Stealth Programs

Whether good or bad, rumors can have a big effect on a college. Stories about your institution’s positive results can send its stock soaring with students and parents. Negative gossip can hinder yield programs and enrollment.
 
Rumors don’t have to be true to have impact. According to eminent social psychologist Elliot Aronson, PhD and colleague Anthony Pratkanis, PhD, in the 1980s the “Leaflet of Villejuif” began circulating in France. This plain typewritten pamphlet exhorted parents to boycott popular soft drink brands like Coca-Cola, Schweppes and Canada Dry, charging they contained dangerous chemicals that could harm children.
 
The power of rumor and innuendo
 
A survey of 150 French housewives found that 19% had stopped buying the brands mentioned. Another 69% said they intended to support the boycott. Elementary school teachers and physicians were surveyed; half of the doctors and nearly all the teachers agreed with the leaflet’s statements. Fewer than 10% of these educated professionals bothered to check the truthfulness of its claims. That’s sad, because virtually all of them were false. E330, the food additive claimed to be highly carcinogenic, was actually the European Union’s code for harmless citric acid, found in oranges and grapefruit.
 
Mark Twain wrote, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” It can do a great deal of damage along the way. Because we hear rumors from people we know or learn about them through trusted media sources many don’t bother to check their validity. But they can have a big impact on reputations, applications and yield.
 
One study asked participants to rate political candidates after reading fabricated headlines. Some contained a direct accusation (“Bob Talbert Linked with Mafia”), a damning question (“Is Karen Downing Associated with a Fraudulent Charity?”), a denial of impropriety (“Andrew Winters Not Connected to Bank Embezzlement”) or a completely neutral statement (“George Armstrong Arrives in City”). Aronson and Pratkanis relate:

The results showed, not surprisingly, that candidates linked with a directly incriminating headline were perceived more negatively.  Strikingly, however, merely questioning whether a candidate had performed an undesirable behavior also resulted in negative perceptions of the candidate – just slightly more positive than those evoked by a direct incrimination…The source of the innuendo made little difference. The candidates were still rated negatively even if the source of the headline was a newspaper lacking in credibility (the National Enquirer or the Midnight Globe as opposed to the New York Times or the Washington Post).

 What can you do about rumors?
 
According to marketing professor Allan Kimmel, one key to rumor control is: “Talk!...For the most part, a refusal to talk, whether it be to journalists, [students and parents]…or other concerned parties conveys the message that the [institution] has something to hide and adds to uncertainty, or sometimes merely serves to confirm the fears underlying the requests for information.”
 
But, “In order to stand a chance of succeeding," say Drs. Aronson and Pratkanis, “such refutations should not overstate the case, should embed the rumor in a negative context (or damn it, refute it, then damn it again and replace it), and should not repeat verbatim particularly memorable rumors.” Quick action by high-ranking college officials can limit the damage false factoids may cause. Institutions with established records of integrity and community service will find it easier to protect or restore their reputations.

The Allied Group is an innovative, award-winning marketing communications company offering Search, Conversion, Stealth and Yield programs as well as full-service fulfillment to colleges and universities.
 

The Boston Globe reported last Wednesday that  a federal judge blocked the new FDA requirement that tobacco companies put graphic images on cigarette packaging. The article outlined the judge's ruling that requiring the images, which include "a sewn-up corpse of a smoker and a picture of diseased lungs, on cigarette packs violates the free speech amendment to the Constitution.”

This raises a serious issue, presenting all, including educators, with a dilemma. On the one hand, evidence that smoking kills is overwhelming.  I had to watch it destroy my mother’s favorite uncle. Efforts to help smokers stop and aid teenagers to avoid smoking are commendable. Clearly, we’d all be better off if smokers quit in droves.

Reducing smoking-related illnesses is a worthy goal.  But is it worth eroding the cherished freedom of speech on which all Americans, especially educators, depend? That’s a question for the Supreme Court. Despite the health issues, the specter of government edicts forcing organizations to publicly say negative things about their activities is not a pleasant one. So, we must ask – is the reward worth the risk?  Do graphic, fear-arousing images actually help people quit smoking?

