®
Presented byFritz McDonald
Creative Director
Stamats, Inc. Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
(800) [email protected]
We are an award-winning, nationally-recognized higher education research, planning, and marketing communications company. Our mission is to help college and university
leaders achieve their most important marketing, recruiting, and fundraising goals through the creation of customized integrated marketing solutions.
Research, Planning, and Consulting Services
• Image and competitive positioning studies • Tuition price elasticity studies• Alumni and donor studies• Marketing communication audits• Recruiting audits• Campus visit audits • Integrated marketing plans• Brand clarification and communication plans• Recruiting plans • Strategy development and strategic plans • Board presentations • Project-specific consulting
Creative Services• Recruiting and fundraising publications• Web site development• Virtual tours• Direct marketing strategies (search, annual fund)• Targeted e-mail marketing systems• Advertising • Creative concepting • Content management systems• Dynamic news and events calendars• Message boards/chats
About Stamats
• Offices: Richmond, San Francisco, and Cedar Rapids
The Stamats TALK Series• The Stamats TALK series focuses on understanding the Trends,
Attitudes, Lifestyles, and Knowledge of different college target markets
• Included in the TALK series are:– TeensTALK (the original TALK study)– ParentsTALK– LawTALK
Understanding the Millenials
Beloit Mindset List: Class of 2010
1. The Soviet Union has never existed and therefore is about as scary as the student union
2. They are wireless, yet always connected
3. A coffee has always taken longer to make than a milkshake
4. “Google” has always been a verb
5. Reality shows have always been on television
6. Being techno-savvy has always been inversely proportional to age
7. Affluent troubled teens in Southern California have always been the subjects of television series
9. Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss has always been the perfect graduation gift
Source: Beloit College’s Mindset List
Life Aspirations
Most important:1. Helping others in need
2. Raising a family
3. Being known as the best at what I do
Secondary:4. Living an adventurous life
5. Creating change in society
6. Making lots of money
7. Being involved in my local community
8. Traveling the world
Source: 2006 TeensTALK® study
Millennials and College
– 85 percent say that having a college degree is more important today than it was for their parents generation
– They feel that the application process is more stressful today
– They feel that college is more academically challenging now
– They feel that they spend more time planning their future than other generations
– 57 percent feel the amount of time full time faculty spend with student is important or extremely important, up considerably from past years
Source: Millennials Go to College, Second Edition, Howe & Strauss, 2007 – from Chatwells 2006 College Student Survey
Millennials & College - continued
– Earnings potential of graduates is VERY important
– Final cost of attending a college is a key decision factor
– They understand the amount of debt they will incur is far greater than past generations
– Over half say the debt load will affect their career choice, and they expect that debt load to be $20,000
– 40 percent say college will be very difficult to pay for
– HOWEVER, 90 percent feel that the earning potential justifies the cost
– 97 percent feel that colleges should play a SIGNIFICANT role in helping find jobs – it is their expectation
Source: Millennials Go to College, Second Edition, Howe & Strauss, 2007 – from Chatwells 2006 College Student Survey
Millennial Visions of College Life Some focus on what college should look like—others focus on what college
should feel like
Common themes:
– Independence and freedom
– Trying new things
– Meeting diverse people
– Having fun
Fears:
– Academic rigor
– Broken promises
– Financing
– College roommates
Source: 2006 TeensTALK® study
The Marketing Mindset of the Millennials
Early on they tend to circumvent normal channels to find about you before you find them – they are stealth prospects
They use Web, word of mouth, and peer & social networks
When they decide they “like” you, they will decide to accept your marketing efforts
The new recruiting landscape…
25% of first source of inquiring students is now the application*
*Brian Niles, Target X
2007 TeensTALK® Data
What’s New in TeensTALK®? This TeensTALK® marks a shift in methodology for Stamats. This
year’s study examines college-bound students at four distinct times during their college selection process:
– Sophomore year as they begin to consider the notion of attending college
– Junior year as they begin to receive information from colleges and universities
