Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56539
"For instance, the food industry usually puts 18 percent to 21 percent of the top-line revenue into its advertising and promotion budget," she says. But no such standards exist for business schools. Their idiosyncratic and highly customized marketing budgets seem to have evolved individually over time, depending on what the schools are used to paying. Says Andrews, "People don't know whether 2 percent of the overall budget is a lot, or if that's one-tenth of what a competitor is spending." Adds Martin-Kidd, "This is an area where I think deans and business school marketers would like to compare notes." Goal: Shared Knowledge And comparing notes is one skill that today's b-school mar- keters already possess. "When I go to one of our conferences, no matter what the topic is, the other attendees will say, 'Oh, we tried that, here's what worked,'" says Andrews. "There's a sense that, if we share information, we'll all win." Martin-Kidd illustrates the point by describing a con- ference on social media that was co-organized by Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley. "We were all in a room together, hearing about the state of social media from the presidents of Facebook and LinkedIn," says Martin-Kidd. "There is no other industry I can think of where that kind of sharing would happen." They believe that the networking opportunities of the MaCC have already provided group members with des- perately needed information about Web sites, budgets, and proven approaches. Their hope is that the first sur- vey, and any subsequent surveys, will help both b-school deans and marketers understand how valuable the mar- keting function is. They know of one respondent who already has used survey results to sell his dean on the necessity of a new staff position. As schools grow even more competitive, they expect to hear additional stories about how marketing has altered the playing field—and even changed the game. ■ z who know the institution, the program, and the market— and people who can react to changes quickly." In a presentation given at AACSB's International Conference and Annual Meeting last year, McKil- lips and Baylor's Cynthia Jackson also discussed what to look for when hiring a PR marketing pro- fessional. The full presenta- tion can be accessed at the link given on page 40, but following are some of the highlights: • Ask yourself how the position will contribute to your school's mission and what specific functions you want the new hire to execute. Define what traits matter most to you. Are you looking for wise coun- sel? Project management skills? Support for your strategic objectives? • Determine how well the candidate handles the requirements of the job. Can he meet writing challenges and complex deadlines? Does he have experience influencing management on marketing or PR goals? Has she created a communica- tions plan that supported an organization's overall strate- gic plan and objectives? • Look for proof that the candidate understands instruments such as bench- mark research, annual audits, program assess- ments, survey data, and return on investment. Has the candidate ever devel- oped measurable goals for her program or department? • Seek out likely candi- dates at conferences held by groups such as the Public Relations Society of America, the International Association of Business Communicators, the Ameri- can Marketing Associa- tion, and AACSB's Market- ing and Communications Affinity Group. McKillips and Jackson suggest having a team of interviewers meet the candidates, ask questions, and consolidate scores before the right individual is identified—and hired. BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2009 45