What the research shows

There is no question that graphic images on Canadian and Australian cigarette packs have proven to make smokers think about health hazards and consider quitting. A WHO bulletin stated, “The research on pictorial warnings show that they are: (i) more likely to be noticed than text-only warning labels; (ii) more effective for educating smokers…and for increasing smokers’ thoughts about the health risks; and (iii) associated with increased motivation to quit smoking.”

But motivation doesn’t necessarily translate into action. Consider how noted social psychologist and textbook author Dr. David Myers summed up the research: “Many people who have been made to fear an early death from smoking continue to smoke. When the fear pertains to a pleasurable activity, notes Elliot Aronson (1997), the result is often not behavioral change but denial.”

In fact, the eminent Dr. Aronson states that studies show smokers who’ve tried to stop and failed are the group most likely to deny or minimize the hazards of smoking. They rationalize it away. Aronson and his coauthors cite research showing ways that frightening pictures can actually reduce smoking. Smokers shown graphic images of lung cancer and then given a pamphlet outlining ways to quit lowered their daily cigarettes by 77% (from 69 to 26). Those who saw disturbing photos without specific instructions smoked less for a time, but soon returned to smoking nearly as much as they had before (64 daily cigarettes merely dropped to 54). 

But even the group who substantially reduced their cigarette intake continued to smoke during the three month study. I could locate no data showing that graphic images on cigarette packaging really helps people quit. In fact, a Prevention First report states that fear tactics are ineffective in deterring young people from smoking. Is it worth eroding freedom of speech for a smoking cessation strategy not proven to help substantial numbers to stop? 

An alternative

Influence expert Robert Cialdini, PhD told me in personal correspondence that one way to reduce negative behavior is to link it to a disliked or disrespected outgroup. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug. Perhaps we need ads comparing tobacco companies to drug cartels and cigarette dealers to those who sell dangerous drugs in neighborhoods and schools. That exercise of free speech might get results!

The Allied Group offers innovative marketing communications strategies, Search, Stealth and Yield programs, marketing support and full service fulfillment.
 

“Why Won’t People Listen to Good Ideas?” discussed research showing that those with strongly ingrained views won't mentally process sound evidence presented by the other side. Is there anything we can do to encourage parents, students, colleagues or faculty to consider solid facts we raise?

First, it’s important to understand why many won’t listen. One reason became apparent in a series of studies starting in 1959. Eminent social psychologist Dr. Elliot Aronson explains that research began in a southern town deeply divided over racial segregation. Most today clearly recognize the evils of apartheid, but in 1959 it was a burning issue, particularly in the South. Researchers selected people with strong feelings for or against segregation. Then they presented a series of arguments on both sides of the issue. Some were plausible, others were lame. A survey on the points each recalled was telling. People remembered the logical arguments supporting their position and the illogical arguments that backed the opposing view.

A number of follow up studies produced similar results. The answer was clear. People ignored or quickly forgot points that might prove their opinion wrong. They focused on the opposition’s lame arguments because these strengthened their position. This phenomenon is called Confirmation Bias. Finding the right answer took a back seat to proving they were right. The highly respected Dr. Aronson explains:

During the past half-century, social psychologists have discovered that one of the most powerful determinants of human behavior stems from our need to preserve a stable, positive self-image. Most of us want to believe that we are reasonable, decent folks who make wise decisions, do not behave immorally and have integrity.

Thus, when confronted with factual information that might show us mistaken or foolish, we automatically tend to ignore or dismiss it, focusing instead on any piece of data that might prove us right.

One study found smokers who tried but failed to quit were least likely to recognize the dangers of smoking. Clearly, dismissing inconvenient facts can prove destructive to individuals and businesses. It’s important, then, to recognize that while those on the opposite side of an issue may ignore sound evidence, we too are fully capable of making that mistake.

