The College Tour: A Peek at Schools Across the Country

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.919 --> 00:00:07.190 You were listening to the Higher Ed Marketer, a podcast geared towards marketing professionals 2 00:00:07.230 --> 00:00:11.949 in higher education. This show will tackle all sorts of questions related to student 3 00:00:11.949 --> 00:00:16.269 recruitment, don'tor relations, marketing trends, new technologies and so much more. 4 00:00:17.030 --> 00:00:20.829 If you are looking for conversations centered around where the industry is going, this 5 00:00:21.030 --> 00:00:31.059 podcast is for you. Let's get into the show. Welcome to the High 6 00:00:31.059 --> 00:00:36.689 Ed Marketer podcast. I'm troy singer, with my cohost and fantasy football umpire, 7 00:00:36.929 --> 00:00:41.649 Bart Taylor, and today we are going to interview Alex Boylan. He 8 00:00:41.890 --> 00:00:46.450 is the CO founder and host of the college tour, a wonderful show that 9 00:00:46.609 --> 00:00:51.679 you can get on many different platforms that highlights a different college each week. 10 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:55.520 This is a great episode. If you don't recognize Alex's name, you'll certainly 11 00:00:55.560 --> 00:01:00.119 maybe recognized his voice. He was the host of CBS as amazing race, 12 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.189 and also many of the people on the team come from the background of reality 13 00:01:04.230 --> 00:01:08.189 TV, like survivor and several of the other ones. So I recognized Alex 14 00:01:08.269 --> 00:01:12.750 immediately when I watched the first episode and I just I'm fascinated with this, 15 00:01:14.150 --> 00:01:19.980 with this concept of having a television show with multiple seasons and multiple episodes focused 16 00:01:19.019 --> 00:01:23.900 entirely on higher education and specifically on the college tour. I love his vision 17 00:01:25.060 --> 00:01:29.019 and his passion and his mission to get to the college tour and the hands 18 00:01:29.099 --> 00:01:33.730 of every perspective college student around the world and I think this is a great 19 00:01:33.930 --> 00:01:38.810 conversation about not only the idea behind the college tour and then what that's doing 20 00:01:38.010 --> 00:01:42.609 and how they're doing it, but also just some key takeaways how you can 21 00:01:42.689 --> 00:01:45.769 take some of these ideas and actually start to implement them into your high end 22 00:01:45.810 --> 00:01:51.959 marketing. Yes, I think Alex presents how to best authentically tell the story 23 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:56.599 of your campus. And without further ado, let's get into the conversation with 24 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:04.510 Alex Boylan. Please welcome Alex Boylan, the cofounder and host of the College 25 00:02:04.629 --> 00:02:07.349 tour series, to the High Ed Marketer podcast. Alex, thank you for 26 00:02:07.430 --> 00:02:12.430 joining. Troy Bard, thank you so much for having me. What a 27 00:02:12.430 --> 00:02:15.020 joys it's going to be fun. You know, we talked to a lot 28 00:02:15.099 --> 00:02:19.699 of dynamic people, but we really don't talk to a lot of famous people, 29 00:02:19.699 --> 00:02:23.060 people that we would consider TV star. So we're excited to talk to 30 00:02:23.139 --> 00:02:28.419 you and let everyone know about the wonderful series that you have the college tour. 31 00:02:29.379 --> 00:02:31.810 If you could tell us a little bit about your background before we get 32 00:02:31.889 --> 00:02:36.610 into what the show is all about? Well, well, thank you. 33 00:02:36.729 --> 00:02:38.530 I don't know about famous, but you know, this is fun. So 34 00:02:39.169 --> 00:02:44.759 my background. I've been in the television space for or a little about twenty 35 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:49.560 years ago. I was international business major, was in the business world and 36 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:52.400 was, if you can believe it, twenty years ago, was cast on 37 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:57.000 the second season of the amazing race. It was very blessed and up when 38 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:01.509 in that series and most importantly, during that was I got this inside look 39 00:03:01.509 --> 00:03:06.710 in the world of television and I love every single second of it. I 40 00:03:06.750 --> 00:03:09.949 couldn't stop talking to the producers. I can still hear the CBS producer saying 41 00:03:10.030 --> 00:03:14.539 Hey, Alex, stop asking questions about our job. This is who that 42 00:03:14.580 --> 00:03:17.259 you're supposed to be a contestant on the amazing right. So I fell in 43 00:03:17.340 --> 00:03:22.300 love with the business and, you know, spent twenty years working really hard 44 00:03:22.419 --> 00:03:24.659 to become successful at it. And after that, I mean I started off 45 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:29.930 hosting different cooking and travel shows and then created around the world for free, 46 00:03:29.969 --> 00:03:34.050 which is the first online interactive show where I'd circumnavigate the globe for free. 47 00:03:34.090 --> 00:03:37.569 And just have done. We've filmed him, probably filmed in sixty, sixty 48 00:03:37.569 --> 00:03:40.560 five countries around the world. So I've had an amazingly blessed career just telling 49 00:03:40.759 --> 00:03:45.879 stories around the planet and couldn't be more excited. I myself, along with 50 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:47.879 the the people that are behind this, Lisa Hennessy, Burton Roberts, Mike 51 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:52.520 Murray and some of those people. Lisa worked on the biggest shows in the 52 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:55.870 world and how create some of the biggest franchises like survivor, etc. We 53 00:03:57.030 --> 00:04:00.110 all say we are humbled by what's happening with the college store. It's been 54 00:04:00.189 --> 00:04:04.830 an absolute joy and can't wait to talk more about it. Bart and I 55 00:04:04.909 --> 00:04:11.460 are both fans and we believe that our listeners would gain some insight and some 56 00:04:11.819 --> 00:04:16.620 pointers from how you navigate the college tour, the episodes where you highlight different 57 00:04:16.660 --> 00:04:20.220 colleges, if you would. How did that idea come about? Yep, 58 00:04:20.420 --> 00:04:24.569 so big picture, you know, for the audience, each episode of the 59 