Presentation College

Memo
Date:

March 23rd, 2016

To:

Dr. Margaret Huber, President

From:

Paige Metzinger

Subject:

Recommendation Report for Marketing and Advertising at PC

Attached is the report for my study, Analysis of Marketing and Advertising for
Prospective Students: A Recommendation Report. I completed the tasks
described in my proposal: Determine which aspects of advertising students
(between the ages of 17 and 23) are most likely to respond to through
interviews and research, figure the percentage of prospective students to
enrolled students, design a method that would most benefit the marketing
and advertising needs of the school, analyze data and prepare a
recommendation report.
To perform these tasks, I gathered secondary and primary research. I studied
the literature on social media and its effects and conducted interviews. Based
on the documents provided by Dr. Michelle Metzinger, Vice President of
Academics at Presentation College, I collected and analyzed my data and
wrote the report.
Of the 305 high school students that inquired information and applied to
Presentation College, otherwise referred to as prospective students, 144
traditional freshmen students were enrolled at Presentation College in the fall
of 2015; this figures to 47.21%. Forty-seven percent of enrolled students of the
305 prospective students is generally a healthy number when it comes to the
success of recruiting.
On the basis of these findings, I recommend that Presentation College send
out questionnaires via Survey Monkey to allow the Admissions and Enrollment
departments to have a better insight for marketing prospective students.
I appreciate the trust you have shown in inviting me to participate in the initial
stages of the study, and I would look forward to working with you on other
portions of the study. If you have any questions or comments please contact
me at paige.metzinger@trojans.dsu.edu.

Analysis of Marketing and Advertising for

Prospective Students

Prepared for: Dr. Margaret Huber, President

Prepared by: Paige Metzinger
March 24, 2016

Abstract
Analysis of Marketing and Advertising for Prospective
Students
Prepared by: Paige Metzinger

Professor Maureen Murphy approved the report for media advertising.

On March 22nd, 2016, Tim Beckham, Director of Marketing and Public
Relations at Presentation College, agreed to contribute the necessary
information in regards to the advertising methods used to target
prospective students. With the assistance of Andy Hanson, Marketing
and Advertising Coordinator, and Mike Mattison, Vice President for
Enrollment at Presentation College, I have composed a
recommendation report for the methods of recruiting using social
media.
Keywords: social media, recruit, prospective students, networking,
targeted schools

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

6-8

RESEARCH METHODS

RESULTS

10-11

CONCLUSIONS

12

RECOMMENDATION

13

REFERENCES

14

Executive Summary
First-world societies across the globe
cling
onto
the
commercialized
juggernaut of online social networking.
Online interaction with others has
become earths neoteric addiction.
Poste restante has ripened into the
contemporary,
technologically
advanced systems that we use every
day. Dr. Thomas C. Flamboe, Ph.D, an
assistant professor at Presentation
College in Aberdeen, South Dakota
defines social networking: [Social
Media is] connecting with people and
friends via host on the internet. Sites
such as Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram have snatched the assiduity
of
the
networking
macrocosm;
however, the ascendancy of social
media has procured a negative effect.
Personal information is now more easily
accessible, and crimes linked to the
internet have skyrocketed.

communication, common questions,

and other things. When recruiting,
Presentation College tends to target
more students from a rural area
because that is what the location
entails.
Targeted high schools are a primary
focus for small schools like Presentation
College; they often recruit students
based on the schools most popular
major- Nursing/Health Care. However,
Presentation College primarily targets
private Catholic high schools because
studies show that the school is more
likely to retain those students for years.
Twenty-four percent of all PC students
claim to be Catholic.
Of the 305 high school students that
inquired information and applied to
Presentation
College,
otherwise
referred to as prospective students, 144
traditional freshmen students were
enrolled at Presentation College in the
fall of 2015. Mike Mattison, Vice
President for Enrollment, shares that the
Presentation Football Facebook page
is the most visited social media site.
More focus should be put towards
marketing and advertising prospective
students on that page.

Research on the analytical effects of

social networking has become a new
study due to the ever-improving
technological advancements. Studies
have concluded that those who live in
rural areas are not as likely to use social
networking as often as those who live
in urban areas. Many students, myself
included, use the internet more than
once a day for homework, research,

Introduction
During the third week of March,
Professor Maureen Murphy approved
the research project on the Analysis of
Marketing
and
Advertising
for
Prospective Students - a project
concerning
the
recruitment
of
prospective students at Presentation
College; this project is intended for
Technical English- ENGL 305.

The typical prospective student

recruitment strategy consists of sending
mailers from the college or universitys
admissions office and scheduling an
on-campus tour. Occasional phone
calls can be made by appointment
with the admissions office to answer
any questions or concerns the student
may have. Another form of recruitment
is through academic and athletic
scholarships that allow students to
further the development of their craft.

