Hanging out with aliens; understanding applicants and enquirers

In this blog, I'll try and offer some thoughts on the year 12s and year 13s I've recently had the pleasure to meet and have tried to understand.

First off, the terminology. Customers, consumers, partners, stakeholders? Or maybe students? How about students? Let's wrestle these poor souls away from the marketplace, if only for this blog, and recognise, perhaps, that the whole seller/customer model has a place in £9k fees, but isn't the be all and end all, especially for many 17 and 18 year olds.

So, students. More to the point, potential University of Bedfordshire students. Do we know who they are? Do we need to know who they are? Do we understand them? Should we care?

If your answer(s) to the second and/or last question is/are "no", then contact ODTU for Customer Service 101 or nearest equivalent. And I would suggest a reality check for anyone who claims to have supreme confidence in saying they fully know and understand our emerging cohorts.

Beds' Mkt Research Manager
in 'sales mode'

Over the last few months, I've joined the charm offensive that is 'student recruitment'. Granted, I’m less charm/more offensive, but given recent team shrinkage, I've 'had a go'. I've also been lucky enough to have had access to Summer Schools, thanks to Tam and her lovely colleagues in Partnerships. And here’s a roundup of some of the questions I’ve been asked while hoofing around various places (Luton, Norwich, Ipswich, Chatham and, err, Luton again).

Could you tell me about the course?

Is emo still a thing?

Perhaps I shouldn't admit it, but this was a question I often had to deflect. With the best will in the world, when a 16 year old goff/emo person asks me about fashion it’s not going to go well. For either of us. This is why descriptions in the prospectus and signing to the web need to be as clear as possible; not an easy task and always worth sense checking and running through the filters of i) a potential applicant; and ii) a numb-nut trying to sell to the potential applicant.

What are the entry requirements?

People usually want to know why our requirements are so low - when our WP mission is explained, this usually plays out well enough, thank you very much.

Where is Bedfordshire exactly?

We all know. I always assumed others would. A few do, though many have no idea. Luton and Bedford may be the centres of our universe, but for many, they're an unknown mystery (don’t worry Aylesbury and MK; you’re on the map and referred to as and when). Once location is established and proximity to London confirmed, the atmosphere is usually lightened and some valuable time has been taken up which otherwise would have been spent talking about something you know very little about. Like fashion.

Do you do Forensic Psychology, Fashion Management, Aviation Engineering, History, Politics …..etc.

We’re always asked for courses we don’t deliver. If I can't cross seell, I pass these enquirers to either Bath Spa or Birmingham City (i.e. the stands nearest us, in the hope that hangers in the enquirer’s group will buy my supplicating look and talk to me and so discover where Bedfordshire is). Sometimes works; sometimes people move away from me at great speed.

Can I have a pen?

We’ve had pens in the past. And stress light bulbs, memory sticks, selfie sticks, tote bags and lanyards. This year we had nothing, so instead, I played “watch people pinch things from Birmingham City”. This was easier and more manageable than writing 'on the spot haikus' which may have been achievable on a slow day and might have been more of a talking point. Not having freebies meant we couldn’t generate as much frivolous traffic as in previous years, although we didn't have the budget this time and the time spent not talking about stress light bulbs probably led to a better level of engagement.

(at UCAS convention) Is Cambridge Uni here?

One particular charmer asked if Cambridge were at the UCAS fair, then looked at me as if I needed to crawl back under whichever filthy stone I’d emerged from and not bother them with any further engagement. I happily misdirected them and left them to enjoy the rest of their snobby existence.

Do you do a course in stripping? Only my mate wants to open a strip club…..

At the other end of the scale, this from Luton. Cheek goes down better than snobbery. If I’d have had the presence of mind I might have recommended a business course, but I moved things on when asked this in a focus group.

GIF from search on 'paint stripping'.
The least indecent one I could find.
Doesn't really work in the context of the blog. Sorry.

How do you pronounce ‘Bournemouth’?
I break words down. You call it ‘Bournemouth’; I’d call it “Born mouth”.

My grandparents lived in Dorset; I was able to confirm that however it's pronounced, you'd be better of in Beds.

