Allison is joined by Suzan Brinker, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Viv Higher Education and author of Pass Fail: The Urgent Need for Strategic Leadership in Higher Education. Suzan shares practical strategies and frameworks to help higher ed institutions create authentic differentiation in an increasingly competitive enrollment landscape. This conversation tackles why differentiation is no longer optional, how to get started with a strategy, and what metrics can prove it’s working.

Key “How Tos” You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Leverage Brand Anthropology: Discover how to tell stories rooted in your institution’s history while aligning them with modern audiences.
• Build Differentiation Through Storytelling: Move beyond testimonials to create emotional, narrative-driven stories that resonate across the funnel.
• Integrate Research, Creative, and Activation: A clear three-step approach to crafting and implementing a differentiation strategy.
• Measure Success: Find out which quantitative and qualitative metrics signal that your brand differentiation efforts are working.

Guest Name: Suzan Brinker, Co-Founder & CEO, Viv Higher Education

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanbrinker/

Guest Bio: Suzan Brinker, PhD is a higher education strategist, marketer, author, and podcast host. She is the co-founder and CEO of Viv Higher Education, a Boston-based, woman-owned full-service marketing agency for colleges and universities.   Suzan is the author of Pass / Fail: The Urgent Need for Strategic Leadership in Higher Education, which was published in 2024. She also hosts the Higher Ed Leaders Podcast.  Suzan and her collaborative team specialize in helping colleges and universities differentiate themselves through market-aligned brands and programs rooted in market research, strategic planning, and a content-first approach to authentic marketing that builds trust and engages prospects at every stage of the funnel.   In addition to leading her agency team’s work across projects with institutions of all types and sizes for the past five years, Suzan brings in-house experience from her roles as   - Director of Marketing at Penn State World Campus - Director of Marketing at Northeastern University - Fractional CMO at Assumption University  Suzan grew up in Germany with a Turkish father and a German mother. She fell in love with American higher education when she came to the U.S. to study English as an undergraduate exchange student at St. Norbert College. From there, she earned her M.A. in communication from Marquette and her PhD in Higher Education from Penn State.   She lives in the Boston area with her husband and three children. 

- - - -

Connect With Our Host:
Allison Turcio
https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/
https://twitter.com/allisonturcio

About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!

Enrollify is made possible by Element451 —  the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! 
The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.

Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register