Removing the blinders

First, we must realize that every party in a discussion, including us, may display confirmation bias. How can we combat it? One way is to remind ourselves that our willingness to honestly consider all evidence takes moral courage and strength, highly admirable traits. That realization may help us past the tendency to protect our ego by defending a position. Researcher Dr. David Myers recommends that senior managers require their staff members who present arguments to give one good reason why they could be wrong.

To help others avoid ignoring valid evidence, we can try a psychological technique called “labeling.” We could begin a discussion by praising our associates for the open-mindedness and fairness they’ve previously shown. This technique was used to great advantage by former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Communications psychology expert Robert Cialdini, PhD relates,

Before international negotiations began, Sadat would assure his bargaining opponents that they and the citizens of their country were widely known for their cooperativeness and fairness.

Did his technique work? Despite the notoriously entrenched positions in the Middle East, Sadat and former hard-liner Menachem Begin negotiated the only modern peace treaty between an Arab nation and Israel.  I rest my case.

The Allied Group is a marketing communications company providing integrated marketing communications programs and full service fulfillment services including Search, Stealth and Yield programs as well as publication design, printing and distribution to colleges and universities.

Senior administrators, admissions officers and college marketers frequently have to persuade others to agree and act on their point of view. At times that can prove extremely difficult. Senior staff members may want to include important new initiatives in their institution’s priorities for the coming year. Admissions officers need to influence colleagues, faculty, guidance counselors parents and students. Senior marketers are required to come up with marketing communication strategies to achieve the college’s goals and evaluate plans for individual campaigns.

In each case, the key players involved must agree. But at times agreement can be extremely hard to achieve. Sometimes it seems that people just won’t listen to good ideas. Researchers have carefully studied this phenomenon using controlled scientific experiments. The results may surprise you.

Why can’t they see the point?

Social psychologist Lee Ross’ research led him to conclude that people often express what he calls “naive realism.” Each person assumes that they perceive events as they really are. Eminent social psychologist Dr. Elliot Aronson explains that since we are sure we recognize reality, our tendency is to assume that others who are reasonable should be able to see things our way. If they don’t, we assume that they aren’t reasonable. But are we ourselves always able to see the facts clearly?

NBC news reported on a study done on “seeing the facts” in the political arena. During the 2004 presidential race between George W. Bush and John Kerry, Drew Westen, Director of Clinical Psychology at Emory University conducted a study using functional MRI (fMRI) equipment. This machine allows researchers to monitor blood flow to different parts of the brain, revealing how people’s minds react in various situations. One study found, for example, that the brain area normally involved in reading did not activate when those coping with dyslexia attempted to read. Another neural region tried to do the job for which it was not equipped (like star quarterbacks Tom Brady or Drew Brees playing nose tackle).

In Dr. Westen’s study, staunch Republicans and Democrats heard contradictory statements released by Bush or Kerry on important issues while monitored by the fMRI equipment. When hearing their own candidate’s points, supporters’ brain regions involved in reasoning and emotion lit up. They paid close attention and liked what they heard.

But when listening to the opposing candidate, the reaction was quite different. "We did not see any increased activation of the parts of the brain normally engaged during reasoning," the researcher reported. People paid little attention to a viewpoint that contradicted their own. According to NBC, “The test subjects on both sides of the political aisle reached totally biased conclusions by ignoring information that could not rationally be discounted, Westen and his colleagues say…The study points to a total lack of reason in political decision-making.”

That’s a scary finding. And if people whose minds are made up can discount or ignore inconvenient facts in a crucial matter like national leadership, what hope do we have of winning colleagues to our point of view on institutional initiatives or admissions matters? Fortunately, research has not only revealed human biases, but some helpful approaches for overcoming them as well. Stay tuned.

The Allied Group is an award-winning marketing communications company that provides search, conversion,yield and stealth programs for college admissions. Allied is a leader in employing one-to-one communication programs for admissions and advancement based on important research in marketing and social psychology.

Have you or your staff ever had an experience like this one? You have a conversation with a high school student who’s appears to be a perfect fit for your institution. He/she is responding with enthusiasm to your message. You’re certain that this student will be a member of your incoming freshman class. And then…you never hear from them again.

