Accelerating Alumni Engagement, Loyalty and Giving

 

A 10-minute overview

MACH10 MARKETING

May, 2020

MACH10 PARTNERS WITH INSTITUTIONS SEEKING LONG-LASTING IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS.

Introduction (audio :54)

THROUGH THESE PARTNERSHIPS, WE COLLECTIVELY IMPROVE TWO CORE, INTERDEPENDENT ASSETS:

ALUMNI LOYALTY 

AND

INSTITUTIONAL REPUTATION

 

WE DO THIS BY:

Growing attitudinal and behavioral loyalty among alumni.

Gaining more knowledge of alumni perceptions and expectations.

Enhancing results with new creative approaches to segmentation.

Developing more targeted and content-rich engagement programs.

Harnessing digital channels and tools to make budgets work harder.

Collaborating across all areas of advancement and other stakeholders.

THIS SITE PRESENTS:

01

OUR POINT OF VIEW

02

WHAT WE DO

03

HOW WE DO IT

04

ABOUT MACH10

01

OUR POINT OF VIEW

TO ACHIEVE GREATER LEVELS OF ALUMNI LOYALTY, YOU NEED A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO ALUMNI-CENTRICITY.

Alumni-centricity  (audio :36)

Being alumni-centric

Alumni-centricity is underpinned by the notion that most major donations are preceded by at least 10-15 years of more modest gifts. It is a way of engaging with graduates that recognizes the strategic importance of sustaining a maximum number of loyal, mutually beneficial relationships. Alumni-centric institutions organize around and consistently use their granular knowledge of alumni to bring about a sense of belonging, mutual caring and mutual benefit.

The fruits of alumni-centricity

By cultivating loyalty in all alumni, institutions broaden their pipeline of future major donors. Alumni with loyal attitudes will more actively support the cause of the university by volunteering, donating money, recommending the institution to prospective students, connecting with foundations and sharing suggestions for improving the current educational experience.

HOW ALUMNI-CENTRIC ARE YOU?
If you want to assess your institution’s level of alumni-centricity, you may want to think about the following six questions:

1) Do you have sufficiently granular knowledge of your alumni to inform the actions you take to foster your alumni’s sense of belonging, mutual caring and mutual benefit?

2) Have you taken into consideration the heterogeneity of your alumni mindsets, expectations and current circumstances in your actions?

3) Has every organization that engages with alumni bought into your alumni-centric plan and do they understand their role?

4) Have all stakeholders agreed on the long-term ROI of the strategy?

5) Are you monitoring alumni levels of satisfaction with your institution and, as a result, have you learned how to constantly drive more loyal behavior and sentiments toward your institution?

6) Do you know the factors that add/detract from alumni satisfaction with your institution?

HERE’S THE PROBLEM:

SHORT-TERM PRESSURES SPAWN “10% ALUMNI-CENTRICITY,” NARROWING THE PIPELINE OF FUTURE MAJOR DONORS.

What’s driving 10% alumni-centricity?

The understanding that focusing on the 10% of donors that represent 90% of donation dollars is essential for meeting immediate fundraising goals.

What’s the benefit of 100% alumni-centricity?

We don’t know today who will be the major donors of tomorrow. When the 10% high capacity and inclination alumni emerge at least 10-15 years after graduation, what will their attitude be?

CURRENT MAJOR DONORS ARE CRITICAL…

…but so are the other 90%, some of whom will become your future major donors—or even mega-donors.

 

How many will be lost because you didn’t embrace an alumni-centric approach?

THE INITIAL STEP IN DEVELOPING ALUMNI-CENTRICITY IS DEFINING LOYALTY AND MONITORING IT.

ATTITUDINAL LOYALTY

A graduate’s emotional connection and devotion to the institution along with the intention to advance its cause. 

BEHAVIORAL LOYALTY

Each graduate’s behaviors vis-a-vis the institution, including event participation, digital activity, volunteering, giving, etc.

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP, HOWEVER, IS UNDERSTANDING THE FACTORS THAT DRIVE IT.

BUT THE REALITY IS:

 

Many institutions don’t have insight into attitudinal loyalty

AND

They lack the ability to monitor and understand the factors driving both types of loyalty

 

Without this vital information and an alumni-centric strategy, it’s nearly impossible to increase alumni loyalty.

