Truth #5: Speed Wins
Most of us spend plenty of time planning. Marketers, after all, are innate dreamers. Proven strategizers. Gifted communicators. We know that carefully constructed visionary plans are essential to great marketing. But ultimately, planning doesn’t move the needle. Execution does.
So how do we make the most of both planning and execution? How do we win with speed?
Direction First
The message that “speed wins'' is true, but it isn’t true on its own. Just like sprinters can’t show up to a race having only told themselves to “run fast,” higher education institutions can’t approach their messaging strategy with “be the first to say something” as their only priority.
Successful sprinters have honed their form and strategized a plan long before the starting gun fires. Similarly, colleges and universities need to have a concrete understanding of what they’ll be saying and how they’ll be saying it when it’s time to say something.
In Truth #4, we highlighted the imperative “Create a Clear Message.” With a strategic narrative in place, you’ve identified the North Star—the focal point—that will lead the way.
Identifying marketing pillars—defining qualities of your brand—will support and enliven the narrative. You’ll keep your story on track by developing a clear and consistent tone and vocabulary, along with a defined set of messages. Creating a “messaging map" will equip your marketing team and other on-campus communicators to consistently present your brand.
With your North Star in sight and your messaging map in hand, you can then set sail with confidence.
Speed Next
Now it’s time for decisive action. But speed is not just about being fast. It’s not just about being first to market. It's about timing. Timely delivery will increase throughput, boost morale, and instill confidence in your team.
Involve Stakeholder Engagement at the Right Time
Taking the time to identify allies, advocates, and approvers for your institution’s messages may seem cumbersome at first, but it’s worth it. You’ll save time in the future through a streamlined process that reduces frustration and further strengthens your brand identity through timely communications.
Make Informed Decisions Quickly
A long approval process often stands between higher education marketers and their messages going public. When everyone shares a common understanding of the school’s voice and personality, though, there can be less pressure to scrutinize every post and print piece.
Consider the current processes your institution has in place. Where do things slow down? Identify offices that are overwhelmed or tend to take a long time to provide feedback. Think about how your department might collaborate with other administrators to reconfigure your approval process based on newfound messaging clarity.
In the marketing department, establish procedures for moving projects along. Check yourselves on the tendency to overthink every move. And know when to go into an all-out sprint.
A Case in Point
When Geneva College partnered with 5° Branding, the school had recently enlisted a new Vice President of Enrollment and a new Director of Marketing. The fall recruiting season was only six months away, so thankfully, both wise marketing leaders understood the “speed wins” principle. They set out with an aggressive timeline, but with the order of priorities in place.
Direction came first. The project was grounded in an intensive Research and Discovery phase. From this, effective collaboration led to comprehensive brand architecture, messaging, and identified design assets to facilitate the renewed brand.
A clear message gave the team a North Star to follow. The fresh campaign theme, Made for This, captured the heart of Geneva’s mission. Identified brand pillars supported the theme. Every marketing piece would follow this clear direction. Students would understand—they were created for purpose. And they would see in specific and identifiable ways how a Geneva College experience would help them discover and fulfill this purpose.
Next, the team implemented the plan with precision and consistency. And they delivered right on time.
Set Sail with Speed
The bad news: Your institution may be communicating too slowly for a fast-paced world.
The good news: By honing your message and streamlining your approval processes, your college or university can reach your audience at the right moment.
The great news: The tools for your journey are within your reach.
Let’s make these truths part of your institution’s unique marketing strategies. Contact us to chat about how 5° Branding can partner with your team.
This is the fifth blog in our Higher Ed Marketing Truths series with 5° Senior Vice President Ryan Morabito, a veteran brand strategist who has worked with over 100 schools. These blogs are based on Ryan’s LinkedIn posts, which regularly inspire high engagement among education leaders and marketers. Connect with us here to receive each blog in the series by email or bookmark our blog to check for updates!