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:29.170 College tour tells the story of a different college campus. Every episode is one 60 00:04:29.610 --> 00:04:32.930 institution, and what's the best part about this is we tell that story through 61 00:04:32.930 --> 00:04:38.879 the Lens of students. So the idea sprung on me before, like maybe 62 00:04:39.199 --> 00:04:45.079 six months to a year year before Covid, my niece, Isabel Palm Asak. 63 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:49.720 She's from People Falls Wisconsin, Middle American family, you know, middle 64 00:04:49.839 --> 00:04:54.670 class, and all of a sudden she was looking at college campuses and deciding 65 00:04:54.750 --> 00:04:58.670 where to go. Her Mom, my older sister Andrea, gave her one 66 00:04:58.790 --> 00:05:00.709 trip. They go Isabel, you got one trip to go look at schools, 67 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:03.269 and she chose to come out to see me in the city of Los 68 00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:10.100 Angeles here and I had so much fun taking her around to loyal Marre amount 69 00:05:10.180 --> 00:05:14.860 you sela us see all these different schools. Well, while she was here, 70 00:05:15.180 --> 00:05:15.899 you know, she's like, I'm glad you I want to go check 71 00:05:15.899 --> 00:05:18.220 out some schools in Texas, I want to check out some schools in New 72 00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:21.410 York and many other states. And I can still hear my old sister. 73 00:05:21.529 --> 00:05:24.730 She's like, what do you think? We're made of money, we can't 74 00:05:24.730 --> 00:05:27.850 afford you all around. This is it, Isabel, this is all you 75 00:05:27.930 --> 00:05:32.290 have. And so it wasn't long after she was here when covid hits. 76 00:05:32.410 --> 00:05:36.800 So my knee said two variables against her. One was she did not have 77 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:42.040 the finances to travel across the country, and that is like ninety nine point 78 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:44.920 nine percent of by the students that are out there, high school students out 79 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:47.240 there, and then on knocking. On top of that, she's a seed 80 00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:54.149 junior senior class that's rolling into college during this massive pandemic. So the pretty 81 00:05:54.310 --> 00:05:57.589 much the country shut down. So two variables really stopped her journey, and 82 00:05:57.709 --> 00:06:00.629 so I sat back with her online and spend some time. I was having 83 00:06:00.790 --> 00:06:04.259 so much fun thinking back to my college and how did I figure out where 84 00:06:04.259 --> 00:06:09.220 to go to school, and it was during that process. I mean all 85 00:06:09.300 --> 00:06:12.939 these institutions do amazing job of marketing and telling their stories, but it's all 86 00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:16.220 different. You know, you can go to one person's website and there's super 87 00:06:16.300 --> 00:06:20.970 high end, glossy commercials. You can go to another institution and it's user 88 00:06:21.089 --> 00:06:27.129 generated content and we so, as an outsider, I have zero experience in 89 00:06:27.129 --> 00:06:30.370 the education space, as I'm trying to navigate this with my niece and helping 90 00:06:30.410 --> 00:06:33.639 her try to find her tribe and her vibe and where's the best place for 91 00:06:33.839 --> 00:06:39.920 her. The Light Bulb and off. Higher Education needs its own TV series, 92 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:44.399 something that is formatted, that is clean, something that is delivered in 93 00:06:44.519 --> 00:06:47.709 a way that someone who's older like myself that's used to television where I can 94 00:06:47.709 --> 00:06:50.949 sit back on my TV and just watch a half hour, an hour episode, 95 00:06:51.310 --> 00:06:55.470 or for the younger generation who's used to being on their mobile devices and 96 00:06:55.589 --> 00:06:59.949 want to watch it in bite sizes, and so all those variables came together 97 00:07:00.110 --> 00:07:04.180 to say let's create this idea and let's bring this to market and it's just 98 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:09.060 been an absolute joy. Who would who would have thought if you asked me 99 00:07:09.180 --> 00:07:14.899 when there's the idea came about, because I'm never created and I've created a 100 00:07:14.939 --> 00:07:18.730 lot of different shows, I've never created anything that stem from a problem. 101 00:07:19.089 --> 00:07:23.209 This is the first time that's ever happened, that all this is a problem 102 00:07:23.329 --> 00:07:26.490 outs out there and we need to make this to serve that, that those 103 00:07:26.569 --> 00:07:30.120 people and everyone who's going through that same problem. That's really exciting. Thanks, 104 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:31.319 Alex. and I have to say that I think the place that I 105 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:38.439 discovered the college tour is I we had Jamie Hunt from Miami University of Ohio 106 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:42.879 on episode two and so we were connected on Linkedin and and you know, 107 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:46.029 I was seeing her posts and I saw, Oh, you know, we're 108 00:07:46.110 --> 00:07:48.470 recording the college tour, you know, on campus this week, and every 109 00:07:48.509 --> 00:07:51.550 day she kept having these these pictures in these posts, and so I did 110 00:07:51.550 --> 00:07:56.829 a quick search and I came across Amazon prime and and saw the episodes and 111 00:07:56.949 --> 00:07:59.180 saw it on there. I think it was actually at home and I think 112 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:01.779 I turned on my TV and pulled up Amazon and looked at it and watched 113 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:05.100 a couple episodes and I was just kind of flabbergasted it. I was like, 114 00:08:05.300 --> 00:08:09.220 this is so cool, this is something that higher it has needed, 115 00:08:09.259 --> 00:08:11.860 as you said, they've needed an episodic, you know, television show that 116 00:08:11.889 --> 00:08:16.810 would highlight the biggest tissue and why I've talked to so many, so many 117 00:08:16.089 --> 00:08:20.490 marketing campuses, marketing teams on campuses, and I'm sure you've heard this to 118 00:08:20.009 --> 00:08:24.290 Alex's boy, if we could just get the students on campus, then we're 119 00:08:24.290 --> 00:08:26.569 going to get them, then they're going to be able to come and I 120 00:08:26.649 --> 00:08:31.720 think this is just another modality of allowing students and families to get on campus. 