What parents want from university comms

The stat from RNL’s survey of 12,000+ families is that 88% are “open” to weekly communication.

In the same report, when parents were asked about their PREFERRED frequency of comms, only 19% said “once per week.”

Put differently: “open” and “preferred” are not the same thing.

The most popular option was “whenever there is important information to share” (68%) which should include, in this order:

1) Cost (tuition, accommodation etc)
2) Academics (programmes, subject area info)
3) Admissions requirements, deadlines and timeline

The preferred channel for comms was (of course) email with 93% wanting to keep up to date with their kid’s school via their inbox.

But don’t scrap your print programmes just yet:

36% want to hear from schools via direct mail and I think this is a huge opportunity.

Here’s the average stuff that arrives through the door from a university:

So imagine the power of something different, like a high-quality magazine just for parents.

One that addressed their anxieties, common questions and made them feel heard.

You’d stand out among other schools landing on the doormat.

“Uni Parent” or “College Parent Quarterly” has a nice ring to it.

According to RNL, the quality of a school’s communication with parents is the second most important experience for families.

It’s only beaten by on-campus visits (and we know how much resources we put into those!)

Don't skimp on this audience.

It’s 10x easier when they are on your side.

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