The Application with Allison Turcio

Clear Signals: How Well-Understood Brand Stories Drive Enrollment

Episode Summary

Allison chats with Grant De Roo, founder and principal of ADV Market Research and Consulting. Grant shares his wealth of experience in conducting market research for colleges and universities, offering insights into how storytelling can become a potent tool for enrollment marketers. Together, they explore the critical role of brand clarity, the impact of storytelling on university messaging, and why focusing on the "plot" rather than the "character" makes a lasting impression on prospective students.

Episode Notes

Allison chats with Grant De Roo, founder and principal of ADV Market Research and Consulting. Grant shares his wealth of experience in conducting market research for colleges and universities, offering insights into how storytelling can become a potent tool for enrollment marketers. Together, they explore the critical role of brand clarity, the impact of storytelling on university messaging, and why focusing on the "plot" rather than the "character" makes a lasting impression on prospective students.

Key “How-Tos” You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Craft narratives that go beyond data points and facts to create a memorable brand identity that resonates with prospective students.
• Explore how brand clarity influences retention rates, discount rates, net tuition revenue, and institutional desirability.
• Discover the direct correlation between ad spend and brand clarity, underscoring the importance of investing in marketing.
• Learn why prospective students are more interested in understanding the educational experience (plot) than finding affinity with others (character).

By the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with actionable strategies to leverage storytelling as a powerful tool to convey your institution's unique message, build a clear brand, and attract the right students.

For more info on the brand clarity research study, visit ADV Market Research.

Guest Name: Grant De Roo, Founder and Principal of ADV Market Research and Consulting 

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-de-roo-26062043/

Guest Bio: Grant De Roo is the Founder and Principal of ADV Market Research & Consulting, a higher education research and strategy firm. Grant conducts market research for colleges and universities around the country. In addition to frequent presentations for boards, cabinets, and faculty & staff groups, Grant is a frequent presenter at industry conferences, including AMA. Grant was previously the Director of Research & Strategy at a higher education marketing agency and formerly served as Associate Director of Admissions at Elon University. He holds an MBA in Data Analytics from Elon University.