Retail Shopping 2.0: Digital Coupons

The next time you grocery shop at Dominick’s (or their companion Safeway chain) your store card may yield more valuable discounts than the usual 50 cents off here or there. A new partnership with Cellfire will allow you to load that store card with the same type of cost-savings coupons you find in the Sunday paper prior to your shopping trip and redeem them at check-out. No more clip clip. Its now click click.

Cellfire is a third-party online service that allows you to select which product coupons fit your shopping list and download them to your store card for free. If you own an iPhone, they have an app for that. The whole idea of moving newspaper coupons to online and then feeding them to your store card, which you always use at the check-out counter anyway, is a no-brainer – one of those “why didn’t I think of that” ideas.

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Tags: consumers, Coupons, iPhone app

Education innovation: a streamlined model led by Arizona

Three state universities in Arizona just might be onto something. The Arizona Board of Regents is reviewing their proposals to open satellite campuses and offer low cost degree programs. The institutions want to attract students who may not be able to afford to attend a large, four year university. The theory is that these students need an alternative to community colleges that don’t provide four-year degrees. Read more at abcnews.com, and then let us know what you think.

Tags: business model, college, education, innovation, university

Hold the Hand that Feeds You

With university financial aid offices at maximum capacity, now is the time to apply a “concierge” approach in building a relationship with prospective students and retaining existing ones. Similar to other institutions, even in the for-profit world, financial aid, admissions and alumni relations are often run independently, with each department working diligently against their own goals. Now that financial aid is more at the forefront of the admissions process, it is critical to ensure student touch points reinforce the university brand personality as well as drive action and deepen the relationship. This is even more challenging today as there is a growing disparity between applicants and actual enrollees. Educating students on the financial aid process is an example of how a higher education institution may have a competitive advantage. For example, taking such steps as being the first institution to alert both prospective as well as current students of upcoming application deadlines and reminding them of the required supporting documentation could determine who chooses your school over another.

Tags: brand, financial aid, Higher Education, touch points

Introducing Engage Social Media Program

Like most higher education marketers, you know it’s important to engage in social media conversations.  You also wonder how you’ll manage this vast space.  Our new social media starter kit, Engage, helps you unlock the true potential of recruiting new students and retaining existing ones with a customized engagement plan that won’t lock up your most precious resource – your time.

This flexible strategy is designed to launch your institution into social media, at the level of engagement that’s right for you.  Because we live in the social media universe ourselves, we understand how to help you find the specific channels that best represent your institution and can most clearly satisfy your marketing objectives.  Plus, we know what it will take to manage that engagement – in terms of content, tone and time.

You can request more information on this custom-built social media program by leaving a comment here.

Tags: Engage, Higher Education, Social Media

CBD Green Connects with White (House, that is)

CBD proudly supports Alliance for the Great Lakes, the oldest independent citizen organization that works to conserve and restore the world’s largest freshwater resource through policy, education and local efforts aimed at preserving the Great Lakes region as a national treasure. CBD’s very own Co-CEO Lori Coman is an active board member and close advisor to the AGL President Cameron (Cam) Davis. Lori is delighted that Cam has recently been appointed to oversee President Obama’s initiative to clean up the Great Lakes. Soon, Cam will leave for Washington to serve as a special advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency to help manage the Great Lakes Restoration. Congratulations to Cam for achieving national recognition to boost Great Lakes restoration and economic recovery.

Tags: Alliance for the Great Lakes, Cameron Davis, CBD, Environmental Protection Agency, President Obama

Still on a Sugar High

Tags: All Candy Expo, Chicago, healthy candy