Talking Stick - January/February 2017 - 46

W

hen the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education recently released its
report detailing the dropping number of graduating high school students in the
coming years, as well as the growing diversity of those student bodies, it was the type
of thing that can send tremors through higher education. Among those feeling the
ripples would be those campus housing marketing professionals who will be tasked
with continuing to make connections, fill beds, and stir up program attendance in
the face of this - and any other - emerging trend.
Perhaps more than ever, the marketing role in campus housing is growing in its
importance and visibility. As Mallory Sidarous, the associate director of housing at
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, says, "Marketing continues to have more
influence on occupancy, strategy, long-term planning, and more. Marketing staff
members are engaged with the needs and wants of current and prospective residents,
connecting with them on social media, recruitment events, assessment. The impact of a
strong visual brand and understanding of the customer are very important in the current
landscape, and those with a marketing background are uniquely qualified to be a voice
in those conversations. The toolbox has continued to grow with how we can connect
with current and prospective residents: video, social media, email, texts, digital signs in
addition to in-person recruitment, tours, print pieces, websites, and more."
Using all the arrows in their collective quivers they must design and conduct
strategies that cut through the noise and reach a savvy audience in a competitive
marketplace. "I think we are seeing a more integrated approach of marketing in
university housing," notes Dana Robbins-Murray, the senior assistant director of
marketing and communications for residence life at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
"Marketing and communications touch every aspect of the department. Our marketing
team works with all our units and programs to support their goals and help to create a
more impactful outcome."
The recognition of marketing's growing role has been reflected in ACUHO-I
efforts as well, illustrated by the number of sessions related to the subject at each
year's Business Operations Conference and, last year, in the second installment of the
ACUHO-I Marketing Awards. All the entries, including the selection of award winners
on the following pages, show how the role has grown. "A great trend our community
has seen over the last few years is a greater appreciation for and understanding of what
a marketing communications office can do for university housing, especially impacting
occupancy," says Catherine David, the associate director of communications and
development in the department of residential life at Louisiana State University in Baton
Rouge. "As student housing markets become more crowded than ever, housing and
residence life are looking for ways to stand apart from off-campus competitors, prove
their value, and maintain occupancy levels. A marketing communications team can
assist will all those goals."
That doesn't mean the process is without its hurdles. "I think one challenge that
communicators face is that in some ways everyone thinks they're an expert," says Janine
McGee, marketing coordinator at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. "Everyone
around us is a bit blind to the strategy and research that goes into a campaign or
message. While that makes it difficult for others to respect our expertise, it's also the
mark of a job well done. Communication at its best feels natural and seamless, but it
actually takes a lot of work to make it feel that way."
View the following pieces - as well as many others in our online portfolio - and
consider how hard the teams worked to make it look this easy.

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Talking Stick - January/February 2017

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