"Enrolment to Alumni" summarizes a graduate study in communication management of how U.S. and Canadian universities build relationships with their students. The researcher performed 17 interviews with university communicators to uncover best practices in the areas of relationship management, community building and dialogic communications. The study also evaluated how four components of relationship marketing: seller expertise, communication, interaction frequency, and relationship benefits can be utilized in the university environment. The slides show the summary of best practices from across North American universities in the areas of strategy, tactics and measurement, and how to achieve mutually beneficial relationships with students from enrolment to alumni. The results demonstrate how universities that incorporate a relationship strategy are able to build community and create value at every phase of the student life cycle.

1. FROM ENROLMENT TO ALUMNI:
THE RELATIONSHIP MARKETING & MANAGEMENT OF
UNIVERSITY-STUDENT RELATIONS
A Study of U.S. and Canadian Universities

2. Transition from Discrete to Relational Exchanges
“The New Social Contract”: We
have transitioned from a discrete
exchange to a relational exchange;
ever purchase has an opportunity
for another (Macneil,1980).
“…relational exchange transpires
over time; each transaction must be
viewed in terms of its history and its
anticipated future” (Dwyer, Schurr,
Sejo, 1987).
The Relationship Development Process according to Scanzoni (1979)
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5
Awareness Exploration Expansion Commitment Dissolution

3. Relationship Marketing
Relationship Marketing: “Refers to all
marketing activities directed towards
establishing, developing and
maintaining, successful relational
exchanges” (Morgan & Hunt, 1994).
“synthesis of marketing, customer
service and quality
management” (Christopher et al. 1991).
“Relationship marketing emphasizes a
long-term interactive relationship
between the supplier and the
customer, and long-term profitability
with each partner in a win-win
situation”(Worthington,1996).

4. Relationship Management
Public Relations is
Relationship Management:
“We have started to conceptualize
public relations as relationship
management” (Bruning, 2000).
§ “organizations and publics need
to determine common interests
and shared goals” (Lendingham,
2004).
§ “link exists between
organization-public relationships
and outcomes such as enhanced
satisfaction and improved levels
of loyalty” (Bruning, 2000).

5. Relationship Marketing Techniques
Relationship
benefits are
part of
establishing
and
maintaining the
relationship via
communication
and social
engagement.
u Seller Expertise: refers to the proficiency with which an organization utilizes to “sell”
its product. It includes cross-training techniques in order to create a more informed seller on all
aspects the buyer may want information concerning the organization. The focus is on the buyer, in
so much as the end goal is to create a better service atmosphere in the buyer-seller exchange.
u Communication: refers to the strategic use communications in order to establish and
maintain a relationship with an audience.
u Interaction Frequency: the frequency which an organization and its public interact
in person or online.
u Relationship Benefits: Advantages or rewards gained from establishing,
participating in and maintaining a relationship with an organization.
(Palmatier, 2006; Journal of Marketing)

6. Relationship Marketing & Enrolment
u Goal: “building a relationship from the
moment of inquiry until after graduation…
enhance the student experience and meet the
student’s needs”
(Vander Schee, 2010).
u Outcome: “12% increase in enrollment at both
institutions, student satisfaction increased, and
complaints decreased to zero in one year.
Simultaneously, job satisfaction and productivity
increased on the administrative side” (Vander
Schee, 2010).
Four Components of Relationship
Marketing applied to university
enrolment in two American
Universities:
q Seller Expertise
q Communication
q Interaction Frequency
q Relationship Benefits

7. Relationship Building Strategies for University Retention
Communicate
value to the
students
Maximize
opportunities
for social
engagement
Foster
Community
Create opportunities
for students to develop
relationships with
university reps.
Bruning, 2000

8. Research Problem
Communication
Strategy
Relationship
building tactics
Feedback &
Measurement
What are the best practices for
building long-term, mutually beneficial
relationships with students during their
years at the university?

9. Research Questions
1. What relationship management strategies do university communicators
employ to establish long-term mutually beneficial relationships with the
student body?
2. What are the current techniques among university communicators with regard
to student relationship building?
3. How do universities evaluate their success in relationship building students?

10. Methodology
§ Qualitative study of university practitioners in a management
position
§ 36 item questionnaire
§ Questions formulated with Relationship Management Theory &
Relationship Marketing Techniques
§ Three areas: Strategy, Tactics, and Measurement
§ 17 Qualitative interviews
§ 1-2 hours in length

11. Organizations Studied
o Participants
varied in:
o Job titles
o Audience
o Enrolment
Size
o Public v.
Private
10 American:
Ø 8 Cal-State
Ø 1 private
Ø 1 UC in the top
30 in the world
rankings
Six Canadian:
Ø 5 Ontario
Ø 1 Quebec
Ø 1 top 20 in the
world rankings

12. § Director of Public Affairs
§ Vice Provost of Student
Services
§ Dean of Student Affairs
§ Alumni Advancement
§ Dean of Graduate Studies
§ Director of Student Life
§ Dean of Students
§ Director of Social Media
§ VP of Communications
§ VP Students & Registrar
Participant Job Titles

13. Results: Communication Strategies
Reputation &
Affinity Building
Student Citizenship
Community-Building

14. Peer to Peer
Communications
Activation
Communication
Access to
Student Leaders
Dialogic
Communications
Interactive
Social Media
Community
Building
Activities
Shared Mission
Statement
Inter-
Departmental
Planning & Eval
Best Practice: Tactics

15. Results: Measurement & Feedback
Measurement
Open & Click
Rates
Interactive
Social Media
Open Forums
Feedback
Loops
Student Focus
Groups
Evaluations &
Surveys
Event
Attendance
Qualitative Email
Measurement

16. University
Administration
Collaborations
Town Halls
Cross-
Training
Student
input
Bi-Monthly
Meetings
Campus
Comm.
Groups
“State of
the Union”
Staff Dev.
Curriculum
Share
Mission
Best Practices:

17. Freshman
Class Groups
Timely
Response
Provide info
not available
anywhere else
Open &
Transparent
SM Crisis
Monitoring
Use Storify to
combine
channels
Adapt to new
channels
quickly
Memes
“Super” User
Dialogic
Facebook
Chat
Peer to Peer
Best Practices:
Social Media

19. From Enrolment to Alumni
Awareness Enrolment Exploration
Engaged
Student
Graduation
Active
Alumni
Ideal Student Life Cycle
Relationship Management Best Practice:
Maximize the opportunities to demonstrate commitment,
communicate shared goals and establish trust with
regular social engagement and dialogic communication
at each life cycle stage.

20. Contribution to the Practice
§ This study contributes best practices in the areas of
strategy, tactics and measurement for creating and
implementing a community-building strategy for
relationship management.

21. Limitations and Further Research
§ Variety of departments with different goals; audiences
§ Limited to two distinct geographic regions; California and
Ontario
§ Large sample from Cal-State School system
§ The study did not look at the student perspective
§ Unable to measure interaction frequency quantitatively
§ No qualitative analysis of print materials and communications.