Anchored. Intentional. Human. How Great Institutions Communicate Value.
- C V
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
After years of declining enrollment and tightening budgets, the challenge facing higher education isn’t just about growth—it’s about survival. For many institutions, the question isn’t whether they can market harder, but whether they can truly define and articulate their value with the same conviction they bring to their mission.
As public funding wanes and families scrutinize the return on investment, leaders are
working harder than ever to sustain momentum and relevance. The instinct, naturally, is to turn up the volume—more communications, more outreach, more everything.
But more isn’t necessarily better.
The institutions that endure aren’t the ones producing the most noise or content. They’re the ones that are anchored, intentional, and human.
Anchored
Ask ten people on campus what makes the institution distinctive and why it matters, and you’ll likely hear ten different answers—many of them familiar, even predictable.
“We care about students.”
“We’re like a family.”
“We offer small classes.”
Those statements aren’t wrong—but they’re not differentiators. They describe how the institution feels about itself, not what sets it apart in the market.
Anchored institutions ground their strategy in evidence, not assumption.
They know who they are and whom they serve—because they’ve done the work: research, listening, and disciplined testing. Clarity requires curiosity, data, and courage. It’s not guessed at or borrowed from another institution’s playbook.
When purpose is clear, every investment—marketing, enrollment, or advancement—pulls in the same direction. Budgets stretch farther. Messages resonate deeper. Teams move with shared purpose. And institutions thrive.
Intentional
Intentional institutions don’t chase trends or apply what worked somewhere else.
Instead, they apply research and context. They ask: What does our market need? What do our students expect?
Intentionality means connecting insight to action—turning data into strategy and mission into measurable outcomes.
When efforts are intentional, they’re efficient, inclusive, and sustainable. They don’t just communicate; they create understanding and momentum.
Human
At its best, higher education is where people find their purpose and belonging.
When students, faculty, and staff see themselves in the institutional story, they stay, engage, and give back. Belonging isn’t just about inclusion—it’s the foundation of persistence, trust, and pride.
Human storytelling—told through authentic voices, not taglines—reconnects audiences with the why behind your institution.
The Leadership Imperative
Clarity isn’t just a marketing function—it’s a leadership discipline. Presidents, provosts, CFOs, and VPs of enrollment and others all shape the narrative. And when they model a unified story, everyone else follows.
Because in the end, institutions win by being anchored in purpose, intentional in action, and human in connection.
Colleen Villa is Founder and Principal Consultant of Villa Marketing, a Michigan-based consultancy providing agile, experience-backed marketing and communications support to colleges and universities navigating change and growth.