– Senior year – fall, as they are heavily evaluating colleges and beginning to apply to colleges (to be completed in Fall 2007)
– Senior year – spring, after they have decided on the college or university they will be attending
Methodology
1,500 surveys of randomly selected college-bound high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors throughout the United States
Sampling error of ± 4.4% at the 95% confidence level for each student group
Data is supplemented with secondary information and one-on-one interviews with teens throughout the United States
Demographic “Snapshot” of Respondents • Gender – 60% female; 40% male
Ethnicity – 62% White or Caucasian; 15% Black or African American; 11% Hispanic or Latino/a; 6% Asian or Pacific Islander; 1% Native American; 4% Mixed—no dominant race; 1% prefer not to answer
Class rank – 15% top 5% of class; 16% top 10%; 13% top 15%; 18% top 25%; 16% top 50%; 5% below top 50%; 17% not sure
ACT – 27% have taken the ACT
SAT – 22% have taken the SAT
Parents’ education – 27% high school or less; 26% some college; 29% bachelor’s degree; 13% graduate degree/work; 5% don’t know
Geographic Distribution of Respondents
Programs of Interest
10%
4%
6%
6%
8%
10%
12%
13%
17%
17%
20%
0% 10% 20% 30%
Percent
Hard sciences/math
The arts
Business-related majors
"Pre" majors
Health fields
Social sciences
Education
Humanities
Technology fields
Mass communication
Undecided
Soph. - 13 percentJr. - 9 percentSr. - 6 percent
Undecided?
Consider a new term for your “undecided” student Given what we know about this generation, make this a positive and
play up the choices
Are they “deciding” students
“I got so sick of telling people I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I just picked something like business”
“I just felt like I was a loser because I didn’t know yet, and then they called me an “undecided” – they might as well have put the “L” on my forehead”
2007 Stamats Focus Group Participants
College Distance
When applying, students are looking both near and far: 89% of seniors applied to a college within four hours of home, of which
65% applied to a college less than one hour from home
37% applied to a college five to 18 hours away
36% of Sophomores anticipate considering a college that will require a plane ride to attend and 22% of Seniors applied to a college requiring a plane ride
However…
Distance of College Attending
45%39%
11%5%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent
Less than onehour away
One to four hourdrive
Five to 18 hourdrive
I will need to fly tocollege
Approximately how far is the college you are attending from your house? The reality is that nearly half of
teens will stay within one hour of home and 84% will stay within four hours
This data coupled with national demographic trends can be troubling for quite a few institutions
Tips on Expanding Outside a Four-Hour Radius1. Don’t make it your primary recruitment effort
- Be really good in your own backyard first
2. Recruit students similar to your current student body profile- Using geodemographic analysis and historical data can target promising markets
3. Realize you are in a more competitive environment- Students willing to travel far for college are twice as likely to be applying to six or more
colleges
4. Boost your overall academic reputation. Students willing to travel for college- Place significantly more importance on academic reputation- On average score 200 points higher on the SAT
5. Realize their parents are more sophisticated “college consumers”- Twice as likely to have parents who possess a graduate or professional degree- Those not traveling far for college are twice as likely to be the first generation
Tips on Expanding Outside a Four-Hour Radius6. Speak about off-campus amenities
- These students place significantly higher importance on what there is to do off-campus (i.e. restaurants, shopping, nightlife, etc.)
- Remember that you are not just selling them a college, but a new and unique location
- Focus on the specific, unique location attributes you can offer students
7. Remember this map
Anticipated Living Arrangement
59% 9% 31% 1%
59% 17% 20% 4%
56% 22% 14% 8%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Percent
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors-Spring
Where do you think you will live while attending college?
On-campusOff-campusAt homeNot sure
Consider this a reality check among students
As the funnel progresses, fewer students think they will live in an off-campus apartment while more seriously consider living at home
Note the increasing acceptance of living at home during college, with nearly one-third of seniors planning to do so
Colleges Considering vs. Colleges Applied To
7%
23%17% 18%
58%
41%
13% 16%
5% 2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent
One Two Three tofive
Six to ten More thanten
How many colleges and universities are you considering (did you apply to)?