 

A KEY TO ALUMNI-CENTRICITY IS RECOGNIZING THAT EACH GRADUATE HAS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND POTENTIAL.

Segmentation (audio 1:27)

YOU NEED TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCES IN:

  • Personalities and behavioral traits
  • Perceptions and expectations
  • Life needs

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS:

RECOGNIZING THE HETEROGENEITY OF YOUR ALUMNI UNIVERSE IS ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS

an alumni-centric approach is MOST effective when combined with a smart reputation strategy.

Deliberate synchronization between these assets creates a virtuous cycle.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

  • Coalescing around the institution’s desired reputation
  • Understanding the institution’s baseline reputation
  • Refining the institution’s reputation strategy
  • Moving alumni perceptions closer to the desired reputation

THE IMPERATIVE TO PURSUE ALUMNI-CENTRICITY AND OPTIMIZE YOUR REPUTATION IS ONLY ACCELERATING.

WHAT’S BEHIND THIS ACCELERATION?
  • More causes competing for mind- and wallet-share
  • Online learning providers targeting undergraduate markets
  • Increasing declines in prospective student populations
  • Identity politics making constituencies more fragmented
  • Emerging high-potential alumni with greater skepticism

02

WHAT WE DO

MACH10 PARTNERS WITH INSTITUTIONS SEEKING TO MAXIMIZE THE LOYALTY AND VALUE OF THEIR ALUMNI COMMUNITY.

We do this by:

  • Understanding the perceptions and expectations of all alumni
  • Developing alumni-centric strategies and engagement plans
  • Defining and amplifying the desired reputation consistently across all channels
  • Executing tactical actions to meet development goals
  • Harnessing data and technology to enhance major gift officer knowledge of alumni

STRENGTHENING LOYALTY BEGINS WITH EMPIRICISM.

 

WE IDENTIFY SEGMENT MINDSETS AND SALIENT BENEFITS SO YOU CAN REINFORCE YOUR RELEVANCE…

SEE EXAMPLES OF MINDSETS
Identity: “I’m proud to be a graduate and it is part of who I am.”

Career development: “Networking with graduates for my career is a unique opportunity and something I value.”

Affinity: “I still follow the sports scores and try attend a game or two each year.”

Altruism: “Making a difference and giving back to my alma mater is something that makes me feel good.”

Friendships: “There’s nothing like socializing with other alumni who share my experience and make me feel welcome.”

Purpose: “At this point in my career, I really enjoy helping current students at my alma mater find their way.”

Lifelong learning: “With the extraordinary changes these days in business, I would really benefit from upgrading my skills.”

Opportunism: “With increasing competition to gain acceptance at the top schools, maybe I can help my kids get a leg up.”

…OVERCOME THE BARRIERS TO GIVING…

SEE EXAMPLES OF BARRIERS
“I prioritize other causes to support.”

“I don’t believe a modest donation will make a difference.”

“I don’t believe the institution needs the money (and they spend money on the wrong things).”

“I don’t feel the institution cares about me (they just seem to want my money).”

“I don’t have faith in the management of the institution.”

“I have generally bad feelings about my student experience.”

“I am just in a bad place.”

…AND ULTIMATELY MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR FINITE RESOURCES.

OUR EMPIRICAL APPROACH ALSO FORMS THE BASIS OF A NARRATIVE THAT FOSTERS A STRONGER SENSE OF COMMUNITY.

This means tapping into emotions that reinforce what alumni value.

“I feel comfortable interacting with my alma mater.”

“It’s one of the few places where I know I’ll always belong.”

“My alma mater treats me with dignity and respect.”

“I still feel like my alma mater is a part of my life.”

“I value the lifelong connections I’ve made with my fellow alumni.”

“My alma mater continues to provide tangible value to me.”

03

HOW WE DO IT

WE COMBINE RESEARCH, AGENCY SERVICES AND DATA ANALYTICS WITH OUR IN-DEPTH STRATEGIC KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.

 

RESEARCH & DATA ANALYTICS

WE HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR ALUMNI BETTER WITH COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH AND ANALYTICS

Research (audio 1:42)

Read more about Research & Data Analytics
Collectively, advancement professionals possess critical knowledge about alumni. However, internal biases and flawed conventional wisdom can lead to under-performance. In-depth interviews, focus groups and quantitative surveys are all methods to answer crucial strategic questions and form the foundation of an empirically-based alumni-centric strategy.