Other points of note:

• 16 and 17 is a weird age. Some of these kids looked older than me; others looked like wee bairns.
• Tribes are alive and well. Hearteningly and although millenials and GenZed-ers and wannabes are all hooked onto portable devices, one size by no means fits all. A few draconian schools still insist their kids wear the school ties (“they won’t come to us” I was advised by a wise colleague, who proved to be almost, if not entirely spot on). There are still weirdos and introverts and thesps and cross dressers and jocks and nerds and alternatives and all sorts of wonderful
• That said, some of these new fashions are BONKERS. Especially in the eyebrow area.

Pre smoking ban PROPER eyebrows. Rad, innit?

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The day has finally arrived

Finally the day we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. A Level results are out, and Clearing has officially begun! Good luck to anyone and everyone that is getting their results today, our team are on hand and ready to answer any questions that you may have, and hopefully welcome you to the University of Bedfordshire this September!

Whenever I tell people I work at the University they always assume that I get a nice, relaxing break over the summer holidays - it's a common misconception as it's actually one of our busiest periods.

There's a lot of preparation that goes into Clearing, arranging the artwork that you've (hopefully) seen both online and out of home over the last couple of months. It's very exciting to see all of our work come together, and hear those phones ringing today. I was also very excited when I went to the cinema last week and saw our cinema advert!

Our 2018 Postgraduate Prospectus has also been printed this month, so be sure to pick one up at one of our reception desks. We work on the prospectus for several months, so it's always really exciting when we see the final product! But as we finish with one prospectus, we start with another! Can you believe we're already talking about our 2019 Undergraduate Prospectus? Next month I'll be compiling the list of courses, and starting to create a flat plan for the prospectus, as well as starting to write copy for the publication.

I'm also currently working on our Open Day plans. Now that I have taken up the role as Marketing Officer, I am responsible for ensuring the Open Day plans are implemented across all channels, which means liaising with various departments, and working with our external designers to produce our Open Day collateral.

I've also been working on various emails that will be sent to our enquirers over the next couple of months, and working with various departments within the University to find out what's been happening and what's in store! Told you I've been busy! Better get back to it!

Sara

Meet the team at one of our Open Days

One of our responsibilities within the Marketing department is to work with the Recruitment team to help plan the Open Days throughout the year. Before each season Kylie puts together a plan for the Open Days which includes emails, postcards, and digital screens etc. One of my roles is to help implement the plans, which includes drafting email communications for different audiences, working with designers to produce any printed collateral, and creating digital artwork for our digital screens and LRC screens around campus. 

Yesterday I also got to help out at our Luton Open Day. Helping at the event is a great way for us to gain insight into the events, which we can then use in our marketing materials. It also provides us with the opportunity to talk to some of our student enquirers and applicants, and their friends and families, to find out how they've found the day, and what they're looking to achieve. 

Our Student Ambassadors are also on hand at our Open Days, taking enquirers on campus tours, and showing them where to go for the various talks throughout the day. The Student Ambassadors are great as they're able to answer any questions about what life as a student at Beds is really like, and can provide useful tips about being a student and living in the area.

But the work doesn't stop once the event has finished. After each event we send a further email thanking everyone for coming, as well as an email to anyone who couldn't attend, letting them know about our next Open Day and inviting them to one of our regular campus tours.

You can find out more about our Open Days and campus tours here.

 

Generation Z; or Generation Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz........?

Hello viewers. Cold enough?

For this week's blog, I thought it would be a good idea to tackle our 'traditional' 18 year old undergrad market and look at the sort of people they are. Millennials, right?

WRONG. That is so last year. We’ve got a new group to understand, reckon with and talk to; the rather less-than-imaginatively-named ‘Generation Z’.

Like me, you may be unimpressed with marketers’ attempts to boil essences, traits and foibles, let alone socio-political characteristics of individuals into one easy to identify, easy to deride and easy to pigeonhole group of people. Or "tribe" (shudder). But it happens, and it’s something some of us need to get to grips with.

Before we look at what makes Generation Z, it might be best to go back. After the post war Baby Boomers, we had Generation X (definitions vary, but tend to hover around those born between the mid 60s and early 80s. Plus Billy Idol).

Wow; your references are BANG UP TO DATE. What was Generation X?

Generation X anyone?