121 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:33.159 Is that kind of what you're discovering when you talk to these teams? 122 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:37.159 Couldn't agree more. I mean it's interesting. The average college trip, I 123 00:08:37.320 --> 00:08:41.429 believe, if it's outside of your region, is around two two thousand and 124 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:45.669 twenty five hundred dollars. Dish and so we wanted. We want students as 125 00:08:45.669 --> 00:08:48.909 well as their parents, will sit back and travel across the country and they 126 00:08:48.029 --> 00:08:52.629 look at a really good sense of what this institution is as about and we 127 00:08:52.750 --> 00:08:56.539 have some fun stirs. I mean they're still going to be hope. I 128 00:08:56.659 --> 00:09:01.059 think we're like a bridge between that that. Like you know, I'm interested. 129 00:09:01.179 --> 00:09:03.700 I've learned about this university, I've heard about this university. Let me 130 00:09:03.019 --> 00:09:05.100 learn a little bit more and then, if I can, maybe I'll go, 131 00:09:05.299 --> 00:09:09.129 because we hear. I was just at back at Texas TCU, Texas 132 00:09:09.169 --> 00:09:16.009 Christian University, a few months ago, speaking and their marketing team where they 133 00:09:16.090 --> 00:09:18.129 go. We have people that show up, like students that show up and 134 00:09:18.169 --> 00:09:20.929 say we saw it, we were from San Diego, we saw the college 135 00:09:22.009 --> 00:09:24.039 tour episode and that's why we're here. So that's pretty fun. So I 136 00:09:24.120 --> 00:09:28.519 think where we were on a base level. No one has to go anywhere 137 00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:31.600 from their cell phone and their television set to watch and learn and those that 138 00:09:31.759 --> 00:09:35.480 have the means that can put it possibly maybe that helps them make that extra 139 00:09:35.559 --> 00:09:39.870 step to go on campus. I think that's great and even as I was 140 00:09:39.990 --> 00:09:41.990 reviewing some of the episodes and you guys are, I think, coming up 141 00:09:41.990 --> 00:09:46.389 on season four. As I go through those episodes, you know there's a 142 00:09:46.389 --> 00:09:48.590 lot of familiar names. You know Miami of Ohio and some of those other 143 00:09:48.629 --> 00:09:52.149 ones, but there were a lot of names. Even myself being in the 144 00:09:52.190 --> 00:09:54.299 higher end marketing space, it's a lot of schools that I was introduced for 145 00:09:54.340 --> 00:09:58.500 the first time through the college tour and I found that fascinating because I think 146 00:09:58.580 --> 00:10:01.740 sometimes, like you just said, someone shows up at a school that might 147 00:10:01.779 --> 00:10:07.059 not have even known about them other than this, this college tour TV show. 148 00:10:07.100 --> 00:10:09.730 Absolutely, we've been you know, it's I love to sit back and 149 00:10:09.850 --> 00:10:13.289 say, Oh, we're all geniuses over here at the college tour, but 150 00:10:13.330 --> 00:10:16.850 I happen to be. We're storytellers. We had a good idea and all 151 00:10:16.889 --> 00:10:20.049 of a sudden it just hit right timing, the right project, the right 152 00:10:20.090 --> 00:10:24.240 team behind it and it just took off. It's been we constantly. One 153 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:28.039 of the biggest things for us that we thought about early on is, you 154 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:30.240 know, how do you how do you decide on us what's going to be 155 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:33.240 part of the season one and how do you roll this all out? The 156 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:37.230 biggest thing for us was just diversification. That was probably internally is knowing that 157 00:10:37.309 --> 00:10:41.950 we can't just make this the big state schools or just ex schools in this 158 00:10:41.149 --> 00:10:45.230 region. We Really, I think, you know, pride ourselves that if 159 00:10:45.269 --> 00:10:48.710 you go and watch this, you're going to see, you know, small 160 00:10:48.789 --> 00:10:54.179 schools like Fort Louis College in Durango, Colorado and Florida Tech in Melbourne, 161 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:56.779 Florida, and you're also going to see the Asus and the University of Illinois 162 00:10:56.820 --> 00:11:00.580 and the Yukons and the Baylor's of the world. So you're going to you're 163 00:11:00.620 --> 00:11:03.340 going to get a good mix of all of that and so we try to 164 00:11:03.419 --> 00:11:07.009 make sure that we're peppering in, you know, so everyone's getting a great 165 00:11:07.129 --> 00:11:11.649 sense of what small, medium, large, location, my major all these 166 00:11:11.970 --> 00:11:16.889 things that high schoolers are thinking about and their parents are thinking about hopefully comes 167 00:11:16.929 --> 00:11:20.960 together in an episode and helps them make a better decision. That's great. 168 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.000 And I think that partnering with these different schools and now I think you're close 169 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.519 to forty now, I think that, you know, I'm sure at the 170 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:30.159 very beginning it was a little bit of a leap of faith to be able 171 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:33.429 to, you know, partner with these schools and and and be able to, 172 00:11:33.230 --> 00:11:37.710 you know, tell their story and let them tell their story and and 173 00:11:37.870 --> 00:11:39.070 just try to figure that out, because, I mean, I think it's 174 00:11:39.110 --> 00:11:43.070 so it's so true, and you've said this before, even in our pre 175 00:11:43.149 --> 00:11:46.909 interview, that it's a little different than you know, you know, a 176 00:11:46.029 --> 00:11:50.340 regular network television and show that you've kind of got it all mapped out, 177 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:52.860 you know what's going to happen. I mean there's a lot of variables here 178 00:11:52.899 --> 00:11:56.460 that are a little different than usual. It's been a great journey. It's 179 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:00.419 