 

INSTITUTIONAL REPUTATION

We DEVELOP STRATEGIES DESIGNED TO REINFORCE YOUR INSTITUTION’S REPUTATION

Read more about Institutional Reputation
Alumni pay close attention to their alma mater’s reputation and in-depth research will surface what matters most to them. It’s the interaction of your institution’s historical strengths, what prospective students are looking for and what alumni expect that will drive the strategy.

 

ALUMNI SEGMENTATION

we segment your alumni for optimal results

Segmentation (audio 1:27)

Read more about Alumni Segmentation
If only all alumni held the same perceptions and expectations. Unfortunately, every graduate has his or her own unique personality and behavioral traits. There are, however, ways to “cluster” alumni based on measurable and addressable attributes. Segmentation plays an enormous role in the optimization of alumni behavioral loyalty. Typically, alumni segmentation schemas are based on behavioral and socio-demographic attributes.

 

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING PLAN DEVELOPMENT

We BUILD TAILORED RELATIONSHIP MARKETING PLANS TO ENHANCE LIFETIME ALUMNI LOYALTY

Read more about Relationship Marketing Plan Development
Relationship marketing aims to build lasting relationships with alumni through:

• Segmentation
• Value proposition development & targeting
• Personalized & measurable engagement 

Starting with these foundations, the plan defines the actions required to shape lasting alumni relationships. Defining these actions requires a tight collaboration between your institution and Mach10. Ultimately your plan will drive sustained improvements in alumni giving behavior and perceptions of the institution.

 

CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

we CREATE CONTENT AND PROGRAMMING THAT MOTIVATE YOUR AUDIENCE TO ACT

Content & Programming (audio 1:27)

Read more about Content Development
Content is at the core of an effective relationship marketing plan and it is most effective when it is perceived as valuable to recipients, aligns with your institution’s brand and is easy to consume across all relevant modes and devices. Educational institutions boast a plethora of alumni events, programming and content that can be developed, repurposed and published across multiple media channels.

 

USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN

We ENSURE YOUR ALUMNI ALWAYS HAVE A FLAWLESS DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

Read more about User Experience Design
User expectations of digital experiences are continuously rising. Your institution’s digital design will inevitably be compared to leading digital brands such as Amazon and Apple. This means a poor user experience will tarnish your brand by making your institution appear behind-the-times and potentially inhibit participation. On the other hand, an excellent experience will increase the chances of positive alumni interactions. 

 

CREATIVE EXECUTION

we GENERATE EXCEPTIONAL CREATIVE ASSETS DESIGNED FOR EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS

Read more about Creative Execution
Our world-class creative team develops:

• Email templates and copy
• Microsites & landing pages
• UX design & user testing
• Digital & direct mail advertising
• Scripts for texting & phone calls
• Presentations
• Event signage, materials & experiences
• Videos

 

GIFT OFFICER TOOLS

We HELP YOUR GIFT OFFICERS WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY

Read more about Gift Officer Tools
Your gift officers participate in high stake meetings with your alumni with the greatest giving potential. Arming your officers with first-class tools can make the difference between a $1,000,000 donation and a change of heart. No matter the format, effectively telling your institution’s story—vision, strategic plan, capital plan goals, etc.—profoundly impacts an officer’s fundraising performance. Transforming high-potential donor activity, including digital, into insights for gift officers is something all advancement organizations should orchestrate.

04

ABOUT MACH10

SO WHY CHOOSE MACH10?

As experienced marketing professionals who have successfully implemented relationship marketing programs across a broad array of industries, we have the capabilities, insights, talent and drive to make your advancement goals more attainable than ever. 

A-TEAM EXPERTISE

Our entire team is composed of professionals with decades of experience. No interns. No juniors. No compromises.

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ABSOLUTE FOCUS

Because we only take on a limited number of concurrent projects, each of our clients—big or small—gets 100% of our focus.

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VIRTUALLY NO OVERHEAD

Our Mach10 Ecosystem model keeps expenses to a minimum. So you only pay for what you actually need.

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unconvential wisdom

We don’t simply do what everyone else is doing. We develop new solutions that fit your unique needs.

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THANK YOU!

We hope you’ll let us help you fuel your advancement success.

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