marketing non credit programs
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Marketing Non -Credit Programs: Strategies
UPCEA Marketing SeminarLas Vegas, NV
Marketing Non -Credit Programs: Strategies to Stand Out From the Crowd
November 17, 2011
Samantha Goldstein Eduventures
Elissa HendersonThe University of South Florida
Eduventures is the Industry Leader in Collaborative Research and Consulting for Higher Education
• Growing programs and markets
The Continuing and Professional Education Learning Collaborative (CPE-LC) focuses on common challenges in:
� Eduventures was founded in 1993
� Headquartered in Boston, MA
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• Improving marketing and recruitment
• Mastering online and hybrid delivery
• Streamlining operations and organizational design
� Sole focus on higher education
� Provide analysis and consulting to the higher education community through six distinct Learning Collaboratives and our Consulting Services division
� Eduventures Learning Collaboratives currently serve a membership of over 300 higher education institutions
To Inform This Presentation, We Leveraged Diverse R esources, Including:
• Eduventures’ 2010-2011 Consumer Preferences survey– A total of 52 Eduventures member institutions (58% public, 36% private, and 6% for-
profit) participated in this research study– The survey yielded a total 20,435 individuals qualified to complete the full survey– Non-credit current and prospective students: n=1,637 (8% of total respondents)
•Eduventures’ 2010 Collaborative Report, “Non-Credit Education: A Neglected
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•Eduventures’ 2010 Collaborative Report, “Non-Credit Education: A Neglected Solution to the Obama Administration’s 2020 Goal?”
– Data from the National Center for Education Statistics– Interviews with 20 four-year institutions
•Eduventures’ in-progress database of 100 institutions’ non-credit certificate programs
• Custom research reports commissioned by Eduventures’ clients
This Presentation Will Focus On:
• Why is now the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?
• The characteristics of non-credit students, including the demographic profiles and marketing preferences of students categorized by motivation
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• Comments from the University of South Florida
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies
This Presentation Will Focus On:
• Why is now the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?
• The characteristics of non-credit students, including the demographic profiles and marketing preferences of students categorized by motivation
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• Comments from the University of South Florida
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies
External Factors Are Driving Renewed Attention to N on-Credit’s Opportunities and Challenges
The Higher Education System• Increasing undergraduate and graduate for-credit enrollments are positive, but degrees are
lengthy, less adaptable, and costly
Public Policy Goals• The Obama Administration and the Lumina Foundation’s goals to increase participation and
attainment in higher education are laudable but prioritize degrees as the solution• Non-credit programming offers many advantages compared to for-credit in its ability to respond
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• Non-credit programming offers many advantages compared to for-credit in its ability to respond quickly to economic conditions, student demands, and professional development needs
Confusing Nomenclature • The name “non-credit” is vague as it calls attention to what it is not, signaling a clear branding
challenge• The definition and status of non-credit varies across continuing education departments
• Increased demand for professional development programs has resulted in a shift away from youth and senior-oriented programs towards career-oriented non-credit programs
Tensions Between Non-Credit’s Purpose as a Revenue Generator Versus a Mission Aligner May Result in Muddled Marketing M essaging
Increase Revenue
Uphold Mission
Non-Credit’s Role
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programs
• Tensions between mission and revenue may result in challenges, including:
– Prioritizing marketing spend and attention on revenue-generating or mission-aligning programs
– Justifying non-credit marketing decisions based on revenue or mission alignment
• Mass marketing non-credit programs (particularly those offered online) may be tempting, but could result in a low ROI
– 51.5% of prospective non-credit students (n=458) anticipate enrolling in a traditional, on-ground program (compared to 24.3% [n=1,133] of credit-seeking students)