What happened? Did you say or do something wrong? Often, the answer is no. Everything you said and did clicked with the student. But in the time between your conversation and the time to inquire, apply or enroll, something or someone else got in the way.

Technology to the Rescue

Fortunately, as often happens, new technology can help you prevent situations like this one from happening over and over again. That technology is mobile marketing. Mobile marketing allows you to capture a response from students while they feel like responding. Is there an event you’d like them to attend? Tell them about it, and then give them an easy way to register right there on the spot with their mobile phones. Do you want them to visit a website to respond to your college’s offer or inquire in some other way? Mobile technology can allow them to do it while they’re in the mood.

Mobile Rated Effective

The Noel-Levitz report “2011 Marketing and Student Recruitment Practices at Four-Year and Two-Year Institutions” shows that 64% of admissions officials responding rated mobile apps as “somewhat effective” or “very effective” in recruiting freshmen, yet only 16.9% actively use them. Could this be due to the fact that mobile apps must be created by talented but overworked college IT departments? 

An Easier Way

Using QR codes (two-dimensional bar codes) can provide an easier way to reap a major benefit of mobile marketing – immediate response – while avoiding the hassle of creating your own mobile apps and getting students to download them. Every smartphone user can download a free QR code reader, and new initiatives by Coca-Cola, Best Buy, Macy's and other major retailers will encourage your prospects to install them on their phones.

Displaying QR codes on admissions marketing materials or posters can allow students to immediately visit mobile websites created and sponsored by qualified partners. There they can respond to an offer, get a customized electronic brochure for the program of their choice or register for an on-campus or online event. This can prove an excellent way to “strike while the iron is hot,” increasing qualified inquiry, application and yield rates.

Is your institution looking to improve in any of these areas? Using mobile marketing and QR codes might just be the way to accomplish it.

The Allied Group is a marketing communications company that offers mobile marketing along with Search, Stealth, Conversion and Yield programs for colleges and universities. 

As Student Search letters hit the mail, it’s important to recognize what many institutions are up against. Students may have never heard of the college that would prove to be their best choice. If they choose a better-known institution that’s not a good fit, both they and their ideal school will lose. How can worthy but less-than-famous colleges get students’ attention?

Direct mail is still the best way to reach out to students initially. In a College Board survey, 81% of students said that personal letters from colleges increased their interest. Another 75% indicated that brochures mailed to them had a similar effect. Emails came in at 61%.  All should continue to be employed by many institutions.

But crowded mailboxes are the bane of lesser-known schools. One study presented at NEACAC this year found that 40% of prospects’ names were available for only one year. Institutions must therefore make the best use of their opportunity to engage these prospects. Time-pressed Millennials often take mental shortcuts and choose brand name institutions. Many rely on the advice of parents and friends. Although 74% respected their guidance counselor’s recommendations, these alone may not be enough to help unknown but creditable institutions.

Getting noticed in a crowded Search market

After PSAT, SAT and ACT results become available, many students are deluged with Search letters and emails. As these crowd their mail boxes, two types will stand out: 

• Those from familiar institutions   
• Those whose message is relevant

The first point is obvious. It’s also proved by research. When students feel overwhelmed with choices, familiar names will stand out. But if your college is not a household name, personal relevance may be your best chance at getting your letter or email opened. Studies cited by eminent social psychologist Dr. Elliot Aronson reveal that when a message is personally relevant, people will pay attention to it even if the presenter doesn’t have the benefit of fame and prestige.

How can you know what’s personally relevant?

Relevant text and/or photos on a mailer or envelope will make it stand out and increase its chances to be opened and read. But what’s relevant? If Search names are from a recent test, student-provided data on intended major, sports and extracurricular interests are likely to be fairly accurate. This information could be an excellent source of relevant data to be used in a one to one communication campaign starting with Search letters and emails. If test results are not recent, data on intended majors will spoil rather than improve with age.  How can institutions make sure student interest information is up-to-date? 