JuniorsSeniors
For most students, the choice set revolves around three to five key institutions
Interestingly, note that nearly one-quarter of college bound teens apply to only one college
Seniors: Attending First Choice for College
71%
21%
8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent
First choice Second choice Third choice or lower
Are you attending your... Despite the anxiety during the admissions process, over 70% of teens end up attending their first choice for college
For colleges and universities, these results highlight the importance of being a student’s first choice for college, as you are unlikely to pick up many of the students naming you their second choice or lower
Reasons For Not Attending First Choice
Why are you not planning to attend your first choice?
Percent
Was not accepted 31%Could not afford to attend 29%Too far from home 11%Changed my major 8%Changed my mind/preferred second choice 5%Attending junior college first 4%Going where friends are going 3%School doesn’t have my sport/activity 3%
Interestingly, “not being accepted” comprises less than one-third of students’ reasons for not attending their first choice
For nearly 30%, the decision was financial (perhaps indicating the need for further financial aid education)
Interestingly 11% realized that their top choice may be farther from home than they truly desired
Currently Have a Top Choice
47%
64%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent
Sophomores Juniors
Do you currently have a top choice for college?(Percent "Yes")
Shockingly, nearly half of sophomores and two-thirds of juniors indicate they have a top choice for college
While these early top choices could be easily discarded, evidence on the following slide indicates these could be valid top choices
Seniors: First Learned About My College…
34%
12%11% 12%
20%
11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Perc
ent
Have alwaysknown of
them
Middleschool
Freshmanyear
Sophomoreyear
Junior year Just thisyear
When did you first hear about the college you are attending? 69% of seniors interviewed indicated they first heard of the college they are attending during their sophomore year or earlier
This strongly suggests that schools must be building their brand awareness early with prospective students
Introducing yourself to students during the “search” process junior year is generally too late for a large percentage of the population
HOWEVER…
Seniors: First Learned About My College… - continued
40%
15%12%
10% 11% 10% 10%
18% 17%
31%
9%
17%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Perc
ent
Have alwaysknown of
them
Middleschool
Freshmanyear
Sophomoreyear
Junior year Just thisyear
When did you first hear about the college you are attending?
Public boundPrivate bound
As one would expect, private colleges tend to enter into the awareness set later
However, while the largest percentage of private bound students became aware of their college during their junior year, note that 53% became aware of their college during sophomore year or earlier
In other words, it is still important for private colleges to create awareness before the traditional college recruitment cycle
Sophomore Year: It’s Already Begun
92% have discussed specific colleges with their parents 89% have discussed specific colleges with their friends 86% are receiving mailings from colleges 74% have conducted college research on the Web 67% have visited a specific college’s Web site 61% have discussed college options with a high school counselor 47% indicate they have a top college choice 30% have toured campuses
The Single Most Important Thing To Know About Marketing To Teens
Your Brand Experience
Seniors: First Learned About My College… - continued
How did you first learn about the college you are attending? Public Bound
Private Bound
Always knew about them 29% 11%Friend attends/attended there 17% 20%Family member attended there 17% 10%Friend or family member told me about them 8% 14%Counselor, teacher, or coach told me about them 9% 10%Received mailed information form the college 7% 10%Web search 3% 9%College guide 2% 6%
• Among both public and private college bound, the power of word-of-mouth could not be better illustrated…
• Note the increased role Web search and college guides play among private-bound students
How did you first learn about the college you are attending? Public Bound
Private Bound
Always knew about them 29% 11%Friend attends/attended there 17% 20%Family member attended there 17% 10%Friend or family member told me about them 8% 14%Counselor, teacher, or coach told me about them 9% 10%Received mailed information form the college 7% 10%Web search 3% 9%College guide 2% 6%
Brand Marketing
Constituent Relationship (Experience) Management
Direct Marketing
Image Action Retention
Three Legs on the Marketing Stool
Seniors: Knowing My School was “The School”
45%
13% 13% 12% 11%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent
After visitingcampus
Just recentlydecided
Ever since Iwas young
After talking w/admissions
After visitingtheir Web site
At what point did you know this was the college you definitely wanted to attend?
