My guest today is Jarrett Smith, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Echo Delta, an education marketing agency solving higher ed's most pressing marketing problems with strategies designed for success.

In this episode, Jarrett discusses Echo Delta's recent report on how politics affect students' college decisions and what that means for higher ed marketing and content creation. He shares insights on the extent to which state and campus politics influence student choice, students' key concerns, and how institutions can address these issues in their marketing efforts.

Key Takeaways:

• Politics is a significant factor for most students in their college decision, accounting for about 20% of the decision on average
• 64% of students say state politics differing from their views would be a factor, while 74% say campus politics would be a factor
• Top student concerns include personal safety, fear of not belonging, and concerns about harassment
• Left-leaning students were more likely to cite a wide range of concerns compared to moderate or conservative students
• Texas, Florida, and Alabama were the states of most concern, even among some moderate and conservative students

Strategies and Examples Discussed:

• Texas A&M's "Where You Belong" campaign showcasing student diversity through micro-stories and high production value
• Hillsdale College's conservative positioning and high-quality content production
• Penn State's "Social 119" YouTube channel featuring lectures on controversial topics
• University of Chicago's principles of free expression and how they communicate this in admissions content
  
  

Connect With Jarrett:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smithjarrett/
• Website: echodelta.co
  
  

Connect With John:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnazoni
• Website: https://unveild.tv
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