On March 22nd, 2016, Tim Beckham,

Director of Marketing and Public
Relations at Presentation College,
agreed to contribute necessary
information
in
regards
to
the
advertising for prospective students.
With the assistance of Andy Hanson,
Marketing
and
Advertising
Coordinator, and Mike Mattison, Vice
President for Enrollment at Presentation
College, I have acquired a basic
understanding of marketing and
enrollment.

Used as a contemporary recruitment

tool, college officials will schedule
video chats with prospective students
that live too far away from the college
to visit. Presentation College has a
virtual tour that students can see on
their computer, IPhone, or IPad;
administration can identify the location
from which students are viewing their
virtual tour. Facebook contests, Twitter
posts, and Instagram pictures are all
social media networking applications
that Presentation College wields to the
colleges advantage. Research shows,
however, that selective methods of
advertising are more effective. With
the contribution of Presentation
Colleges Marketing and Advertising
Department as well as their Office of
Enrollment, the most sufficient means
of recruitment has been identified.

Presentation College is a four-year,

private Catholic college that was
founded by the Sisters of The
Presentation of The Blessed Virgin Mary
in 1951. The main campus is located in
Aberdeen, South Dakota; in addition
to the Aberdeen location, an
alternative location resides in Fairmont,
MN. As of fall 2014, an average of 735
people are enrolled as full-time
students at Presentation College each
year. The college comprises of twentysix different majors that can be taken
through either campus or PC Virtual
Online.

Research
also
indicates
that
socioeconomic status among the
internet populous is a contributing
factor in determining who uses social

Introduction Continued
networking.
Teenagers
with
Caucasian, college-educated parents
have the highest access to social
media. Internet users who partake in
social networking that are ages
eighteen and older are 78 percent
female and 69 percent male.
Hispanics are the most likely of all the
races to use online social media,
followed by black/ non-Hispanic and
white/non-Hispanic. Of all the internet
users ages eighteen to twenty-nine, 90
percent use sites like Facebook and
Twitter. Social media and networking is
most common among those in college
or with a college degree. Urban
societies are 6 percent more likely than
rural societies to take part in the
networking frenzy (PewResearch).

of
social
(PewResearch).

networking

site

According to NACAC, In 2008, 85

percent of college admission offices
reported using at least one form of
social media to recruit prospective
students (NACAC). This number has
undoubtedly increased since the study
was done 8 years ago.
For most students, the very first
induction of a college is seen through
social media sites. Students and their
parents use the internet to find a
school that suits their needs. By using
the internet and various forms of social
media sites, students are able to
discover a school that offers their
desired program, fantastic faculty and
staff, and a place to call home.

The growth of networking sites was

simply unheard of fifteen years ago. In
2011, Twitter grew from 75 million
registered users to 175 million users in
just one year; this study also states that
nearly eighteen percent of online
adults use Twitter. Experiencing a
consubstantial expansion, Facebooks
registered user count grew from 350
million in 2010 to 640 million a year
later. Currently, Facebook has 600
million daily active users and one billion
monthly active users (Stuart). In
acquiesce with the Internet Project
Social
Networking
Fact
Sheet
consummated by PewResearch, 73
percent of adults online use some sort

Prospective students can also view

what other students and alumni are
saying about the college. These sites
also answer the many questions
incoming undergraduates have.
Targeted high schools are a primary
focus for small schools like Presentation
College; they often recruit students
based on the schools most popular
major- Nursing/Health Care. However,
Presentation College primarily targets
private Catholic high schools because
studies show that the school is more
likely to retain those students for all

Introduction Continued
four years. Twenty-four percent of all
PC students claim to be Catholic.
Of the 305 high school students that
inquired information and applied to
Presentation
College,
otherwise
referred to as prospective students, 144
traditional freshmen students were

enrolled at Presentation College in the

fall of 2015. Mike Mattison, Vice
President for Enrollment, shares that the
Presentation Football Facebook page
is the most visited social media site.
More focus should be put towards
marketing and advertising prospective
students on that page.

Research Methods
To acquire the information requested
for this report, the project was broken
into four tasks:

73 percent of adults online use some

sort of social networking site
(PewResearch).

Task 2: Figure the percentage of

prospective students to enrolled
students.

1. Determine which aspects of

advertising students (between
the ages of 17 and 23) are most
likely to respond to through
interviews and research
2. Figure the percentage of
prospective students to enrolled
students.
3. Design a method that would
most benefit the Marketing and
Advertising needs of the school.
4. Analyze data and prepare a
recommendation report.

The admissions office has the ability to

view how many students request
additional information about
Presentation College. These students
are categorized as prospective
students along with any students that
tour the campus and/or meet with the
admissions office. Currently enrolled
freshmen will be divided by the
number of prospective students to
calculate the percentage of students
that responded to the marketing or
advertising.

Task 1: Determine which aspects

of advertising students (between
the ages of 17 and 23) are most
likely to respond to through
interviews and research.

Task 3: Design a method that

would most benefit the Marketing
and Advertising needs of the
school.

A formal interview with Mike Mattison,

Vice President of Enrollment, and Tim
Beckham, Director of Marketing and
Public Relations has been scheduled
for March 28th. The meeting will allow
me to further understand the process
and specific statistics of enrollment at
Presentation College. A list of interview
questions will be provided to enhance
progress and accuracy.

