Rob Zinkan

Advancement leaders are charged with building an institutional culture of philanthropy. Establishing a cultural equivalent for the work and leadership of marketing is long overdue.

When considering effective models for managing marketing and communications across institutions, structure should follow strategy.

A study of current strategic plans across higher education indicates that colleges and universities still consider marketing to be primarily a promotional function.

The rise of the higher ed CMO may have flattened, but the reach of the CMO’s influence is going to grow.

Higher ed marketing leaders should indeed use this disruptive moment to imagine voraciously, but don’t overlook the significance of incremental, momentum-building change.

Among the key questions for marketing leaders in planning for the financial ramifications of COVID-19 -- is marketing at your institution output-oriented or outcomes-oriented?

A broader view of alumni engagement requires openness to new organizational models that will best support and mobilize alumni to advance an institution’s goals.

An enduring brand strategy requires more than just stakeholder buy-in.