been a great dray because early on, just like anything, early on your 180 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:03.250 everyone's figuring things out. Okay, so this starts, this is idea. 181 00:12:03.289 --> 00:12:07.970 A couple things that we were couple things like early on that we knew and 182 00:12:07.049 --> 00:12:11.610 we kind of like we put our our steak in the ground. A We 183 00:12:11.730 --> 00:12:15.490 knew we had to partner with the university. This isn't like the college tour 184 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:18.519 production team comes in. It's like we're going to tell the story of Asu. 185 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:20.879 We have to be working with them because they know their story, they 186 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:24.759 know the heart and soul of their students and what makes them tick and all 187 00:12:24.840 --> 00:12:28.679 that. So that's a collaboration from the beginning. Are Our preproduction process, 188 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:33.110 which is about two months. That is a team. As it to our 189 00:12:33.190 --> 00:12:35.350 team working with their team, we become one big family, our kickoff calls 190 00:12:35.429 --> 00:12:39.549 it. We're now a family and we're going to go through this journey together 191 00:12:39.750 --> 00:12:41.509 to get where we need to get to. We could not make this on 192 00:12:41.629 --> 00:12:45.179 our own. We need the university because they know it. You know better 193 00:12:45.220 --> 00:12:50.059 than anyone else. And I down to the specifics of the authenticity. One 194 00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:52.980 of the well, I'll tell you a funny story, because now you know 195 00:12:52.139 --> 00:12:56.500 the students, the first draft, when a student, when we know we're 196 00:12:56.500 --> 00:13:00.929 going to talk about athletics and we know this is going to be the student 197 00:13:00.970 --> 00:13:03.210 as a great story that's going to tell the story of athletics of that university, 198 00:13:05.009 --> 00:13:07.049 first thing we do. We have some bullet points and we have some 199 00:13:07.169 --> 00:13:13.879 guides to help them, but we want the first draft from the student right. 200 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:16.320 It's very important because we need it to be their real story. We 201 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:20.080 need this to be authentics. I was always been but episode one, season 202 00:13:20.200 --> 00:13:22.799 one, I'm going to tell you if I sir. We're at Fort Louis 203 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:26.039 College. First of all, we get there, the fires are happening in 204 00:13:26.230 --> 00:13:31.549 Colorado. It's September. The spice storm comes up, everything that you could 205 00:13:31.590 --> 00:13:35.509 think goes wrong is going wrong at the beginning of our piety, I want 206 00:13:35.509 --> 00:13:37.350 to call it our pilots, our first episode, and I am like heavily 207 00:13:37.389 --> 00:13:41.220 involved because we're trying to figure out how this is all going to work and 208 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:48.100 I'm working with one of the students and all the students are going to be 209 00:13:48.139 --> 00:13:50.899 on camera and we have bullet points and I didn't want them to sound memorized. 210 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:54.860 Okay, so I didn't want it to sound rehearse. We have these 211 00:13:54.899 --> 00:13:56.970 bullet points. We're going to get together and I'll say a very early on, 212 00:13:58.289 --> 00:14:00.330 like okay, we need to change Gope, because duds, like, 213 00:14:00.409 --> 00:14:03.730 what am I supposed to say? So now it's you know, we are 214 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:07.570 working with that student, we are getting that student scripted, we are doing 215 00:14:07.730 --> 00:14:11.679 media training with that student. That student is I know because it's it's Ti. 216 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:15.480 I have every episode I watch. I'm so proud of these kids and 217 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:18.759 I only want calm kids, but these students, because imagine there's a production 218 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:22.840 television crew coming. They have to look into that Camera Lens and touch that 219 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:26.389 audience and tell their off and some of these students really open up about their 220 00:14:26.429 --> 00:14:31.350 story and that's not easy. Yeah, I think back of when I was 221 00:14:31.389 --> 00:14:33.870 nineteen years old on in college and all of a sudden I got this camera 222 00:14:33.990 --> 00:14:37.470 crew follow me around and they do an amazing job. So we have definitely 223 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:41.659 evolved as a production and grown and learned and it's just but I'd say, 224 00:14:41.299 --> 00:14:45.220 you know, I go backed episode one, it looks like episode we. 225 00:14:45.379 --> 00:14:48.100 You know, we're we're heading end episode forty nine. I think we're shooting 226 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:50.539 in a few weeks here, and so they look very similar. So the 227 00:14:50.620 --> 00:14:54.490 end result we got here, but our approach has definitely involved in change throughout 228 00:14:54.529 --> 00:14:58.690 it well, and I love the authenticity because it's one thing that I often 229 00:14:58.889 --> 00:15:01.610 kind of talk to my clients about is that don't try to be something you're 230 00:15:01.610 --> 00:15:05.690 not. I mean, you know they so many times I'll hear things like 231 00:15:05.809 --> 00:15:07.480 well, if we were just that school would be so much easier to market. 