– Only 15.0% (n=133) of prospective non-credit students anticipate enrolling in a
To Grow Revenues and Broaden Their Reach, Instituti ons Are Exploring the Mass Marketing of Non-Credit, Often With Mixed Results
Online Delivery
Experimentation
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credit students anticipate enrolling in a 100% online program (compared to 35.4% [n=1,653] of credit-seeking students)
• Regional or niche programs, particularly in a hybrid format, may be a more effective way to compete against online delivery
• While third-party vendors may provide an entrance into the online and national markets, units need to retain ownership of messaging and ensure brand integrity
Pressure to Find New
Markets
Experimentation in Mass
Marketing
Vendor Partnerships May Catapult Non-Credit Program s Online and Into New Markets, But Could Result in a Loss of Marketi ng Ownership
Win Revenue, Enrollments,
Market Visibility, Online Presence
Lose Ownership of Programs and
Marketing Messages
Third-party vendors can be both
competition and strategic partners for four-year institutions
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• Through our analysis of 49 institutions’ non-credit certificate programs, Eduventuresdiscovered that institutions that partner with third-parties to offer online programs often relinquish ownership of programmatic marketing messages
• Units may consider whether there is an opportunity to work more closely with third-party providers and partners to take a more active role in marketing programs
• Additionally, units may consider particular strategies within its own marketing to clearly assert ownership and involvement in non-credit programs while simultaneously redirecting students to a third-party website
This Presentation Will Focus On:
• Why is now the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?
• The characteristics of non-credit students, including the demographic profiles and marketing preferences of students categorized by motivation
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• Comments from the University of South Florida
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies
c. 20.4m
c. 35m
c. 50m
30,000,000
40,000,000
50,000,000
60,000,000
The Formal Postsecondary Education University, Age 18+ Estimated Scale (12 month headcount-2009)
In the Formal Postsecondary Universe, the Non-Credit Market Is Significantly Larger Than the For-Credit Market, 82% Versus 18%
Type Market Share
For-Credit 18%Other Non-credit
(NC)66%
Higher Education Non-credit (NC)
16%
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c. 0.8m c. 1m c. 1.5m c. 1.5m c. 3.6mc. 8m c. 11m
c. 20.4m
0
10,000,000
20,000,000
11Sources: IPEDS, NCES and Eduventures analysis
Non-credit (NC)
Consumer Preferences Data Reveals the Prevalence of Third-Party Providers in the Non-Credit Arena
62.2%
Community group
Free instructional courses/videos online
Professional association
Employer
Over the past year, have you participated in educat ion and training provided by any of the following?
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17.8%
11.2%
20.3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Sports organizations
Language training company
IT training company
Arts and crafts organizations
Religious organization
Community group
Professional Personal
Eduventures’ Growing Database of Non-Credit Certifi cates at 49+ Institutions Lends Additional Insight Into the Non- Credit Landscape
• Ultimately, the database will contain a comprehensive list and categorization of non-credit certificates at 100 colleges and universities, in addition to profiling certificates offered by highly visible third-party providers
• Of the 49 institutions initially profiled in the current database:– Eduventures has identified 1,288 non-credit certificate programs, resulting in an
average distribution of 26 non-credit certificates per institution
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average distribution of 26 non-credit certificates per institution– 52% of identified certificates are offered 100% on-ground while 40% of identified
non-credit certificates are offered 100% online by an institution (not by a third-party provider)
• Less than 1% of profiled non-credit certificates are offered in a hybrid format, despite indications from 24.1% of prospective non-credit students that they are interested in enrolling in hybrid and/or blended programs
– The most visible non-credit certificate offerings are in the following disciplines• Business (30%)• Computer and information science (13%)• Health professions (11%)
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This Presentation Will Focus On:
• Why is now the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?
