How to Bring New-School Mentality to Old-School Silos

Higher education seems like it should be by its very nature a place of continuous knowledge and growth. But even the most innovative of campuses can have old-school thinking when it comes to their marketing organization.

Back 15 to 20 years ago, marketing didn’t have the same responsibilities on campus as it does today. The team’s primary role was communications, internal and external, and marketing leadership reported to the Vice President for Enrollment or the Vice President for Advancement.

Been there done that? Or are you currently in this old-school reporting structure?

I know you’ll nod along with me when I say: communication does not equal marketing. Modern marketing teams are handling more than just promotion; they’re actively engaged in discussions with programs, arguably one of the most important of the 4 Ps of marketing: programs and services, place, price and promotion.

The demands on marketing have increased, but not necessarily the recognition of its expanded role and where it fits best: reporting to the President.

Friends, you can find a way forward.

First, take a deep breath — or several deep breaths. A lot of great marketers have felt stuck in this reporting loop. It can be hard to read the label when you’re looking inside the jar. There are things you can do to help break down silos. That’s exactly where to put your energy.

Focus on collaboration and building relationships with stakeholders across campus. As marketers, we have a great opportunity to reach all parts of campus. Be much more proactive in building important relationships and breaking down silos. In addition to critical connections to admissions, advancement and other campus leadership, remember the academic piece. Why students go to college— the gatekeepers, the content experts, the story makers. Think beat reporting with consistent outreach by the entire team. Your reporting structure is not your responsibility structure, so learn to let the silos stay on paper and not in practice.

Start having the right conversations. We as marketers need to do a better job communicating what marketing is and isn’t to our leadership colleagues and to our presidents. Be proactive about moving conversations away from a singular focus on promotion and instead share the understanding of the college or university’s value proposition. More importantly, elevate marketing in your language to align it with dashboard metrics. Speaking this common language and tying it into results helps to create higher education leaders who are marketing advocates.

Bring metrics to the table. As you meet and interact with leadership and the president, share metrics that tie marketing to results. Beginning to build a scorecard that demonstrates and resonates at the highest level is a powerful tool. Although this is not a quick fix, as you work on agreeing on the same KPIs and singing from the same songbook, it’s unbelievably helpful and allows the team to focus. Identifying institutional marketing priorities helps define what success looks like and helps remove distractions.

Stay focused on greener grass. The competition for students has never been greater and people like you, my talented marketing friends, are needed. Thinking differently and taking proactive steps helps move marketing down a path toward a clear roadmap. There is no better feeling than when I can help serve as a catalyst on this journey. We have an amazing GPS measurement tool that helps demonstrate to leaders the gaps they have in communication, consistency and strategy. I’ve told presidents, ‘you need someone who goes to bed every night and wakes up every morning thinking about marketing. Just like you need someone to do that every day for enrollment. It’s not different.’ This message is getting through. There is hope for a better day.