232 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:11.039 I'm like, well, you're not. You are your school and if 233 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:13.000 you can tell your distinctive story, that's why people have always come to you 234 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:18.480 and I think that the idea of letting the students kind of craft that first 235 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:22.230 draft, to tell their story, to really kind of get that authenticity out. 236 00:15:22.429 --> 00:15:24.990 That's the only way any type of high and marketing is going to work 237 00:15:24.110 --> 00:15:28.830 is through that highly is through that high level of authenticity. I could not 238 00:15:28.909 --> 00:15:33.789 agree more and it's interesting. Another fun story during the casting process is really 239 00:15:33.870 --> 00:15:37.259 interesting because we go pretty wide with our net. You never know sometimes it 240 00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:41.980 happens. Many most episodes actually where the university. They think they know, 241 00:15:43.340 --> 00:15:46.139 Oh, this students going to be great, but through this process all these 242 00:15:46.299 --> 00:15:50.009 diamonds and these stories pop up that they never know about. Happens all the 243 00:15:50.090 --> 00:15:54.649 time. And during the University of Illinois we're in preproduction, we think we 244 00:15:54.769 --> 00:15:58.809 have it all mapped up and all of a sudden this student named a here 245 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:03.679 comes up and he's from India and he tells about this story of him loving 246 00:16:03.799 --> 00:16:08.679 to tinker and doing, you know, tinkering with every type of mechanical thing 247 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:11.200 you can think of. He's like taking a part is vacuum cleaner and putting 248 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:17.200 it back together and his passion and he found this professor at the University of 249 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:22.190 Illinois who was being very proactive in this this this device that was going to 250 00:16:22.269 --> 00:16:25.870 help with covid all these things were happening. His story was so incredible the 251 00:16:25.909 --> 00:16:29.629 universities like scrap that story that we had we just want to hear his story, 252 00:16:29.710 --> 00:16:32.940 and that's how I say that story, just say how real it is. 253 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:36.220 I mean we as a family, US in the university going through the 254 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:41.580 production process, rediscover this stuff together and what a joy, what a joy 255 00:16:41.620 --> 00:16:45.379 and what a great service to the next generation that would be coming to that 256 00:16:45.460 --> 00:16:48.009 university to hear those stories. That's great and I think, if I recall 257 00:16:48.090 --> 00:16:52.370 correctly and in our earlier conversation, you talked about how how important it is 258 00:16:52.570 --> 00:16:56.850 for your team, the production team, to be able to empower and actually, 259 00:16:57.009 --> 00:17:00.090 you know, as you leave campus. I mean certainly the students have 260 00:17:00.129 --> 00:17:03.920 an amazing opportunity to kind of get some experience, you know, whether it's 261 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:07.279 whether some of the media training or whether it's learning how to tell their story 262 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:11.319 or the confidence that they'll gain in that. But even, I would I 263 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:15.680 would anticipate for the marketing departments, there's a lot of benefit for just being 264 00:17:15.710 --> 00:17:18.829 able to hang out with a professional crew who is you know, whether it's 265 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.230 for a couple days or a week, but even the couple months process. 266 00:17:22.309 --> 00:17:26.230 I mean there's got there's got to be a tremendous amount of learning for each 267 00:17:26.269 --> 00:17:29.109 of the schools that are involved as well, no question about it. You 268 00:17:29.190 --> 00:17:32.619 know, to make a great episode of television it's a lot of work and 269 00:17:32.740 --> 00:17:34.819 there's no getting around that. Elbow Grease. That's going to happen on both 270 00:17:34.819 --> 00:17:38.700 sides and I think through the process we hear it all the time. It's 271 00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:42.420 and, like I said, there's two months of there's two months of reproduction. 272 00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:47.890 Every week there's a weekly call going through one one thing or another as 273 00:17:47.970 --> 00:17:49.930 we build to be get ready to be in the field. We film for 274 00:17:49.970 --> 00:17:55.289 about a week and then there's another two months in the post production process to 275 00:17:55.369 --> 00:17:59.319 go through that and they're there with us, lock step. Yeah, I 276 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:03.240 mean every single piece of that. So it's funny not to bring the universe 277 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:06.079 of Illinois a back into it, but I can remember we were wrapping up 278 00:18:06.079 --> 00:18:08.440 the episode that works, Episode Five, and they go can we keep doing 279 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:14.869 our weekly calls, because you really just I think, yeah, there's there's 280 00:18:14.950 --> 00:18:18.470 great experience throughout that whole process and I think seeing our process of how we 281 00:18:18.630 --> 00:18:23.630 identify stories help them identify stories film get that talent, because it's amazing. 282 00:18:25.470 --> 00:18:29.059 You know, the there's a lot of content out there, but when you 283 00:18:29.140 --> 00:18:30.180 watch the college tour and you watch, I mean a lot of times we 284 00:18:30.299 --> 00:18:33.859 were like the early on I would get questions. People are like, are 285 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:36.859 those actors, and like no, this are that's the really the student. 