Vying for Attention: How Does Advertising Affect Search and College Choice?

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study is to analyze how advertising affects search and college choice among the plethora of college choice influencers. The results of the research indicate that parents, older siblings, friends, career aspirations, personal funds, scholarships, institutional reputation, location, sports, high school counselors, and college visits are more persuasive than advertising. However, if the college or the university identifies a key consumer insight, then advertising has a greater effect on search and college choice. Advertising's dynamic persuasiveness embeds itself in the social, cultural, economic, and political network of society. Advertising flourishes in media and uses an array of mediums to - and ultimately persuade - those who come into contact with it. Advertising bombards our conscious and subconscious thoughts as we have the potential to be exposed to some 3,000 ads per day (Sell and Spin undated). Advertising does not tell us what to think, but rather, what to think about. Thus, ads can infringe upon consumers' awareness and affect their ...thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and decisions (Tellis 2004, p. 3). In 2003, U.S. companies spent more than $240 billion on advertising (Brock and Green 2005) to in touch with potential consumers and stay in touch with current customers. One entity that is vying for consumers' attention is colleges and universities. Research suggests that high schoolers begin the college search process as early as their freshman year (Clayton 1999). At some high schools, the curriculum formally teaches eighth and ninth graders about career and education planning. (The teaching usually occurs in civics or sociology courses [Hossler, Schmit, and Vesper 1999].) Junior year in high school is ...when students seriously begin to extensively gather information (Hossler, Schmit, and Vesper 1999, p. 61). With more higher education options for students to select from and an array of college choice influencers, colleges and universities are redefining the roles and goals of their marketing and advertising efforts in order to bolster enrollment. LITERATURE REVIEW The higher education arena has grown tremendously over the last 350 years. According to Nafukho and Burnett (2002), there are more than ...3,100 baccalaureategranting institutions, each with its own unique purpose, history, student body, and faculty (p. 3). Higher education was long immune to marketing and advertising initiatives; certainly the influx of students after World War II provided colleges and universities with robust enrollment. This lasted until 1980 and was attributed to the baby boomers (Nafukho and Burnett 2002). Beginning in 1975, however, enrollment slowly declined until 1985 (Nafukho and Burnett 2002). Since the turn of the 21st century, higher education has begun to witness an increase in enrollment as a result of an increase in the number of high school graduates. The National Center for Educational Statistics (nces) (2005) reports that the number of high school graduates is expected to increase nationally by 15 percent. In addition, nces projects that between 2000 and 2013, total enrollment at degree-granting institutions (associate's, baccalaureate, or higher degree) will increase by 19 percent. The number of traditional students (those ages 18-24 years old) is also projected to increase. Given the increase in the number of traditional students, institutions of higher education will be vying for attention as high schoolers begin the search and choice process of which college or university to attend. The plethora of higher education options available equates to suffer competition (Nafukho and Burnett 2002); institutions will be forced to revisit their marketing and advertising objectives if they are to get their message out through the enormous array of advertising clutter. Refined recruitment strategies will be required if institutions of higher education intend to enroll new students. …