Despite a large percentage of seniors knowing about the school they are attending since sophomore year or earlier, the final decision typically is not sealed until the campus visit
For private institutions, the campus visit is even more crucial – 55% of private-bound seniors indicate they did not know this was the college for them until after the college visit
We cannot stress enough how important the campus visit is and how high of a priority admissions offices should make this event
Students are simply “trying out” schools to determine if they can see themselves comfortably fitting on each campus community
It is the job of the recruiting office to get the student to visit; it is the job of the campus to make sure the visit is an extraordinary experience for prospective students and families
A chance to:– Dispel any myths– Hone your image– Make your case
Importance of the Campus Visit
Top 9 campus visit activities PercentTake a tour 60%Attend a class 33%See residence halls/dorms 24%Meet with students 15%Meet with professors 11%Tour surrounding community 10%Wander around by myself 8%Meet with admission staff 6%Attend an athletic event 4%
Preferred Campus Visit Activities
“Sometimes they spend too much time on the college’s history. I wish there was more information about what the students think.”
Process of Choosing a College
The Decision-Making Unit
Gatekeepers
Purchasers
Decision Makers
Influencers
Purchase Choice
Gatekeepers
Gatekeeper
ParentsGuidance counselorsHigh school teachers and coachesHigh school & college friendsSiblingsPastorFamily friendsRelatives
“My teachers and counselor helped me with which courses would help me get into the my school I chose”
Influencers
Parents 76%Guidance counselors 29%High school teachers and coaches 12%High school & college friends 10%Relatives 9%Family friends 3%
Influencers
ParentsGuidance counselorsHigh school teachers and coachesHigh school & college friendsRelativesFamily friends
Decision Makers
“I’m going to sit down with my mom and my family and we’re going to see which one fits me. You need your family to help you with your decisions.”
Decision Maker
Parents
Students
Parents’ RoleThinking about your parents, how would you characterize
their involvement in your college-choice decision?
Percent
General guidance, the decision is up to me 53%Helping narrow choices, the decision is up to me 36%Not helping at all 9%Choosing the college for me 2%
Parents typically are heavily involved in the financial aspect of the college choice, as well as having a general influence on the entire choice
Choosing a College – The Big SevenAttribute Mean Rating Percent “Very
Important”School offers the academic program I want to study 4.6 71%Graduates of the college get good jobs or are accepted into good graduate programs/schools
4.4 58%
Quality of faculty as teachers and mentors 4.4 58%Quality of academic facilities 4.3 51%Overall academic reputation 4.2 45%The people on campus are welcoming and friendly 4.1 40%The school offers a fun college experience 4.0 36%
The Big Seven refer to attributes that tend to be universal among all prospective students regardless of year in high school or position in the funnel
At every stage, these are the essential characteristics your institution will be evaluated on
The Funnel ContinuumEarly Funnel Mid-Funnel Late Funnel
Middle School-Freshman years
Sophomore-Junior years Junior-Senior years
Naïve consumer More experienced Savvy, even cynical
Emotional More logical Logical/emotional
Scanning Still scanning, but reading more; comparing
Synthesizing; emoting
Review features Evaluate benefits Compare outcomes
Wide range of colleges Narrowing of range Small range with safety valve
Mass messages* More customized Highly customized
(re)Introduce Sell Keep sold
Low touch/low CPC* Higher touch/high CPC Higher touch/high CPC
*Emerging technology allows for increased personalization with low cost-per-contact
Choosing a College: Phase One In addition to the “Big Seven,” phase one
focuses on framing the choice set based upon what may be important to specific students:
– Size– Distance from home– Cost– Student profile/diversity– College rankings – Religious affiliation
Parents tend to be active in discussing and setting these general parameters Once a general parameter of “acceptable schools” is created, students begin
filtering college choices through this Note that this isn’t necessarily a formal process – many teens do this without
realizing it
Choosing a College: Phase Two With the choice set of acceptable schools created, students begin to
narrow the choice-set based on non-quantitative attributes:
– Do I like the location?