After determining the most popular

social media recruiting tool for
Presentation, provide the most
effective way to reach students in a
way that most benefits the school.

Task 4: Analyze data and

prepare a recommendation
report.

Facebook has 600 million daily active

users and one billion monthly active
users (Stuart). In acquiesce with the
Internet Project Social Networking Fact
Sheet consummated by PewResearch,

Prepare a recommendation report

that explains the research methods
and the findings.

Results
Of the 305 high school students that
inquired information and applied to
Presentation College, otherwise
referred to as prospective students, 144
traditional freshmen students were
enrolled at Presentation College in the
fall of 2015; this figures to 47.21%. Fortyseven percent of enrolled students of
the 305 prospective students is
generally a healthy number when it
comes to the success of recruiting. The
percentage of enrolled students to
prospective students was a result that I
did not expect to see. As seen in Fig.
1B, Nearly half of the prospective
students were enrolled the next
semester.

0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0

Religious
Affiliation
Baptist
Catholic
Lutheran

Students

Percent of Students

Targeted high schools are a primary

focus for small schools like Presentation
College; they often recruit students
based on the schools most popular
major-Nursing/Health Care. However,
Presentation College primarily targets
private Catholic high schools because
studies show that the school is more
likely to retain those students for all four
years. These schools are recruited
through the social media pages of
Presentation
Colleges
Campus
Ministry Club. Twenty-four percent of all
PC students claim to be Catholic. The
Roman Catholic affiliation of students
has decreased over the years as seen
in Fig. 1A.

350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Methodist
2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Fig. 1A

Fig. 1B

10

Results
Mike Mattison, Vice President for
Enrollment,
shared
that
the
Presentation Football Facebook page
is the colleges most visited social
media site. Furthermore, statistics show
that 137 of the 144 enrolled freshmen
are Presentation College athletes. If a
total of 95.14% of enrolled freshmen
are student-athletes, more focus

should be put toward the social media

advertising of Presentations athletics.
As of February 2016, Facebook is the
worlds most visited social media
website based on shared visits. Young
adults visit social media sites most often.
See visual representation Fig. 2A below.

Fig. 2A

11

Conclusions
In this section, I present the conclusions
based on our research related to The
Analysis of Marketing and Advertising
for Prospective Students.

Based on the percentage of student

athletes
and
religious
students,
Presentation College needs to direct
specific attention to the following
social media pages:

As of February 2016, Facebook is the

worlds most visited social media
website based on shared visits. As a
part of the millennial generation, a
group of young people born between
the years of 1980 and 2000,
technology
illustrates
significant
importance.
Young
adults
and
teenagers unknowingly view the world
through television, radio, phones,
internet, and email. Nearly 78 million
people are included in the millennial
generation, which is significantly more
than the baby boomer generation;
therefore, it has had the largest impact
on organizations, businesses, and
politics. The millennials are on track
to become the most educated
generation in American history, and
research shows that those who receive
more education are more likely to be
an internet social networker because
access is straightforward. Though social
media can be seen through many
devices, this generation is most
influenced by the information on the
computer. Eighty-three percent of
adults in this category use a computer
at work every day and spend nearly
seventeen hour on it each week.
Approximately one-third of life for this
generation is spent on the computer
(Internet Safety 101).

https://www.facebook.com/pre
sentation.college.football/?fref=
ts

https://www.facebook.com/PC
SaintsVolleyball/?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/pre
sentationcollege/

https://www.instagram.com/pre
sentationpc/

https://twitter.com/Presentation
PC

https://twitter.com/PCSaintFoot
ball

The internet is becoming a necessity in

the United States, not a luxury. In
conclusion, the old-fashioned way of
recruiting
and
marketing
for
prospective students will transition into
the engaging of students entirely
online. Presentation Faculty can
identify and improve their marketing
needs by consulting with students in a
different way. Survey Monkey is an
online survey development cloudbased company that will detect
(through simple questionnaires) what
social media sites and graphics the
colleges student population is most
responsive to.
12

Recommendations
I recommend that Presentation College send out questionnaires via Survey Monkey
to allow the Admissions and Enrollment departments to have a better insight for
marketing prospective students. To date, Facebook is the most popular social media
site; this information, combined with the fact that over 90% of Presentation Colleges
freshmen students are college athletes, demonstrates that athletic pages on
Facebook should be altered to fit the needs of prospective students.

13

References
Enrollment by Campus. Raw data. Aberdeen, SD.
Final Enrollment Report. Raw data. Aberdeen, SD.
"Social Media: Considerations and Implications in College Admission." NACAC. 2009. Web.
"Social Media Usage: 2005-2015." Pew Research Center Internet Science Tech RSS. 2015.
Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
"Social Networking Fact Sheet." PewResearch. (2013): n. page. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
"Statistics." Internet Safety 101. Enough is Enough. Web. 9 Apr. 2014.

14