Some college websites employ a Stealth Program, offering visitors a customized electronic, and sometimes printed, brochure. Students wanting to receive one must give contact information and indicate their intended major and extracurricular interests. This tool can be used effectively in a number of settings.

Links included on college Facebook pages and targeted display ads can turn an electronic brochure offer into a great outreach tool. It gives students exactly the information they request, gets institutions the fresh data they need, and has proved to get substantially higher conversion rates than traditional Search. And, of course, prospects requesting e-brochures have thereby inquired and may not need to be searched again.

Could a relevant message help your institution stand out in a crowded field?

The Allied Group is a marketing communications company offering award-winning Search, Stealth, Conversion and Yield Programs for traditional and nontraditional college admissions.

• Moral Influence: The people (sales, marketing, finance, operations) must be in harmony with the leaders.
  
• Weather: The interaction of natural forces that affect the conduct of operations in accordance with the season. A direct mail campaign for snow blowers in July ???
  
• Terrain: Whether the ground is traversed with ease or difficulty, whether it is open or constricted, and the chances of life and death. If closing the sale requires a live demo - will the product travel well, can sales do the demo, are the prospects near each other, are there tariff or tax implications that will complicate the deal?
  
• Command: The General's qualities of wisdom, sincerity, humanity, courage and strictness. I liked all of the qualities of a Sales and Marketing VP right up till "strictness." Who wouldn't love a boss that was wise, sincere, humane and had the courage to try new things....and we all know that no one likes a boss without a spine. 
  
• Doctrine: organization, control, assignment of appropriate ranks, regulation of supply routes, the provision of items.  What a waste if Marketing designs a cool new campaign - but it mails late because no one funded the USPS escrow account... or Sales has a killer blitz but operations can't keep up with the incoming requests...
  
• There is no General who has not heard of these five matters. Those who master them will win, those who don't are defeated.  Nothing new under the sun - we all know the right way to manage our Sales and Marketing efforts... 
  
  So how do we do it ?

1. Invest in an Integrated Marketing Communications Campaign
   1. Research
   2. Data Appending
   3. One to One Communication
   4. Lead Generation
   5. Stealth Programs
   6. Nurture Marketing
   7. Customer Acquisition
   8. Loyalty and Rewards
   9. Cross Selling
   10.   Referrals
       
   • Strategize - Execute - Measure -
     
   • Repeat Step 3.
     
   • Read and recommend a book......

Part One considered one technique taught in college that has clearly earned its place among marketing communications strategies. The foot-in-the-door (FITD) technique has helped savvy undergraduate Student Search providers generate large inquiry pools for colleges and universities across America. FITD is just one aspect of what psychologists call the Consistency Principle. It’s people's tendency to change their attitudes to make them consistent with their actions. The Consistency Principle was once viewed as a theory. It has been verified by some 1,000 controlled scientific studies and is now considered a fact.

Why do humans change their feelings to make them consistent with their actions? Some psychologists feel it’s due to society's negative view of wishy-washy people. Eminent psychologist Elliot Aronson, PhD describes it as a way to maintain a stable, positive self-image. But whatever the reason, study after study shows that, under the right conditions, most people will not only take actions based on how they feel, they’ll feel emotions that are consistent with their actions.

Recruiting with Consistency

Consistency has a long and storied role in admissions marketing. It’s among the most effective academic lead generation methods. A major undergraduate Student Search company employs it to get high inquiry rates for hundreds of colleges. If it’s done right, prospective students who respond to Search initiatives using this approach are significantly more likely to apply.

The Allied Group recently deployed an undergraduate Yield Website to help admissions departments improve their yield of accepted students. That website used the Consistency Principle to increase students’ desire to enroll. In a controlled marketing test at one New England university, a considerable number of students visited the interactive site. They enrolled at a rate of 32.53%, a full five percentage points higher than the control group’s 27.5%.

Nontraditional Recruiting Application

Higher education programs for adults can make good use of the Consistency Principle to help them generate qualified adult inquiries. After all, the original studies that led to its acceptance used adult participants. Graduate, continuing education and professional development Search programs can adapt the techniques that work so well in undergraduate Search to the particular interests of adult learners. 