– What are the professors like?
– Do the classes sound interesting?
– How nice is the campus?
– What is there to do outside of the classroom?
– Are there new, interesting things for me to explore?
Choosing a College: Phase Three
“I had to ask myself – which college felt the best to me?”
“Despite the rankings, the quality of my major, quality of professors, it came down to one thing. The campus just felt right.”
Finally, students begin to rank their top choices. Much is based on the intangibles:
– Did the campus feel vibrant?
– Can I picture myself here for four years?
– Are the people welcoming and friendly?
– Was I treated like I was special?
In fact, at this stage, items like cost to attend and financial aid tend to become irrelevant attributes
Helpful Items During the College Choice Process
Sources of information “very helpful” Juniors Seniors
Visiting the college campus 75% 80%Course catalog 60% 55%Visiting the college Web site 47% 54%Conversations with admissions representatives 49% 51%Conversations with current students 40% 45%Financial aid brochure 50% 44%Viewbook 46% 39%Telephone call from a college 30% 30%Introductory/first mailing 22% 28%E-mails from a college 22% 28%College guidebooks, such as Petersons 26% 20%Ranking guides, such as U.S. News 18% 19%
Colleges and universities, as well as third-party sources, are actively providing information to students to aid this choice process
Shown here are what teens consider to be the most helpful forms of information
Course Catalog???
Expected response: Course catalogs are dry and boring A formal item that colleges must send out Does little good in promoting the college
Students say: Most real information the college sends me I like to read about the classes I get to take I sometimes imagine myself in these classes
York University – Subway Domination
Role of the Web
Visiting Colleges’ Web Sites
67%
79%
92%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Perc
ent
Sophomores Juniors Seniors-spring
Have you visited a specific college's Web site?(Percent "yes") Not surprising, nearly all
college-bound seniors have visited a college Web site
Note the percentage of Sophomores already checking out specific schools – two-thirds have done so
College’s Web Site: Most Liked Features
Qualities PercentDescription of programs/majors 31%Pictures of the college: dorms, classrooms, activities 24%Current student testimonials 9%Easy to navigate/use 9%General overview/basic information 9%Admissions standards 8%Financial aid/scholarships 8%Athletics 8%
Activities available 7%Tuition, cost to attend, fees 7%Virtual tours 6%Basic statistics: GPA, grads, admission rate, etc. 5%
Interesting Web Site FeaturesFeature Percent
“Very Interesting”Q&A regarding admission and financial aid topics 58%Q&A with current students in your program of interest 56%Virtual campus tour 55%Employment/graduate school statistics of graduates 54%Q&A with faculty members in your program of interest 47%Academic statistics of entering students 41%Podcasts created by students that show the true college experience 40%New information about the college sent via RSS feed 36%
Virtual tour of the city the college is located in 35%Profiles of successful alumni from the college 33%Student journals/blogs written by actual students 27%A searchable electronic viewbook 25%
Teenagers on the WebWhat teens appreciate are interactive features that let them dothings rather than simply sit and read
• Features for sharing pictures and stories• Message Boards• Forums for offering and receiving advice
– And to a lesser extent..• Online quizzes, polls, voting• Forms for feedback and questions• Games
- 36% of college-bound juniors have read profiles of current students; 63% would if they could
- 18% have read alumni profiles; 56% would if they could- 30% have read student blogs; 63% would if they could- 17% have read faculty blogs; 83% would if they could- 43% have created a profile page for prospective students (like
MySpace or Live Journal); 57% would if they could- 35% have viewed a virtual tour; 63% would if they could
Source: Noel-Levitz/James Tower/NRCCUA E-Expectations 2007 study
What are students doing on Web sites?