286 00:18:36.940 --> 00:18:40.579 That is really the student in their real story, and so a lot of 287 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:44.289 work goes into that and I think it's fun for the the universities to be 288 00:18:44.369 --> 00:18:48.130 part of that process, to learn from that and then take some of these 289 00:18:48.210 --> 00:18:51.369 skills and their team can learn and, you know, make more content and 290 00:18:52.329 --> 00:18:55.009 their marketing teams, in their film teams. Most these universities have them. 291 00:18:55.049 --> 00:18:59.599 They're always doing stuff, and so whether it's the smaller university that just has 292 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:03.440 like, you know, a parttime camera guy, which happens and that, 293 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:07.200 or big one with massive media teams, matter who it is, we it's 294 00:19:07.200 --> 00:19:11.190 a pleasure throughout the process and everyone's learning throughout it. That's right for the 295 00:19:11.750 --> 00:19:15.990 schools that you're partnering with. But what are some of the learnings that you 296 00:19:15.309 --> 00:19:19.069 have acquired that maybe you can share with some of our listeners that they could 297 00:19:19.069 --> 00:19:26.180 take away or maybe reach out to you about being a partner? Absolutely well, 298 00:19:26.180 --> 00:19:29.900 I guess it depends. I mean, I've learned so much throughout this. 299 00:19:30.019 --> 00:19:33.420 I'm constantly learning. I'm constantly learning I mean in the sense of like, 300 00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:37.019 what an important decision this is. Just thinking back to like to me, 301 00:19:37.740 --> 00:19:41.450 like you know, in general, our audience is high schoolers in general, 302 00:19:41.490 --> 00:19:45.730 and putting yourself in their shoes and starting to think, because when I 303 00:19:45.890 --> 00:19:48.369 chose my university, Jackson the university, I mean I was playing soccer, 304 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:52.410 but there wasn't that much out there. I didn't have a lot of help 305 00:19:52.450 --> 00:19:55.759 from my parents and not and they're great parents, it was just it was 306 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:00.240 okay, sounds good and I went and I look at it now, there's 307 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:03.519 so much that happens. This is such an important decision for these youngsters. 308 00:20:04.200 --> 00:20:07.710 These are going to be your best friends for the rest of your life. 309 00:20:07.710 --> 00:20:12.390 Like this is these the location that you're at. Think about that location. 310 00:20:12.670 --> 00:20:15.470 You know they're there, that locations going to be part of you for the 311 00:20:15.589 --> 00:20:18.309 rest of your life. And so there's the people you don't realize. Me, 312 00:20:18.390 --> 00:20:22.940 I think of Jacksonville University. I'm coming from Boston to a small little 313 00:20:22.940 --> 00:20:25.579 town, not town, but it's a city, but down in Jacksonville, 314 00:20:25.619 --> 00:20:27.579 Florida, and you know, to this day I go back to back some 315 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:30.460 university, you know, because it's part of me. It's part of WHO 316 00:20:30.500 --> 00:20:33.380 I am. It's part of who made me, and so I think that 317 00:20:33.900 --> 00:20:37.970 is that's and I just think, you know, there's a lot on the 318 00:20:37.410 --> 00:20:42.130 marketing side and on the Higher Education Front. There is so much. There's 319 00:20:42.210 --> 00:20:47.009 so much work going on behind the scenes. I mean the univer the life 320 00:20:47.369 --> 00:20:49.279 at a university, and I wish I thought about this when I was in 321 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:53.680 high school. There is so much at your your fingertips that you're not as 322 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:57.480 soon as either you don't go to college or you graduate for college, that 323 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:00.319 is over. Those are those you know. I mean welcome to the real 324 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:04.710 world. You're like one of all of us and you're in this semi bubble 325 00:21:06.109 --> 00:21:11.190 with more resources and a massive staff that is here to help guide that journey. 326 00:21:11.309 --> 00:21:15.430 And so to me, that is the biggest thing I've liked, just 327 00:21:15.589 --> 00:21:19.740 appreciated in this process and that, I think, pushes our whole entire production 328 00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:26.539 to make every episode the best it can be, because what an amazing story. 329 00:21:26.059 --> 00:21:29.940 These are four years of your life. You'll never get them back. 330 00:21:30.539 --> 00:21:33.369 That's it. You know, this is four years and I have a bigger 331 00:21:33.450 --> 00:21:37.410 impact. I can't think of another four years and someone's life that's going to 332 00:21:37.450 --> 00:21:40.730 have a bigger impact on their future than going to college. I don't know 333 00:21:40.769 --> 00:21:44.009 about you guys, but I just I look at it's like this is this 334 00:21:44.250 --> 00:21:48.960 is big, and so these universities, it's like they're in a universe. 335 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:49.880 Is a lot different than when I was going I mean, you should see 336 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:55.039 some of these places. Now, you go to options, the residence halls, 337 00:21:55.240 --> 00:21:59.400 everything is just at a bar and when I was going to school. 338 00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:02.430 So it's I think that's the biggest thing. Is just, you know, 339 00:22:02.710 --> 00:22:07.589 the people that are work in higher education are working their tails off for giving 340 00:22:07.789 --> 00:22:11.309 back in a way to help you, you know, help you have an 341 00:22:11.430 --> 00:22:15.859 awesome life, and how great is that? That's great. I really like 342 00:22:15.099 --> 00:22:18.500 that and I think that that that right there. I love the passion that 343 00:22:18.579 --> 00:22:22.019 you just told that, because I think that sometimes, as higherd marketers, 344 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:26.619 I think we often miss the fact of how important it is. That are 345 00:22:26.140 --> 00:22:30.170 what our job is. I mean we are that we are the ones in 346 00:22:30.289 --> 00:22:34.690 trusting to tell those stories and to actually empower the students to make those decisions 347 00:22:34.769 --> 00:22:38.289 that are the are the one of the biggest decisions of their life, and 348 00:22:38.410 --> 00:22:41.450 I think that you know what you're learning with the with the college tour. 349 00:22:41.650 --> 00:22:45.440 What what a lot of the guests that we have here on the podcast talk 350 00:22:45.480 --> 00:22:48.799 about is just, you know, the authenticity the storytelling, using the different 351 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:52.519 tools to tell the story, whether it's video, whether it's you know, 352 00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:57.200 there's all kinds of tools out there and I think that you you've obviously introduced 353 00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:03.470 another tool in in this idea of having a television episodes, and so I 354 00:23:03.630 --> 00:23:06.789 think