Know Sow Grow: A Case Study
University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business
Higher Education | Integrated Campaign 2007
About the Client
University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business launched an Executive MBA (EMBA) program in 2003 to address the needs of senior-level working professionals. However, Smith's EMBA program was a new entry to an already crowded market; the school itself had little to no brand recognition among its target audience; and Smith staff had no precedent for marketing strategy or results.
LMD developed questions for, moderated, and evaluated results from two focus groups of 15 current Smith EMBA students each to discover:
- Reasons for pursuing an EMBA;
- Decision-making process and time-frame in selecting a school and program;
- Perceived differences between Smith's EMBA vs. competitors' programs, and reasons for selecting the Smith EMBA program vs. other programs;
- Recommendations for marketing the Smith EMBA program; and
- Marketing messages/images that appealed to the target audience. LMD tested three different advertising messages and design concepts among the focus group participants.
Additionally, LMD developed and distributed a written questionnaire to current EMBA students to determine the target audience's media preferences and usage patterns, including
- How the students found out about the Smith EMBA program;
- What media channels they use most often; and
- Where, when, and how they get news and information.
Key findings from both research efforts revealed:
- Students' motivations to pursue an EMBA included a desire for a leadership role, rapid career advancement, and increased salary and earning potential.
- Students obtained news primarily from online sources as well as drive-time news radio.
- Students took up to 24 months to decide to pursue their EMBA.
- Smith's competitors included University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, George Washington University School of Business, and Loyola College in Maryland Sellinger School of Business & Management.
- Students regarded University of Maryland as highly reputable overall; however, the Smith School had little brand recognition among students prior to their enrollment in the program.
LMD collected, tabulated, and analyzed the results of the focus groups and the media survey in a comprehensive 25-page report, which served as a foundation for the strategic marketing plan. The plan included the following recommendations:
- A student demographic analysis, including a profile of the "ideal" Smith EMBA candidate as well as identification and prioritization of target audiences.
- Identification of appropriate marketing channels to distribute the campaign's message, as well as a media plan with recommendations for specific media placements.
- Recommendations for specific marketing tactics to increase enrollment numbers.
- Development and implementation of a branding platform and collateral materials for the Smith EMBA that differentiates Smith from other EMBA programs by emphasizing the leadership aspects of the program, with a clear call to action.
Implementation of the strategic marketing plan yielded:
- 2,900 inquiries for the EMBA program over the initial six-week campaign, exceeding the client's expectations three-fold.
- A full pipeline of 75 qualified students for the subsequent enrollment period, more than double the client's expectations.