One program in particular demonstrates the viability of the Consistency Principle in recruiting nontraditional students. A few years ago, all-adult Franklin University’s website offered web visitors a customized electronic brochure in exchange for their contact information. Students who requested it had to take action to fill out the questionnaire and choose their preferred field of study.  Did it increase interest? Marketing officials at Franklin reported that this program improved their adult inquiries by 35% and helped them convert an astounding 48% of participating web visitors into applicants. A similar Stealth Program provided by The Allied Group has converted traditional undergraduate “stealth students” into qualified inquiries at a number of institutions in the Northeast, with conversion rates as high as 63.9%.

Could this proven scientific principle increase your inquiries and applications?

As we saw in Part One, communicating the right message to the right adult student is crucial to the success of your marketing efforts. Choosing the right media to transmit that message is every bit as important. All media have strengths and weaknesses.  Sending your message through a single medium will rarely perform as well as using an integrated marketing communication (IMC) plan. IMC plans are among the most effective marketing communications strategies, employing several media in a coordinated campaign.

For example, to reach prospects in the surrounding area, many continuing education programs use radio. Radio has a number of advantages – it can reach a large audience at relatively low cost compared to television. It’s selective - education marketers can use it to get their message out to the demographic group best suited to their programs. One Arbitron study found that 92% of the radio audience continued to listen during commercial breaks.

But expecting radio spots alone to carry a continuing education or professional development marketing program will likely lead to disappointment. Most radio stations carry up to 10 minutes of advertising every hour. So, while an adult learner is still processing your message, several other commercials are vying for his or her attention. Even effective radio spots are fleeting – they’re heard and then they’re gone. Few but the most interested listeners will call you before they arrive at their destination – and when they get there they face many distractions. Radio can raise awareness of your programs and increase interest.   But to turn that interest into inquiries requires a trigger.

Triggering a Response 

Direct mail and the Internet can provide that trigger. Targeted direct mail, especially customized one to one communication can further develop the interest your radio ad sparked. It’s a relatively permanent message – unlike a radio ad, prospects can put a postcard or flyer up on the refrigerator as a reminder. It can provide an easy way for students to respond through a prefilled inquiry postcard or response website. And since, to quote adult learner expert Carol Aslanian, “adults are the ultimate stealth students,” a number of your prospects will respond by quietly investigating your institution’s website.   

While your college website can provide detailed information on relevant programs, prospects can browse without ever letting you know they’re interested. Interactive sites like The Allied Group’s Stealth Program can engage them by offering students exactly the information they want in a customized eBrochure in exchange for their contact information. A similar vehicle helped Ohio’s Franklin University increase adult inquiries by 35% and convert an astounding 48% of them into applicants.

Coordinating radio, direct mail and the web can give programs for adult learners much better results than using any one of these media by itself. That’s why marketing experts George and Michael Belch wrote, “IMC is undoubtedly the major communications development of the last decade of the 20th century. Could it make a difference at your institution?

The present economic climate has put a number of graduate and continuing education programs in a difficult situation. The tight economy has caused both public and private institutions to put equally tight leashes on marketing expenditures. But while available budgets are shrinking, the need of marketing for higher education is growing. The pool of students who can afford to return to college to pursue a new degree or sharpen their skills is shrinking. More now than ever programs for nontraditional students need effective lead generation methods to find real prospects. How can Vice Presidents, Deans and Directors provide their programs with the outreach they need and still avoid wasting precious marketing funds?

Does your marketing actually help your competitors more?

Of the available marketing communication strategies, the one most often used is to promote the college through advertising, using radio, newspapers and the Internet. But these efforts may actually end up helping competing institutions as much or more than they help your own. The research habits of many prospective students virtually guarantee it.

Prospective students are often very busy and they face a wide array of choices. There are many online institutions competing for their attention. A number of these have sophisticated marketing programs and admissions counselors who are ready to pounce on telephone or online inquiries day or night. In addition there are often several well established colleges and universities within driving distance of the prospect’s home or work location. Realistically, at how many institutions with the desired program will the average adult prospect look – two or three? Four?  Which college is sure to receive his or her inquiry? The last one they visited that fit their criteria.