that it's great and I guess, I guess one of the questions that 355 00:23:06.829 --> 00:23:08.349 I would ask is kind of as we're kind of starting to wrap up here, 356 00:23:08.630 --> 00:23:11.589 is if, I mean certainly not every college in the country is going 357 00:23:11.589 --> 00:23:15.819 to be able to partner with with the college tour and be featured on there, 358 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:18.180 but one, if they wanted to be a part of that, how 359 00:23:18.460 --> 00:23:22.019 might they do that? And to if are there other takeaways that you would 360 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:26.140 say, even if you can't be a part of our television show, here, 361 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:27.569 are like two or three things that you could do that would make a 362 00:23:27.650 --> 00:23:33.009 big impact on just the way that you do your marketing for your tour. 363 00:23:33.289 --> 00:23:37.250 Well, I I would go into I mean telling real story race, telling 364 00:23:37.410 --> 00:23:42.680 real stories is it sounds uncomplicated and so to me, but you know, 365 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:47.559 it's hard and I get that it's I think that's what's fun about this. 366 00:23:47.640 --> 00:23:51.720 Is, like I'm you know myself, Lisa burten Mike. I mean your 367 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:53.720 twenty years of telling stories at a very high level. So we're very fine 368 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:57.549 tuned in this approach, in the video format approach, and so but to 369 00:23:57.630 --> 00:24:00.990 me it's like fine, great stories and tell them. That could be written, 370 00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:03.789 that could be pictures, it whatever it is, finding these finding these 371 00:24:03.829 --> 00:24:10.579 stories because real students at that university doing extraordinary things because of that university. 372 00:24:11.059 --> 00:24:14.940 That's gold and and that it's as simple as that. You find those stories 373 00:24:14.980 --> 00:24:18.299 and you tell them in the proper way and get those into the right audience. 374 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:22.140 That's going to move the needle and I think that's what's been, you 375 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:26.049 know, Super Fun. It's I don't want to sit here and two to 376 00:24:26.089 --> 00:24:27.289 our horn, but what it's cool. I mean this started as a very 377 00:24:27.329 --> 00:24:33.769 simple idea. Let's tell a story that helps prospective students. It was that 378 00:24:33.890 --> 00:24:36.609 was it. That was a college story. That was very is my it's 379 00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:38.559 a room knee and if you watch the episode at the end it says inspired 380 00:24:38.599 --> 00:24:42.759 by Isabel Palm Asak. That's it. But they telling the way we're telling 381 00:24:42.920 --> 00:24:48.240 this story is having a massive impact in all kinds of way. We're just 382 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:52.150 getting the data back from season one. In a world where everything is kind 383 00:24:52.150 --> 00:24:56.430 of down because of Covin, lots of variables, our universities have been up. 384 00:24:56.470 --> 00:24:59.910 I'm not saying that just because of the college tour. They marketing teams. 385 00:24:59.950 --> 00:25:03.150 I'm not trying to make that all their applications are up this room. 386 00:25:03.589 --> 00:25:07.059 Other things are up that they never thought about, like financial giving, a 387 00:25:07.220 --> 00:25:12.859 love nigh engagement, school spirit, all these other recruiting athletes we hear. 388 00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:17.019 I was just on the phone call the other day with the with Utah State 389 00:25:17.059 --> 00:25:19.660 University and they were just talking about how their athletic team is using this content 390 00:25:19.740 --> 00:25:23.289 to help recruit in a better way. So there's all these it's hard to 391 00:25:23.369 --> 00:25:26.009 kind of wrap your head around the college tour. We look at it very 392 00:25:26.369 --> 00:25:32.210 it's an episode of television, simple, but there's all these ways that it's 393 00:25:32.529 --> 00:25:36.200 benefiting. So and I forgot what there's a second part of that question. 394 00:25:36.640 --> 00:25:40.519 Well, the second part was if a school was interested in in partnering with 395 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:41.759 you and being on the tour, how would that happen? Well, I 396 00:25:41.799 --> 00:25:45.880 appreciate you given us a plug. That's good. The college tourcom right there. 397 00:25:47.000 --> 00:25:48.440 There's a link rate on there, you know, to reach out to 398 00:25:48.519 --> 00:25:52.029 one of our partnership team, one of our producers, and some will be 399 00:25:52.069 --> 00:25:56.589 in touch with you very quickly and can walk you through the entire process and 400 00:25:56.750 --> 00:25:59.190 and you know, just know, I would say, it is like you 401 00:25:59.269 --> 00:26:02.549 gotta we have a great team here. We, as you can probably tell, 402 00:26:03.269 --> 00:26:08.099 we I have not had this much fun making a television show and I 403 00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:12.579 don't even maybe around the world for free, but it's up there with my 404 00:26:12.700 --> 00:26:17.019 one or two like my favorite thing I've ever done. And knowing that we're 405 00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:19.849 having an impact. I mean how usually I'm telling fun travel stories. This 406 00:26:19.930 --> 00:26:23.769 is like, this has meaning, this has purpose. I watch these students 407 00:26:23.809 --> 00:26:26.930 and you talked about early on Bart about like you know what they gain out 408 00:26:26.930 --> 00:26:30.930 of that. Like the actual individual student, one of our one of our 409 00:26:30.009 --> 00:26:34.720 students who was Asu. She just want Miss America that we just one or 410 00:26:34.759 --> 00:26:37.880 Miss Universe, I can't remember which one. Look her up. Yeah, 411 00:26:37.880 --> 00:26:41.240 she was. She did the either residence halls or I can't remember who exactly, 412 00:26:41.319 --> 00:26:44.920 a segment, but it's so funement when Miss America because a college tour. 413 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:48.190 I'm just saying it's at all, and I say I'm just saying, 414 00:26:48.190 --> 00:26:52.029 these students it's like watching just it's amazing. I we live in a world 415 00:26:52.069 --> 00:26:57.150 right now where I think, and I think it's it's common right every generation 416 00:26:57.309 --> 00:27:00.579 thinks the next generation is not as good as their generation. Right, as 417 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:03.420 it's a common thing in general. I can hear my parents that I got 418 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:07.140 you're not as tough as we were. I'll tell you what, doing the 419 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:11.339 college tour, I have so much hope for America. It's not even in 420 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:15.769 the world. It's not even because they are more carrying there, more conscious 421 00:27:15.769 --> 00:27:19.250 about our planet. They're more thoughtful. If you go back to what the 422 00:27:19.529 --> 00:27:23.529 average college student was thinking at my university, it was a great university. 