SOLUTIONS FOR SUCCESS
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Date: May 7th, 2008
Author: Michael Mackie
Whippersnappers!
Get this … the median age of employees here at PlattForm Advertising is 28.5 … which is actually UP from a year ago when it was only 26.25? This is a company that’s filled with fresh-faced (and freshly-scrubbed) employees. I mean – who better to promote the college industry than recent college graduates, yes?
At the ripe age of 36 … I’m considered the wise old sage in my department. And I find myself peppering my conversation with such euphemisms as “bling”, “that’s hot” and “wicked sweet” to keep up with my younger, hipper cohorts. What’s next, I ask you? (Chances are … a My Space page.)
In the career college sector, it takes all types of students to make the world go ‘round. You’ve got the recent high school ingénues, the 20-somethings who want more out of life and the 30 & 40 year old elder statesmen desperate not to feel like they belong on “Logan’s Run”. (Yes, if you got that reference, you’re officially old.)
It’s interesting to look at a school’s demographics. Who are you reaching out to? But, more importantly, who is reaching out to you? Back in the day, you’d rarely see women at a school for auto-mechanics or plumbers. Unicorns were more prevalent. Now, I find myself interviewing a decent number of women who want to make their mark in male-dominated fields.
Men, meanwhile, are no longer shy about the healthcare industry. They have come to realize the sheer demand for trained medical workers.
Have you looked at your schools’ demos lately? Say, five years ago vs. two minutes ago? How has the trending of your student body evolved? More importantly, have you (and your programs) kept up? Remember … today’s students are not just tomorrow’s graduates … they are lifelong graduates! Because with age comes experience … uh, experience students of any age will likely get at your school. And, no matter how old or how young they are, twenty years from now they will still be talking about how you did them right or did them wrong.
Michael Mackie is an Emmy®-Award Winning Writer/Producer and former Entertainment Reporter who has worked in television advertising and promotion for over 15 years. Mackie has worked and freelanced for a variety of local television affiliates in Des Moines, Orlando and Kansas City. He is currently the Senior Writer/Director at PlattForm – a Kansas City -based marketing, advertising and public relations firm specializing in creative solutions for higher education and all branches of the U.S. military. Mackie has been at PlattForm since January 2004.
Venture Direct Worldwide delivers the best students for the country's leading career colleges! Over 20 years of direct marketing experience, with hundreds of educational institutions, allows us to consistently surpass client expectations by supplying a better than expected ROI.
PlattForm Advertising is a full-service agency specializing in interactive marketing and advertising for higher education. Boasting an internal creative staff of nearly 200 individuals, the agency provides a number of student acquisition services including interactive lead generation; online marketing; search engine marketing; media placement; creative, print and video production; direct mail; and print media services.
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