An example close to home

Think about the last time you bought a car. If you visited more than one dealership and found the car you wanted at a good price, did you go back to the first dealership you visited to negotiate and buy it from them? Most people don’t – that’s why some dealers advertise “Shop us last.” Certainly, a good education can mean a lot more to one’s future than a car, but the point is clear. Often it’s not the best organization with the best offer, but rather a good organization with acceptable offer in the best position that wins the client.

So even if your well-designed ad prompted the prospect to begin his or her college search and even if your institution is a perfect fit, you still may not get his inquiry or application. Your prospects’ busy schedules and decision-making strategies put the last college they checked out, not the first, in the driver’s seat. Your good advertising has actually delivered students to a competing institution. How can you avoid this situation?

Put your institution in the best position

One way is to give prospects a compelling reason to inquire even if they’re at the beginning of their college search. One of the first universities to do this was Franklin University, an adult-only institution in Ohio. Several years ago, a link on Franklin’s website offered visitors a customized eBrochure to the program of their choice. After providing his or her contact information, a PDF brochure for the desired program would arrive in the prospect’s email inbox. The adult learner had what they wanted – a convenient brochure with all the pertinent information and the university had what they desired – the prospect’s contact information and consent to further communication. Franklin’s marketing staff reported that this program increased their adult inquiries by 35%; an industry Best Practices report showed that it also helped them get an astounding 48% conversion rate from that inquiry to application.

At present, similar (but vastly improved) programs are capturing prospective traditional undergraduate students at schools like Quinnipiac University, Sacred Heart University, and Monroe College. Soon both the University of Rhode Island and Rivier College will be using it as well. These undergraduate programs trade the instant gratification of a customized eBrochure that pops up within sixty seconds and the personalized direct mail that follows for the prospect’s contact information and interests. Prospective students appear to feel it’s a fair trade – at last check, up to 47% of visitors to Quinnipiac’s Stealth eBrochure website applied to the university. Could graduate and continuing education programs in New England achieve similar results?

The Internet is one of the most powerful persuasion tools ever devised.  It is especially valuable in higher education marketing.  This tool excels in both informing and marketing to college students.  Millennial prospects live on the web and often make stealth investigations of colleges that pique their interest. To engage them, institutions may employ websites that allow students to get a customized electronic brochure or to personalize their online experience and see exactly what they want to see.  That strategy is a sound one.  The Journal of College Admission (Summer, 2010) pointed out, “Millennial students often do not express interest in information that is not directly related to what matters to them, nor are they willing to give a second chance at a first impression (Howe and Strauss 2007)”.

 Showing Millennials What Interests Them the Most

Showing students the things that matter most to them will certainly hold their interest.  It can also increase an institution’s attractiveness if the college presents those subjects of interest in a way that stimulates students’ imaginations.  Author Alvin Burns writes in The Journal of Advertising, “Several consumer researchers have shown that imagery-eliciting strategies can significantly affect attitudes…That is, imagery-eliciting stimuli resulted in more positive attitudes than stimuli not attempting to elicit imagery.” In one such study in the early days of cable television, persuasion expert Robert Cialdini, PhD and his colleagues found that homeowners who were asked to envision themselves enjoying the benefits of cable TV were more than twice as likely to subscribe as those who were just told about those benefits.  This same phenomenon is also seen in higher education marketing. Recent experience at a number of campuses has shown that students who can picture themselves on your campus are considerably more likely to enroll at your institution.

Well designed customized Stealth Programs, as well as websites and eBrochure programs used to convert inquiries can help your prospects visualize what life would be like at your institution.  Colleges have used them to transform stealth website visitors into qualified inquiries.  They have a proven track record for increasing applications and enrollment.  But is their ability to stimulate prospective students’ imaginations their only pulling power?  Look for the answer in "The Psychology Behind Interactive Websites in Higher Education Marketing-Part Two."