• The characteristics of non-credit students, including the demographic profiles and marketing preferences of students categorized by motivation
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• Reaction from the University of South Florida
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies
Students’ Categorization of Non-Credit Motivations Reveals a Mixture of Personal Enrichment and Professional Development
Mix of both personal interest and professional
development
Professional development(e.g., career
advancement, improving job performance)
Personal interest (e.g., learning
something new, expanding
talents, promoting
personal growth,
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performance) personal growth, exploring a
subject)n n n
Non-credit course or certificates (i.e., not for
academic credit)688 397 552
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Are we oversimplifying by only considering student motivations in two camps: personal and professional ?
The Non-Credit Population Tends to Be Over 40 and M aking $78,500 Per Year; Mixed Motivations Are Often a Bridge Between Professional Development and Personal Interest
PopulationEstimated Average
AgeEstimated Average
Income
Professional development 42.2 $78,791
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Mix of both personal interest and professional
development45.3 $79,409
Personal interest 55.1 $81,957
Credit-Seeking Students 36.9 $65,839
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In Print Media, the Initial Visibility-Raising Loca tions for Non-Credit Programs Appear to Somewhat Reflect Age Differences
34.5%
34.4%
56.0%
Articles in Media
Brochures/Flyers
Course Catalog (Online)
Which of the following sources created or raised yo ur awareness of schools offering courses or certificates of interes t to you?
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3.3%
20.4%
15.9%
34.4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Newspaper Advertisements
Published Rankings
Online Directory Site
Professional Association
School Web Sites
Course Catalog (Print)
Articles in Media
Mix Personal Professional
• Is online advertising prioritized over print advertising in your professional development marketing plan?
The Awareness-Raising Influence of Word-of-Mouth Al so Appears Somewhat Aligned with Respondents’ Age and Employme nt Status
14.4%34.1%
Conversation with current or former students
Conversation with family or friends
Conversation with co-workers
Which of the following sources created or raised yo ur awareness of schools offering courses or certificates of interes t to you?
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0% 10% 20% 30% 40%
Conversation with financial aid advisor
Conversation with professor
Conversation with enrollment advisor/ academic advisor
Conversation with manager at work
students
Mix Personal Professional18
• As older Americans begin to increasingly work past retirement, is ignoring personal interest marketing at the workplace a mistake?
Affordable
Personal- Engaging
- Small interactive classes- Quality
- Inspiring
The Top 10 Most-PreferredMarketing Terms for Non-Credit Programs Vary Slightly Based on Student Motivation
Universal Regardless
of Motivation
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AffordableFlexible Scheduling
Adult EducationAcademic Excellence
ConvenientHigh-Quality Faculty
Professional- Accelerated
- Working professionals- Real World
Mix- Accelerated
- Quality- Working
Professionals
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Motivation
Student OutcomesDemanding
Personal- Financing / Financial Aid
- 100% Online- Hybrid/Blended
- Professional Confidence
The 10 Least-PreferredTerms Indicate That Non-Credit Students Are Not Particularly Drawn to Terms Related to Outcomes, Prestiege, and Rigor
Universal Regardless
of Motivation
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DemandingValues-Based
IntensiveElite
Fast-Paced
Professional- Full-time
Faculty- Inspiring
- Research-Based
Mix- Full-time Faculty
- No Entrance Exams
- Professional Confidence
- Research-based
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Motivation
Cross-Selling Opportunities for Currently-Enrolled Students Abound; 80%+ of Non-Credit Students Report Planning to Enro ll in More Courses
26.9%
43.0%
6.0%
78.4%
27.2%
35.1%
Degree program
Non-credit course or certificates
After completing your current course, certificate, or program, which of the following, if any, do you anticipate enrolling in n ext?
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1.1%
9.4%
15.5%
26.9%
0.8%
3.1%
10.2%
2.6%
18.4%
11.8%
27.2%
0% 50% 100% 150% 200%
Credit certificate
None
Individual credit courses
Degree program
Mix Personal Professional
This Presentation Will Focus On:
• Why is now the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?
