Doug Wotherspoon

Yale University is the latest to ‘Glee up’ its recruitment process with impressive results (see also Delaware’s Reading Season).  One of a small group of college and university recruitment offices who have had the balls to try something different and break out of the traditional higher-ed marketing mix. Kudos to them.

The pleasantry out-of-the-way there is a big BUT. It is easy to get blown away by the total numbers of viewers. When your recruitment video hits the 100,000 viewer mark you are in an elite crowd.

However, all marketers, especially those trying to recruit students, need to be focused on outcomes. One eye firmly fixed on the goal line at all times. Case in point, Yale’s video is doing brilliantly among men and women 45-54. Not exactly prospective student material. Did Yale really have a problem with that audience? Even here in Canada, I am certain people asked to list the top 10 colleges and universities worldwide would probably have Yale on their list. Third on the list of audiences were women 18-24.

The results speak for themselves. Yale is doing a really good job marketing to their current female student body, potential female graduate students, alumni, and parents. If those were the target audiences for which the video was produced then they’ve succeeded.

If the video was intended as an undergraduate  recruitment video for women 13-17 there is some potential but the distribution strategy needs work. Guys 13-17, and 18-24 forget about them.

The moral of the story. Know the target audience and focus on outcomes. Use the free metrics to monitor your efforts and be ready to invest as much time after posting the video as you did producing it. Most believe the hard work is done once the video goes live. Partly true, but the real sweet spot is taking the time to ensure your efforts reach their true potential.

Recruitment is about leads, leads and more leads,  helping students figure out whether your institution is the right fit, and ultimately “bums in seats”. Put more appropriately by Algonquin College’s phenomenal VP Student Affairs it is about “feet across the convocation stage”.

This video is so well done it deserves better results. The production values, choice of singers, and well written lyrics are completely on target. Add in a beautiful campus and you have a potential home run. The Glee style is wildly popular among women of all ages. With a distribution and communications push this could go over the fence. For the moment let’s call it a double.

FYI – Increasingly, there is a price to be paid for those that continue to push the over the top marketing message as witnessed by Harvard. The parody of its Harvard by the numbers video has four times the viewers. Schmaltzy marketers beware.