Generating Joy in Higher Ed Marketing

It’s no secret that colleges and universities today are navigating one of the most complex and high-stakes environments the industry has ever seen. With prospect pools shrinking and an increased urgency about yield, higher education marketers are being asked to do more with less, as they try to transform how their institutions show up to the world.

Prospects are feeling it, too. They get “urgent” open house requests by the dozen and hundreds of emails asking them to “please apply,” or “contact us,” or “request info.” And don’t even get us started on all the mailers. There’s desperation in the air, and they smell it. And once they know what marketers are trying to do, it becomes much easier for them to ignore it and tune out.

So, how do you break through it all?

We say: Try some joy. 

Now, let’s be clear. We’re not suggesting that you ignore reality or go for fake positivity. What we’re talking about is a measured and strategic choice toward bringing your audiences more joy.  

If we all focused a bit more on making things that generate delight, our strategies would be sharper, our creative would be bolder, and our audiences would be more eager to connect with our brands. Of course, the work has to feel authentic to the institution and relate to the audience. 

But taking this type of “joy risk” can break that engagement barrier with prospects, driving you closer to your affinity, enrollment, and reputation goals by bringing levity and delight to your marketing.

Here are three places to start.

1. Building Joy through Strategy

When building an approach or considering a plan for paid media, it’s essential to take the time to think strategically about the characteristics and interests of the people you need to reach, as well as the elements that cut through the advertising noise in their daily lives. Doing so can greatly increase the efficacy of your creative. 

Take for example the familiar “Share a Coke” campaign, which has been brought back for round two. One way to characterize the strategy here: to generate sales by increasing customer joy. The company has created micro-moments for consumers: finding (and purchasing) a bottle or can with their name on it, or finding the name of a loved one and sharing a Coke with them. The new campaign aims to reach younger consumers by pairing in-person experiences with digital ones, meeting their audiences wherever they are.

A thoughtful strategy recognizes the audiences you need to reach and fights to find creative and insightful ways to stand out in the marketplace. Moments of joy are one way to do just that. 

2. Sparking Joy through Creative

I often find delight and inspiration in clever branding and bespoke marketing tactics from non-higher ed brands. There’s so much we can learn from outside of our own industry — you’d be shocked what canned beans and soda pop can teach us. 

For example, if you’re seeking to make your RFI form feel more voiced and relatable, you might take a cue from the way Heyday Canning hints at what users can expect in the company’s email newsletter. 

Or if you’re trying to create a more intentional picture of student life on your site, take a look at the way Poppi highlights “a day in the life” of its employees. You might do something similar to highlight a faculty member’s typical day of working with students and doing research. 

As you build out your next campaign or think about new componentry for your site, instead of looking only to your peers, find a sandbox outside of higher ed, and play there for a bit.

3. Curating Joy through Connection

For prospects, higher education is something that often feels scary, daunting, big, and expensive. One way to connect with audiences is to introduce more positive associations — with your institution positioned as the trustworthy light in a vast landscape of options.

At the height of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Purdue University hosted a pop-up with e.l.f. Cosmetics called “In Our STEM Era,” complete with a bracelet-making station. The event focused on igniting interest in STEM with young women, reaching them in a time and place that was relevant to them. 

These joyful moments of connection can really shine through in sensory-driven, in-person experiences, where audiences can associate your brand with approachability, delight, and possibility. 

Summing It Up

There are so many things we feel like we need to say or tell these audiences for them to understand us. But by shifting our focus to show how we understand them — and by inspiring a little joy along the way — we can foster more positive emotions, drive deeper affinity, and ultimately influence their behavior.