Biggest question for college marketers is not what to say or how to

Long Island Business News, Apr 20, 2007 by Claude Solnik

Often, the biggest question for college marketers is not what to say or how to say it, but where.

Print is the traditional king when it comes to recruitment ads, but the times are a-changin'. Witness Adelphi University, which turns primarily to drive-time radio in its push for potential students.

"We are in a commuter market," Adelphi spokeswoman Lori Duggan Gold said. "Long Islanders like their cars. As long as our students come to us in their cars, we'll probably be on radio."

Dowling College's TV spots tell 60-second stories of a vibrant school with such eclectic offerings as shiny new aircraft and the aged, handsome Vanderbilt Mansion. The Touro Law Center, meanwhile, is focused primarily on print, aiming for niche publications that appeal to a very specific market.

"We aim for legal publications, serious consumer magazines and some newspapers," said Touro spokesman Darren Johnson. "The goal is to build respect for our law school among those people who hold respected positions in the legal community."

Sticking with print, Touro has reached beyond local niche books to trumpet its new Central Islip facility. The school's high- powered campaign has graced the Long Island section of The New York Times and reached into major, national publications such as Newsweek, Time and Sports Illustrated, among others.

And even as multimedia trends take hold, many schools still rely on some tried-and-true advertising methods, such as catalogues or the classic handheld brochure. When marketing in this form, colleges and universities often try to sell the experience of life on their campus.

"The community aspect of it is important," said Ernie Canadeo, president of Hicksville-based ad agency EGC Group. "You buy a bar of soap, you're using it yourself. You go to a college, you're mingling with a lot of other people."