• The characteristics of non-credit students, including the demographic profiles and marketing preferences of students categorized by motivation
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• Comments from the University of South Florida
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies
Comments from USF
• Interested in noncredit marketing data– Assessment of noncredit programs – Comparison with other CE units– Direction and challenges
• Comments on marketing strategies
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• Comments on marketing strategies– Programs and student profile– Organizational challenges– New marketing direction
• Challenges/Trends
Overview of USF Non-Credit Programs
• Professional and Workforce Development – Business Training (15 certificates – traditional, and some niche)– Certification Preparation Training (8 exam prep)– Computer Skills– Online – thru third-party vendor
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• Special Interest– Foreign Languages– Photography– Gemology– Test Preparation
• OLLI-Senior Programs - personal enrichment
Non-Credit Student Profile - about 4,000 participan ts a year
• PWD Demographics– Age 25-54; income $30- $99K– Zips in northern portion of county surrounding Main Campus– Vary by programs – higher end certificates– 4,053 enrollments
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• OLLI programs – Personal Enrichment– Age 55+– Location based (multiple locations with partners/sponsors– 3722 enrollments (1,300 members)
• Differences between Professional and Personal Development– Possible crossover
Internal and External Factors leading USF to Re-Ass ess Non-Credit Portfolio
• Reorganization– Parent organization– Noncredit division
• State/University Policy
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• Economy
These factors played into our marketing strategies …
Current Structure of Marketing Team
• Decentralized staffing– Separate production and management staff for credit and noncredit– 3.0 FTEs marketing/production
• Creation Marketing Workgroup (9 members)
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– Representation from units – help leverage resources; coordinate collaborative marketing, and review marketing expenditures
– Relatively new working team; implemented beginning of fiscal year
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Recent Non-Credit Marketing Efforts
• New noncredit program development process– Teams involving all noncredit staff to review new program ideas– Successful as a team-builder and for generating new ideas
• Efforts of the Marketing Team to co-market credit and noncredit– Effort to work collaboratively, leverage resources and unify the message
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– Effort to work collaboratively, leverage resources and unify the message– Coordinate marketing efforts for credit and noncredit– Provide consistent visual identify– Create unifying message or voice
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Marketing Outcomes
• In a relative short period of time:– Hosted UC Open House
– set stage for co-marketing credit and noncredit
– Developing unifying
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– Developing unifying messages, advertising and web presence
• Education Without Limits
• USF Bull
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UC Brand Ad –
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UC Program Ad – Online Learning
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Marketing Team
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This Presentation Will Focus On:
• Why is now is the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?
• The characteristics of non-credit students, including the demographic profiles and marketing preferences of students categorized by motivation
© 2011 Eduventures, Inc. 33
• Comments from the University of South Florida
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies
External and Internal Strategic Partnerships Have B een the Keys to Success for Many Units Offering Non-Credit
Best Practices: Develop Strategic Partners
• External Partnerships: Units may seek mutually beneficial partnerships with third-party vendors, corporations, professional associations and other higher education institutions to improve marketing quality and reach
• Internal Partnerships: Units may consider partnering with internal academic and
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• Internal Partnerships: Units may consider partnering with internal academic and administrative units to facilitate marketing outreach and manage spend. Identifying successful internal partners may entail:
– Discovering which units at your institution understand the non-credit value proposition and would be willing to enter into a partnership
– Prioritizing and educating resistant units on the benefits of non-credit and cross-marketing opportunities
– Lobbying for more visibility of non-credit offerings through program and institutional collateral
Best Practices: Facilitate Complementary Relationshi ps
• Credit/Non-Credit Differentiation: Units should be able to justify why they are offering a program as non-credit rather than for-credit, and articulate the differences between the two if a program is offered in both categories
Potential Complementary Relationships Between For-C redit and Non-Credit Are Often Overlooked, But Could Lead to Mark eting Success
