Marketing to students of color: you need a marketing strategy, yes, but make sure you lay your groundwork first - Marketing

University Business, March, 2003 by Bob Sevier

A lot of colleges, for many very good reasons, are interested in marketing themselves more effectively to students of color. They might be seeking greater diversity. Perhaps they are responding to a mission-driven responsibility. Or maybe they simply believe that they have a responsibility to recruit students of color.

Recognizing this interest, this month's column will outline a handful of ideas to help you recruit more students of color to your campus. However, before we can delve into the topic, we need to address a couple of key--even sensitive--issues.

Motivation. First, you need to check your motivations. A college should never decide to recruit students of color because it is popular, trendy, or politically correct. Rather, there should be only one motivation, and it is this: You believe that the students you recruit will benefit. That is your first motivation. After that is the belief that current students--because of the increased cultural diversity that students of color will bring--will benefit as well

Resistance. Second, you should anticipate some backlash. There will be some students, faculty, alumni, and members of the larger community who will be displeased with your goal to market yourself to students of color. Their displeasure is not a reason to avoid recruiting students of color, but be prepared. Unfortunately, racial tensions seem to occur most often during tough economic times like the ones that many colleges are facing.

Terminology. Third, watch your language. Sometimes the terms "students of color" and "minority students" are used as synonyms. However, on many campuses--particularly those in Florida, Texas, and California--students of color are actually in the majority. During a recent visit to the University of California, Irvine, I was told that students of color (especially Asian students) account for 60 percent of currently enrolled students.

Competition. Fourth, remember that students of color, especially those who are academically talented, are among the most sought-after of all students. A Mount Union or a Mount Vernon Nazarene may want to recruit exceptional students of color, but in their state of Ohio, exceptional students of color are also considering Case Western, Denison, and Kenyon and will likely receive significant scholarship help. Be realistic in your expectations: Just because you are interested in recruiting students of color, doesn't mean they are interested in you.

Balance Student/Faculty. Finally, remember that a desire to recruit more students of color should mirror a desire to recruit more faculty and staff of color. An emphasis on only one side of the fence will likely be seen as transparent and your motivations suspect.

FIVE KEY STRATEGIES

With that necessary background, let's outline key strategies to help you recruit students of color.

1--Make a complete and realistic commitment. My father, an economist, taught me that commitment is spelled with a "$." The desire to market yourself to and recruit students of color must be accompanied by an initial and long-term financial commitment in four key areas: recruiting staff, brand marketing, direct marketing, and financial aid.

In some instances, recruiting students of color may require the hiring of added recruiting staff, particularly a recruiter who is of color. In some cases, it is helpful if this person is a graduate of the institution. Students of color, and their families, will sometimes look at this as an initial indication of an institution's commitment.

Keep in mind that many students of color believe they should be recruited and treated the same as all students. In their mind, to do otherwise suggests some sort of institutional segregation. Other students of color believe that there should be separate recruiting strategies just for them. For example, a recent study by the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities found that 87 percent of the Christian schools surveyed believe that students of color should be recruited separately and that this recruiting should be a priority for the institution. Whether you have a single recruiting strategy for all students or separate ones, make sure you are open, teachable, and committed to what's best for the student, not the institution.

Next, you must be prepared to develop a brand marketing strategy (see "University Branding: 4 Keys to Success" in the February 2002 issue of University Business) that helps build awareness of your institution among key communities and through both minority and non-minority media. Ideally, your brand marketing strategy is followed with a segmented direct marketing strategy that will help generate response. (More on direct marketing in a moment.)

Of course, there is also a commitment of financial aid dollars. This commitment should recognize the necessity for both need and merit dollars, particularly gifts and grants. This financial commitment is another way in which others will gauge your commitment. One word of caution here: Be very careful that you do not merely shift aid from your regular aid pools, to a special pool for students of color. With so many families feeling significant financial stress, you do not want them to think that you are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Ideally, you want to add new dollars to the financial aid mix.