Truth #10: Stay Agile
Now that you’re geared up to practice Marketing Truths 1 to 9, let’s tie it all together with Truth #10—Stay Agile. This is the principle that empowers you to practice all the others.
Marketing approaches are continually evolving. And even if our best-strategized plans are in step with best practices, we all know that perfect plans don’t always result in perfect action steps or perfect outcomes. People move and projects drift. And on top of all that, the world around you can change in a flash.
Reimagine Your Approach
So we learn to flex. But we’re not only reactively flexible—we’re proactively thinking of new ways to operate. We position our roles and resources in such a way that we’re ready to gracefully adapt for optimal effectiveness.
As higher ed professionals, we often struggle with the fear factor. There are unrelenting expectations and challenges to prove our investment in marketing. But we can’t let fear paralyze us.
Thriving marketing offices have a culture of experimentation. Staying agile includes trying new things to see what works and what doesn’t.
Are you thinking innovatively about the future of marketing? For example, as you begin to better practice Truth #7—Investment Is Ongoing—it’s vital to keep your pulse on changing dynamics.
Marketing Roles
Having the right people in the right place at the right time is crucial to success. You may consider adding new roles or adapting the responsibilities of current roles.
Try using AI to write job description drafts. Not only will you save valuable time, but you’ll likely pick up on current trends in structuring your marketing department’s accountabilities and workflow.
Marketing Processes
Being agile may mean a change of processes, too. When Chick-fil-A® reimagined the drive-thru line in the form of an elevated building, the underlying philosophy was nothing new. It was, rather, a demonstration of the agility that characterizes their operations.
As explained in a company press release, “Chick-fil-A® is always exploring new ways to serve our customers to better meet their needs and lifestyles.”
For your marketing office, you probably don’t need to construct new facilities (or maybe you do!), but could it be that rearranging office space or updating furnishings would improve productivity or creativity? Or perhaps it’s simply time for an evaluation of workflows to identify places for smoother adaptability.
Seize New Opportunities
Agile organizations think creatively and strategically about expanding a successful product to different audiences.
What We Can Learn from Water Bottles
Take Stanley for example. William Stanley Jr. launched his successful company in 1913 when he invented the steel vacuum-insulated bottle. The product has been an icon for camping and outdoor adventures for more than a century.
Then a new opportunity surfaced. When Stanley introduced the Quencher—an oversized, attention-getting, heavy-duty water bottle that fits in a car cupholder—teen girls and their moms noticed.
And Stanley was ready. Just like that, with some trendy twists on a tried-and-true product, Stanley cups lit up a new marketplace. In 2023, the company generated $750 million in revenue—a “thousand percent increase in just three years.”
An Example from Higher Ed
For more than 100 years, Campbellsville University in Kentucky has served students through academic programs grounded in Christian faith. Recognizing broader opportunities for a tried-and-true core product, the university has adapted to tap into new audiences.
Campbellsville has gone where the people are. In addition to its main campus, CU now operates in 11 sites regionally and internationally, allowing the university to make higher ed accessible to students in a wider geographic area. By partnering with other organizations like community colleges and churches, Campbellsville didn’t need to build new campuses in every location.
Further, Campbellsville is reaching new markets for the school’s online programs. Through the “FinishFast” program, CU Online offers guaranteed admission to students in Kentucky community colleges who have completed an associate’s degree.
The results? Campbellsville has more than tripled enrollment, now serving 12,000 students. That’s Stanley-caliber growth!
What Will Staying Agile Mean for You
By setting yourself up for adaptability—like Chick-fil-A, Stanley, and Campbellsville University—your school can reimagine approaches and seize opportunities for optimal marketing outcomes. Try new ways of doing things. Take note of viral threads that open doors to new initiatives. Explore partnerships with like-minded organizations.
By staying agile, you’ll be future-proofed and positioned for action, ready to carry out all ten Marketing Truths like a pro.
The bad news: Your marketing vision and plans may get derailed by unexpected challenges, surprising trends, or inflexible institutional thinking.
The good news: Your creative thinking can extend further than marketing assets and into strategy, processes, and administrative decisions.
The great news: There are more people who need what you have to offer. With a spirit of experimentation and adaptability, you’ll be ready to reach them.
Interested in bringing the Truths to your campus? Learn more.
Let’s make these truths part of your institution’s unique marketing strategies. Contact us to chat about how 5° Branding can partner with your team.
This is the tenth blog in our Higher Ed Marketing Truths series with 5° Senior Vice President Ryan Morabito, a veteran brand strategist who has worked with over 100 schools. These blogs are based on Ryan’s LinkedIn posts, which regularly inspire high engagement among education leaders and marketers. Connect with us here to receive each blog in the series by email or bookmark our blog to check for updates!
