The following is Module 2, Section D of a series called Coherence, introducing key strategies that will enable you to market your institution more coherently.

Overview and Objective

I’ve heard the goofiest comments about competitors on campuses, most of it fueled by rumor: “They’re not as academic as we are.” “We’re more ‘Christian’ than they are.” “Our programs are better.” “We’re clearly more diverse.” When we ask about the evidence to support those declarations, we are rarely supplied with documentation to give credence to the claims. We’ve heard admissions recruiters pick up hearsay and work false information into their “pitches.” (No wonder you suffer from a mushy brand. If the front line sales force succumbs to word-of-mouth, how can we expect our audiences to carry accurate perceptions?) When you finish this exercise, you will have greater confidence in your ability to accurately tell your story.

Key Points

It’s not surprising that knowledge about the competition isn’t as accurate as it should—and can—be. First, the amount of information necessary to learn about your own institution requires substantial investments of time and attention, leaving little time to learn the facts about other schools. Second, as competitors—even though education is fairly open and collegial as an industry—colleges and universities play cards close to the chest (or vest, if you prefer) making it difficult to gather data. Third, objectivity is tough.

The inability to speak objectively and believably about how you may be a better fit for a student or donor prohibits you from building your case with confidence. If you know the facts—the truth—you’ll have no difficulty in laying claim to your distinctive market position. You’ll boldly speak to your “only” or “first” or “largest” because you know it to be true. Until you state the facts, you won’t experience the joy of telling your true story.

Activity with Worksheet 2D: Confidence Builder

Now, get to know the 10 competitors better that you identified in the previous two worksheets, 2B and 2C. Gather data about each of them in this worksheet so you have real facts to compare. Where do you turn to gather this data?

• Publications such as U.S. News & World Report, Peterson’s, Colleges That Change Lives or The Princeton Review.
• Research repositories such as IPEDS or the U.S. Department of Education.
• National research studies such as those conducted by HERI or NSSE.
• Your own digging through web sites, viewbooks, alumni magazines and capital campaign booklets.

When you have all the facts, look for similarities and differences with your own institution.

• What is your advantage in terms of size of student body?
• Which of your competitors offers the most variety in terms of academic programs? How do you compare?
• Is the structure of your University noticeably different from competitors? How might that benefit your students?
• What about the size of your campus compared to others? Are you more compact or more open than the schools you compete with?
• How does your cost to attend compare with others? What does your price suggest about you in contrast to your competition?
• Do your endowed funds offer positioning power? Does your endowment provide resources that may not be available elsewhere?
• How do you deliver your education: online, offline, or both? Weekends? Evenings? How accessible are you compared to the competition?
• Who offers the most financial assistance? Who offers the largest scholarships? (Perceptions about scholarships often supersede the rationale of bottom line cost.)
• How does your location compare to your primary competitors? How does your competitive set change because of your location?
• How many of your competitors are in your athletic conference? Do you belong to an athletic conference that offers clear advantage or distinction?
• And how about that pesky U.S. News ranking? How do you compare?

Ask and answer these questions with your team so you all have a clearer picture of the competition. Knowing the competition will help in your sales and recruiting, with your ideating and programming, your asking and receiving, as well as with your writing and designing. Don’t depend on your impressions; really study the competition for better results for your school. And begin telling your differentiated story more confidently.