The Lawlor Group | Smarketplace

Higher Education’s Price Creates Real Consternation

May 2019

Published tuition prices already keep many people away, but many more students and families are even balking at the discounted net price. The consternation is contagious.

Illustration of businesspeople next to a giant hourglass

When May 1 Is More Like April 1

Lawlor Focus

April 2019

During the countdown to May 1, factor in how May Day resembles April Fool’s Day to students who are just kidding about their deposit or think the deadline is a joke.

Keep Moving Forward Through the Ups and Downs

Smarketplace

April 2019

Life is like a book—and so are work experiences. We all encounter various chapters, some short and long, some good and bad.

Knowing What to DO

Smarketplace

March 2019

It's March Madness off the court too, in college admissions! Alleviate some angst by registering for Summer Seminar in Minneapolis on June 10-11, featuring market insights that foster more doing.

Illustration of people rolling out a red carpet

The Value Proposition’s Double Meaning

Lawlor Focus

March 2019

Naming the specific values that it has committed to uphold can help a college or university signal to prospective students how welcoming it truly is.

illustration of man flipping a light switch

Doing Makes the Difference in Higher Education

Lawlor Focus

February 2019

The contemplative culture at colleges and universities often makes them reluctant to flip the switch from innovative thinking to actual doing.

Three Things the Marketplace Is Telling Private Higher Education

Lawlor Focus

January 2019

Our “Trends for 2019” examines three attitudes of prospective students that point independent colleges and universities toward how they should express their value.

A New Chapter for LAWLOR

Smarketplace

December 2018

2019 is another chapter in my Book of Life, and I wanted to share with you some news about the newest chapter.

Illustration of buisnesswoman on prow of ship looking out for icebergs

Navigating Higher Education’s Future

Lawlor Focus

December 2018

’Tis the season not only for reflecting on the past year’s challenges and successes, but also for planning ahead.

Determining the “Can” and the “Should” of Higher Ed Initiatives

Lawlor Focus

November 2018

Just because a plan is feasible doesn’t necessarily mean it’s advisable. Colleges and universities must answer not only “Can we do it?” but also “Should we do it?”

The Value of Integrated Guidance in Higher Education

Lawlor Focus

October 2018

To counter Americans’ waning trust in higher ed, a college must deliver integrated guidance from the start of the admissions process through to graduation.

Windows of Opportunity for Doing

Smarketplace

October 2018

Colleges and universities that actively create campus cultures of discussing, discerning, and doing will have a greater likelihood of thriving.

That Was Then, This Is Now

Smarketplace

October 2018

A theme of the sidebar conversations at NACAC was growing frustration with the lack of empathetic understanding about all that enrollment management face in their efforts to recruit students.

Three Thresholds for Higher Ed Marketing

Lawlor Focus

September 2018

Outreach efforts to prospective students generally must function on three different levels for a college’s marketing campaign to be effective.

Digital Content Strategy for Higher Education Marketing

Lawlor Focus

August 2018

Tactics and channels to hook an audience’s interest are ever-changing, but a strategy based on the overlap of user needs and institutional objectives is what really guides digital content marketing efforts.

Connecting the Higher Ed Marketing Dots

Lawlor Focus

July 2018

Better connections at multiple levels will be required to counteract the dominant marketplace narrative that college costs too much.

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4 Higher Ed Paradigm Shifts (and What It Takes to Deal with Them)

Lawlor Focus

June 2018

Marketplace intelligence delivered at Summer Seminar revealed why “business as usual” won’t suffice for private institutions today.

Relevance is the Key to Higher Education Value

Lawlor Focus

May 2018

Exactly how the educational experience is relevant to their lives beyond graduation should be made much more apparent to prospective and current students.

Illustration of businesspeople on a life raft in open water

The May Day “Mayday”

Lawlor Focus

April 2018

Even among colleges and universities that traditionally do not fill their class by May 1, it’s still a milestone date for assessing what can seem like a bleak outlook.

Three business people walking through a door in a giant book

A Transformative Time for Higher Education

Lawlor Focus

March 2018

Marketplace realities are pressuring colleges and universities to move beyond incremental adjustments and instead make operational transformations.

Survey Says: Cost-Related Issues are the Most Pressing and Vexing for Presidents

Smarketplace

March 2018

In our back-to-back surveys, results indicate that market pressures are turning up the heat on presidents of independent colleges.

Getting Around Higher Ed Industry Roadblocks

Lawlor Focus

February 2018

Most private colleges and universities need to explore different paths now so they can detour around the marketplace roadblocks they’re approaching.

Award-Winning Ads and Promotions

Smarketplace

February 2018

Our designs for Washington & Lee, Birmingham-Southern, Walsh, and Providence received Gold awards in national advertising competitions.

Private Higher Ed Trends for 2018

Lawlor Focus

January 2018

Demographic, economic, and technological trends are requiring private colleges and universities to answer five questions.

A Salute to Edupreneurial Thinking

Lawlor Focus

December 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, we’re pleased to showcase a few examples of our clients’ innovative thinking during the past year.

The Advantages of Whiteboard Animation Videos

Smarketplace

December 2017

Whiteboard animation videos utilize two powerful forms of persuasion: visual content and storytelling. Here are some examples from our recent client work.