71. Competition and Marketing

A recent post by Joe Sallustio (@JoeSallustio) on LinkedIn raised several interesting points about how higher ed views and responds to the competitive education landscape. He points out that higher ed is attuned primarily to institutional competition within the higher ed community, and so marketing is largely focused against other institutions within the community.  But he also points out that the competitive environment today extends far beyond the boundaries of traditional academe, and  that the “interest funnel” for students looking for education opportunities is much wider at the top as new players now offer alternative pathways in the education arena.  This changes the whole competitive perspective and marketing strategy for the higher education sector.  Or at least it should. In this episode I’ll expand on Joe’s insights and discuss a key element in all of this:  Differentiation. I’ll ask how higher education can differentiate its value vis a vis the plethora of education options available for prospective students.  And I’ll tell you how we did it in the old days.  You may be surprised.   EdUp Insights with Bill Pepicello is part of the EdUp Experience Podcast Network.