In this enlightening episode, we welcome Rob Zinkan, Vice President for Marketing Leadership at RHB, to discuss the pivotal role of constituent experiences in higher education marketing. Rob provides an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities facing community colleges as they strive to enhance their impact on students and communities. From understanding RHB’s 4Es model to creating meaningful and memorable student journeys, this episode sheds light on how colleges can effectively differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• Strategies for Creating Meaningful Experiences: Learn practical steps to start creating impactful constituent experiences, from conducting experience inventories to journey mapping, ensuring these experiences align with institutional mission and values.
• Insights into the 4Es Model: Discover RHB’s model of coherence, focusing on the four key areas—experience, expression, expectation, and effectiveness—that marketing departments need to master for greater institutional impact.
• Real-World Examples of Signature Experiences: Hear about successful initiatives, like the Summit at Agnes Scott College, that have significantly improved engagement and contributed to institutional success.
• Measuring the Impact of Experiences: Understand how to assess and measure the effectiveness of constituent experiences using various metrics and indicators, ensuring these experiences drive desired outcomes such as admissions, retention, and alumni engagement.
• Future Trends in Higher Education Marketing: Gain insights into upcoming trends and how colleges can prepare to stay ahead, focusing on digital transformation and integrating human-centered design to enhance overall constituent experiences.

How to Structure Your Higher Ed Marketing Department for the Future: An RHB Guidebook.

Guest Name: Rob Zinkan, Vice President for Marketing Leadership, RHB

Guest Bio: Rob brings 25 years of experience in higher education leadership focused on reputation and resource development and intra-organizational alignment. He joined RHB in 2019 after nearly two decades at Indiana University in a variety of senior roles from campus-level vice chancellor to system-wide associate vice president. Rob holds a doctorate from Creighton University (his dissertation topic was higher education brand coherence), a master’s from Xavier University and a bachelor’s from Wabash College. A popular speaker, writer and advisor on higher education marketing and organization design, Rob is a former CASE commissioner (Commission on Communications and Marketing) and AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education committee member. He is co-author of the 2021 book What Makes a Strategic Plan ‘Strategic’?  and is co-editor and contributor to  Inside Higher Ed’s “Call to Action” blog. Rob also teaches graduate courses in both strategic communication and higher education leadership.

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