Stuti Gandhi
Sr. Director Brand & Communication, GGS
In a hyper-connected world, where consumers are constantly being badgered into buying a service or a product, what really makes a brand stand out?
Delivering quality, no doubt, is essential for a brand, but it’s not enough.
The modern consumers are smart, tech-savvy and research-oriented. They long for authentic connections with brands. But how do marketers build that connection?
In order to thrive, brands have to identify, embrace, embody and articulate a purpose that resonates with their target audience. They need to create powerful messages that appeal to the right demographic.
Authenticity is a kind of marketing superpower – an infallible mantra – that leads to a win-win situation for all, solves real business problems and drives sustainable revenue.
Engaging clients and prospects in conversations is extremely important. Communicating does not only mean informing them; it also means developing a two-way dialogue with consumers.
Till some years ago, marketing used to be a one-way street with consumers having limited scope to interact with a brand. Today, consumers are being bombarded with information on multiple platforms and they refuse to be passive recipients of the ubiquitous advertisements and sales pitches. They want to have transparent and candid conversations and make an informed decision.
To cater to the needs of these woke consumers, marketers need to deliver something beyond product information and walkthroughs to add the kind of value that will differentiate them from competition.
The higher education ecosystem
The marketing for higher education institutions (HEIs), too, needs to evolve and react to the current trends. Its primary purpose must be to establish a specific brand identity that will allow the prospective students to identify and connect with the right school, enrol, and eventually, graduate. A unique student experience is what will set a HEI apart from the competition and a marketer must be able to showcase that experience through community storytelling, word-of-mouth, and peer connections.
Traditional marketing has its limitations and may not be able to convey the full import of what makes the institution truly path-breaking in its approach. Also, it does not have the same trust as peer recommendations. Peer-to-peer conversations cultivate trust in a university and considerably enhance the prospect of conversion.
Communication platforms for the digital natives
The Ambassador Platform (TAP), Unibuddy and Sofiri are some of the communication channels that leverage the power of student ambassadors, alumni and parent advocates to give prospects an authentic insight into what the student experience at their partner universities is really like and help them decide if it is the best fit for them. Hundreds of higher education institutions and organisations across the world have partnered with these platforms to help prospects make informed, confident and astute decisions about their education. These interactions have proved to be extremely successful in retaining potential students through the marketing funnel. Personalization may be an oft-used term in communication, but its potency as a marketing tactic cannot be overstated.
Authenticity is critical when it comes to building an HEI brand. A perusal of the prospectus and other marketing collaterals is not enough to give an aspirant an idea of the cultural ethos of a university. Marketers ought to be able to target the digital natives who are typically not keen on attending the open days or in-person counselling sessions.
These youngsters want to engage virtually with like-minded people who are open and affable, and are able to provide reassurance and guidance in their journey before they commit to an institution. They gravitate toward brands with user-generated content created by real people who look like them. Gen Z values social proof and word-of-mouth marketing from friends, influencers and professional networks. They are excited about belonging to a larger community.
To build this community that keeps them engaged, marketers need to cultivate a service mindset, create relatable conversations and promote the right values.
Authenticity may be hard to measure because it is inherently subjective, but a consumer intuitively knows it when he/she sees it. It builds trust between the brand and the consumers. And eventually, consumers’ perception of a brand’s trustworthiness determines their willingness to take a leap of faith for it.