Sulky kids obsessed with MTV, grunge, hip hop and generally being slack. Unforgivable until you consider that many in this group were formed by the Winter of Discontent, reports and/or experience of Northern Ireland paramilitaries and Margaret Thatcher. No wonder they said “whatever” a good deal. They have, however, been responsible for start-ups (hurrah! start-ups!) and prodigiously wolfing down fast food, and thus giving ushering in the age of obesity.

Then we had Millennials, born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s.

Yes! I’ve heard of that. Them, sorry. Tell me more.

Well, they seem to be given a rough time by those categorising them. Millennials come across as narcissistic and entitled and constantly expecting to be told how they’re doing. Usually how well they're doing. They’re pleasure seekers more likely to immerse themselves in subjects that fascinate them over those which might help their careers. They all have mobiles, can’t remain in a job for more than two years before looking elsewhere and live with parents longer.

Pretty grubby, although in those last two cases, the rise of zero hour contracts and property prices puts Millennials on the back foot, no?

Yeh, ok. Enough about the past.

You’re right. Time is money, after all. Let’s look at this whole new generation. Generation Z.

First off, they’re described as being similar to the Millennials (smart guys, these marketers), although there are a few differences. They are variously described, mainly by Americans (i.e. Wiki), in the following ways:

"No one likes me. It's not fair".

• Many are kids of Millennials. Think about that; Millennials are parents, and therefore, in the minds of 18 year olds, aren’t so much groovy hepcats as lumbering dinosaurs. As an example; as far social media platforms go, Facebook is ‘so yesterday’;
• Tarzan and King Kong grew up in the jungle; Gen Zers grew up in the virtual jungle. Everything is available, free and instantly, so there's less need for intermediaries in sourcing and communicating info;
• Tarzan and Kong had their own problems, although Generation Z has grown up surrounded by global, national and in some case parental economic demise, random shootings and war. As a result, it’s thought they will strive to create and surround themselves with stability;
• On the plus side, all this swiping, gaming and information is churning out some pretty smart cookies; Generation Z kids are highly educated, likely to be more entrepreneurial and pragmatic about their money than their antecedents;
• On the even more plus side, Generation Z kids are considered as wanting to make a difference in the world. Just as well, given recent political lurches to the right. And not just a cosy old school tie kind of right, but an absolute snarling bonkers right;
• Some describe Generation Z as 'brand weary' and thus a challenge for marketers;
• And, happily, eight in ten American Gen Zs view a college degree as necessary in achieving career goals. (At least they did, before Trump). As anyone will tell you, the “Special Relationship” means that when America sneezes, in the UK. we all get covered. (At least we did, before Trump).

So, take this on whatever level you like. Even if you’re full of scorn, it’s good to know the thinking when people start bandying the term around. Let’s look forward, too, to the next generation and the attempts to name it, now we’ve sailed past the 26^th letter of the alphabet. Until then, here's something which isn't American, which provides some useful Singaporean context, and for a term with shifting definitions, asserts some disputed elements of Generation Z (e.g. the extremely short attention span and constant need to be surrounded by a multiple number of screens and gadgets).

Staff colleagues - go here for more on market research at the University of Bedfordshire.

Will we be beaming with PRide again soon?

So you know I always mention my open day campaigns – like a broken record! – well, I’m finally writing my first award entry for our September 2015 open day event.

I’m hoping to enter it into the ‘Best Low Budget Campaign’ category at this year’s CIPR PRide awards. We entered this category last year for the previous September open day and we won silver, so hopefully we can pull off a similar, if not better, performance this year – my evaluation report showed a good YOY increase and we substantially beat target, so fingers crossed!

I’ve also been helping out with the Clearing campaign. I’ve been editing some short student videos and also taken some computing related pictures, both are part of our Clearing social media campaign. I can’t believe Clearing is almost here again – it comes round so quickly – like Christmas?! (Yeah, I said the word Christmas in June – shame on me).

Welcome guides
We’re now also at the final stages of the 2016 Welcome guide which goes to print this week and I’ve recently briefed in the Nursing welcome guide – one publication ends another begins.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be working on some collateral for our new foundation years, creating some advice emails for our 2017 enquirers, and working my way through the last open day campaigns for this cycle.

On that note, I best get on…
Speak soon,
K