Favored Web Sites
Portals like Google and Yahoo; vast content, clean and integrated into dailylife functionsCommunity sites like MySpace, Stylehive, Digg, Daily Kos; communitycreated contentSpecialty sites like CNN, ESPN, UniversityBusiness; devoted fans, ever-fresh contentSites such as Apple.com and CSUMentor.edu for theattractive, yet simplistic design (each scored 6.5 on a 7.0 scale)
* Source: Noel-Levitz/James Tower/NRCCUA E-Expectations 2007 study
Humanize it
The Other Most Important Thing To Know About Marketing To Teens
85 percent of online traffic is initiated from a search engine
Importance of Search Engine Marketing & Optimization
74% of high school sophomores indicate they have conducted college research on the Web
By the time they have chosen a college, 87% of seniors have conducted research on the Web
Two-thirds specifically state that they have used a search engine to conduct this college research
Nearly 10% of students attending a private college indicate they first learned about the college through a general Web search (the largest category was friend attends/attended – at 20%)
“It all starts with Google, from there I can go wherever I want.”16 year old prospective student
What Terms Are They Searching For?
What words or phrases did you type in? Percent
School name 44%Desired major/career 19%Location attributes/characteristics 10%College information sites 6%Type of school (i.e. two-year, liberal arts) 5%Rankings (i.e. “Best” ,“Top”, “Top 10”) 3%
The key search is by the school name which again underscore the importance of brand marketing
Optimizing your page by school name and major are critical
Think like the searcher first
Example Paid Search
Organic Search
New Tactics & Tools• 49% would consider accepting a text message from a college
representative• 21% have IM’d a recruiter or student worker; 72% would if they could*• 56% of online teens have more than one e-mail address or screen name • More than half (55%) of teens online have created a personal profile on a
social networking site• 9% of college-bound juniors have downloaded a podcast; 54% would if
they could• 9% have downloaded a video podcast; 46% would if they could
* Source: Noel-Levitz/James Tower/NRCCUA E-Expectations 2007 study
Views on College Mailings
3%
9%
17%
13%
37%
21%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Percent
Don't view any of it
Read mail from schoolsI've heard of
Read mail from schoolsin interesting cities or
areas
Read mail from schoolsthat look interesting
Browse through allinformation I receive
Thoroughly read allinformation I receive
Which of the following describes how you typically view information sent to you by individual schools?
“Mailings that I threw away were little colleges I’d never heard of. Mailings that I kept were the ones that I knew about, the ones that had good academics, and people that went there had good success.”
College Mailings - continued
“It can be difficult when you are getting bombarded with letters. You read the first few that you get. Then after a while you get tired of it because they come day after day. Every once in a while one will catch my eye and I will look through it.”
“Generally when I get letters I read them all, but they have to catch my interest right away or I get bored. I am interested in the pictures or the interesting facts.”
Source: TeensTALK® qualitative interviews
Preferred Information in College Mailings (Top 15)
Information Preferred Percent
Majors/programs offered 38%General information 26%Financial aid/scholarships 16%Brochures 8%Tuition and fees 8%Course catalogs 8%Campus life 8%Athletic program 7%
Extracurricular activities 5%Campus visit/open house 4%Personalized mailings 4%Prerequisites/admissions standards 3%Pictures 3%Location 3%Current student experiences 2%
Where To Go From Here
Remember:
There is no “magic bullet” in marketing
Segment your messages and media
There is almost no way to overestimate the role of parents – most of these students want to please their parents
Understand that prospect will most likely find you before you find them
Social networks are here to stay, understand how to use them
When they finally reach out to you, they are ready, so be personal and aggressive with your messages
Concluding Comments - continued
Test/Test/Test
Show, don’t tell – balance data and anecdotes
Focus on outcomes, cost, and programs throughout the funnel
Technology matters to your audience – know when and how to use it
Build your brand, and more important than that, LIVE YOUR BRAND – make sure the experience you are selling meets reality
Thank You!
Fritz McDonaldCreative Director
800.553.8878 officewww.stamats.com
© 2008 Stamats, Inc.