Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56539
Marketing Edge The by Sharon Shinn T here's a business school in Waco, Texas, where the direc- tor of communications and marketing reports to the dean, serves on the business school's executive council, and heads the marketing and public relations committee for the strategic development council. In short, Cynthia Jackson is always part of the conversation when it comes to setting goals for Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business. She's not the only b-school marketer with a prominent place at the strategic table. As today's management edu- cation landscape gets more cluttered and more competi- tive, many business schools are considering how they can use marketing efforts to give themselves an edge. Says Jackson, "At Baylor, we have a strategic plan for the busi- As competition for students heats up, business schools turn to marketing professionals for help in making their own programs stand out. A recent survey helps these marketers determine what tactics bring students through the doors. ness school and for every initiative within that plan. The marketing function is a key component of getting each initiative completed." Critical as marketing has become, however, there are no real guidelines for how business schools can most profitably deploy their communications teams. It's hard to pin down how many people a typical department has, how big its budget is, or even what its primary responsibilities might be. 38 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2009