423 00:27:25.369 --> 00:27:29.089 It I don't know, it was basic. These students are on another level 424 00:27:29.289 --> 00:27:33.279 now. So if you need to just feel good in a time where there's 425 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:37.519 a lot of divisiveness and a lot of what's happening, watch the college tour. 426 00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:40.240 That is our future right there, and I'll tell you what, if 427 00:27:40.279 --> 00:27:41.960 that's when I'm betting on I think we're going to be a great shit. 428 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:48.549 Congratulations for creating such a wonderful show and I would encourage all of our listeners 429 00:27:48.710 --> 00:27:52.230 to go out and watch one or two episodes. Maybe you'll get a couple 430 00:27:52.309 --> 00:27:57.269 new partners, but at the very least I think the formula that you use 431 00:27:57.660 --> 00:28:03.460 others could glean from. It's very successful and it's very authentic because cause those 432 00:28:03.460 --> 00:28:07.099 stories are coming from the students themselves. Before we wrap up, Alex, 433 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:11.420 are there any lastminute thoughts you would like to share, or maybe a secret 434 00:28:11.460 --> 00:28:15.089 or a quick takeaway that could be implemented this afternoon by one of our listeners? 435 00:28:15.329 --> 00:28:18.650 I think it's you know, have fun and tell stories at the end 436 00:28:18.650 --> 00:28:22.049 of the Yes, I'm a television producer, I'm a storyteller. My father 437 00:28:22.289 --> 00:28:25.970 was a pastor. I come from a line of storytellers and so to me 438 00:28:26.089 --> 00:28:29.640 it's you tell a great story and you can tell a grade store in anything. 439 00:28:29.680 --> 00:28:32.079 I mean it's the old adage in Hollywoods I can tell a grade store 440 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:33.960 and a Napkin, you know, write in the store. So you know, 441 00:28:34.279 --> 00:28:40.640 find a great story and then use what you have around you to whatever, 442 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:42.789 to your best of your ability, to deliver that message to the world 443 00:28:44.069 --> 00:28:48.910 and hopefully you decide to do it with the college store. Thank you, 444 00:28:49.029 --> 00:28:52.829 Alex, and good luck to you and the series. Again, Bart and 445 00:28:52.869 --> 00:28:56.339 I are big fans. Thank you so much for having me on. This 446 00:28:56.500 --> 00:29:00.019 has been a real, real pleasure. Thank you, Bart. Do you 447 00:29:00.099 --> 00:29:03.339 have any closing comments? Yeah, just to kind of pull out a couple 448 00:29:03.539 --> 00:29:07.779 nuggets from our conversation here, I just want to just want to make sure 449 00:29:07.779 --> 00:29:11.369 everybody understands being authentic, I think, is the number one rule of anything 450 00:29:11.410 --> 00:29:15.049 that you're going to be doing in high reed marketing. I mean today we've 451 00:29:15.049 --> 00:29:18.450 been talking about a television show, we've been talking about it episodes, you 452 00:29:18.490 --> 00:29:21.490 know, the college tour and the authenticity that they're able to capture in those 453 00:29:21.490 --> 00:29:23.640 stories. But authentic stories or kind of going to be the heart of any 454 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:27.920 High Ed Marketing Plan Campaign, whatever you're doing. It's not going to be 455 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:32.960 about, you know, making sure that the features of of the Biology Department 456 00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:36.359 are communicated well. It's going to be about the stories that are real and 457 00:29:36.440 --> 00:29:40.630 authentic, about how the Biology Department is impacting students lives and the world. 458 00:29:40.950 --> 00:29:42.309 And so I think that's one of the key things that I think that if 459 00:29:42.309 --> 00:29:45.589 you don't if you don't hear anything else from today, authenticity is going to 460 00:29:45.670 --> 00:29:48.630 rule the day and authenticity is going to move the needle and so I think 461 00:29:48.670 --> 00:29:52.349 that there's a lot of ways to do that. A lot of you know 462 00:29:52.710 --> 00:29:56.180 variable modes of telling stories. In this particular one it's through a lot of 463 00:29:56.220 --> 00:30:00.819 video and and and things like that. But just keep in mind authenticity, 464 00:30:00.859 --> 00:30:03.019 I think, is such a it's a key takeaway, as always. Well 465 00:30:03.140 --> 00:30:07.250 said, Bart, and that wraps up another episode of the hired Marketer podcast. 466 00:30:07.730 --> 00:30:12.569 The show is sponsored by Kava solutions and education marketing and branding agency and 467 00:30:12.809 --> 00:30:21.440 by think patented a marketing execution, printing and mailing provider of outreach campaigns for 468 00:30:21.599 --> 00:30:26.039 colleges and universities. On behalf of my cohost Bart Taylor, I'm troy singer. 469 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:32.240 Thank you for joining us. You've been listening to the Higher Ed Marketer. 470 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:36.309 To ensure that you never miss an episode, subscribe to the show in 471 00:30:36.390 --> 00:30:41.230 your favorite podcast player. If you're listening with apple podcasts. We'd love for 472 00:30:41.349 --> 00:30:44.589 you to leave a quick rating of the show. Simply tap the number of 473 00:30:44.630 --> 00:30:47.910 stars you think the podcast deserves. Until next time,