Brain Waves Blog

Recently, I spoke to student success professionals about the student experience data available through social intelligence. As always, I spent some time talking about Reddit, and the role it plays—particularly for younger people—in experience sharing, information gathering, and ultimately decision making. After the session I learned that some attendees were uncomfortable with real-life examples shared that mentioned their college.

You’re constantly balancing urgent requests and strategy, handling increased expectations, and needing actionable data to support your team’s priorities. All of these challenges feed into your need for a brand strategy that’s built on a solid foundation. Campus Sonar’s brand equity framework is that foundation. The purpose-built model supports your understanding of the value your brand has in the mind of your audience.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is more than just a buzzword, it’s become woven into the fabric of everyday life. Picture a student searching where to go to college who is met with an AI summary at the top of the search results, or a parent typing prompts into a university chatbot to figure out when Move-In Day occurs, or a professor leveraging generative AI in the classroom to tailor feedback to individual learning styles. In all of these scenarios, you can use AI to center the needs and questions of individuals in your marketing strategy.

You need more stories, storytellers, and awareness of the stories other people tell that shape consumer opinion. That’s how you’ll stand out to prospective students, donors, opinion leaders, and rebuild the public’s trust in higher education.

A strong brand is a strategic advantage. In good times it helps you grow faster, and during times of uncertainty and change it’s a powerful anchor. A strong brand means you have increased audience confidence, greater credibility among public and private stakeholders, and a foundation to make challenging and innovative decisions. Your brand isn't just about visibility—it’s about credibility and building trust over time.

Brand and reputation management is one of the earliest and most significant applications of social intelligence. In the current higher ed landscape, reputation management issues surface almost daily. This broad topic stretches across all areas of campus and includes things inside and outside of your control. But you do have control over when and how you prepare for and respond to each situation.