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• Packaging Courses as Certificates: Units experiencing success in non-credit professional development point to the packaging of non-credit classes as certificate programs
– Units may need to work cross-departmentally to assemble diverse non-credit courses into certificate programs
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Best Practices: Re-Evaluate Operational Structures• An institution’s marketing structure may affect how effectively non-credit programs
are packaged and sold to prospective students
Re-evaluating Operational Marketing Structures May Result in Previously Untapped Efficiencies
Advantages Disadvantages
Com
bine
d S
truc
ture
- Courses can be offered as either non-credit or for-credit. In turn, a lower price point for non-credit allows for marketing to
- The lack of non-credit portfolio consistency
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Com
bine
d S
truc
ture point for non-credit allows for marketing to
additional audiences- Shared marketing resources (especially when leveraging alumni from for-credit offerings)
from year-to-year may result in challenges in tracking marketing spend and finding marketing efficiencies
Sep
arat
e S
truc
ture - Greater autonomy allows units to craft
marketing collateral quickly and independently
- Marketing efforts may be duplicated without strong intra-departmental communication- Limited access to broader institutional resources, including additional marketing capabilities and CRM systems
Effective Marketing Has Helped Niche, Regional Prog rams Become Sustainable Revenue Generators
Best Practices: Understand Regional Needs
• Industry-Alignment: Units should ensure that their professional development programs align with local industry growth trends to help meet the needs of their region
– Obtaining information via your state’s Department of Labor will help inform program development
– Market research may also assist your unit in understanding local and regional workforce
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– Market research may also assist your unit in understanding local and regional workforce demands
• Understand Your Demographic: Interviewed units attribute the prosperity of personal enrichment programs to targeted marketing towards affluent population segments in their regions, which they have targeted for marketing through ZIP code and regional analysis
• Know Your Competition: Identifying other regional providers, analyzing their program portfolio, and dissecting their marketing messaging can assist your unit in ensuring differentiation in marketing and programs
Program Assessment May Result in Stronger Program O wnership and More Individualized Marketing Messaging
Best Practices: Identify Potential Opportunities to Bring Outsourced Programs Into Internal Portfolio
• Identify Strengths: Units may engage in a self-study to identify institutional capacities for additional non-credit programming and where outsourced programs may align well with internal capacities
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• Consider Integration: After a self-study, institutions may decide whether existing partnerships still make sense or whether integrating some outsourced programs into the unit’s internally portfolio would be beneficial
• Ensure Differentiation: Regardless of whether an institution decides to claim an externally-hosted program or continue working with a third-party provider, it should play an active role in crafting marketing messaging and designing market outreach
• Why is now the time to re-evaluate your non-credit marketing?– Unprecedented internal and external attention on your units, particularly related to your role
as a revenue generator and as a mission aligner
• What is the current non-credit program landscape?– HUGE! 82% of estimated enrollments in 2010 were in non-credit programs, but the majority
of these enrollments were within programs offered by third-parties, not higher education
• What are non-credit students like?– Demographically, older (40+) and wealthier ($78,500+) than degree seeking students
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– Demographically, older (40+) and wealthier ($78,500+) than degree seeking students– Motivations to take non-credit are aligned with age; marketing programs that appeal to
mixed motivation students may encourage long-term non-credit involvement
• Non-credit marketing best practices and strategies– Be clear about what non-credit means and why it is a good choice for students– Identify internal and external partners who are willing to work with you– Understand your regional market – Think about restructuring and what it could mean for your marketing team– Re-evaluate partnerships to ensure they enrich your marketing efforts and brand– Assess whether outsourced programs should be integrated into your internal portfolio
• For more information or to request a copy of this report, please contact:
Samantha GoldsteinResearch AnalystEduventures, Inc.101 Federal Street, 12th FloorBoston, MA [email protected]
Thank you!
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[email protected]: @samanthag_ev
Elissa HendersonAssistant Director, Continuing EducationDirector, Marketing University CollegeUniversity of South Florida 4202 East Fowler Avenue, NEC116Tampa, Florida [email protected]