Effectively Marketing College Access to Urban Teens

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Effectively Marketing College Access to Urban
Teens
Ivan Juzang MEE Productions Inc
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Youre not talking to me

• Communicating Effectively in
• Todays Environment

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Thinking It Through
Question 1 Who is your target audience(s)?
Question 2 What is your core school success
message? Question 3 How much money do you
have? Question 4 What delivery channels are you
using? Question 5 Who is the best message
sender(s)?
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Developmental Framework

• POINT B - Where we want the audience to be (Q - 2
  3)
• Defined clear agenda
• Relative position
• Deeper conversation (Dialogue)
• POINT A - Where the audience is (Q - 1, 4, 5)
• Context
• World View
• Issues
• POINT 0 - Where the service providers and
  volunteers are
• Baggage
• Myths and misinformation
• Mindset, funding, terms of relationship

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Two Low-Income Urban Teen Audiences

• Teens who want/plan to go to college
• Academically qualified students
• BUT they do NOT know how they are going to pay
  for it
• Do NOT know all of their financial aid options or
  FAFSA
• Key Teens and parents need 1-on-1 support to
  complete the process

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Two Low-Income Urban Teen Audiences

• Teens for whom college is NOT on the radar
• Key Keep low-income youth from dropping out
• of high school
• Increase number of students who pursue
  postsecondary training
• Take advantage of federal student aid
• Note Two issues around self-efficacy
• Can I handle it?
• Can I afford it?

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Four Pillars Developmental Framework

• Basic model of communications
• Oral communications culture
• environmental context
• Moving an audience from Point A to Point B
• What to Say (content) and How to Say It
  (delivery)

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The Basic Model of Communication
Sender Message Channel Receiver
Credibility Content
Effectiveness Targeted
Its NOT Only What You Say, But How You Say It!
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Sender Message Channel Receiver
Oral Communications Culture

• Oral History - Storytelling (not linear)
• Highly Interactive - Social Interaction
• Challenge the sender
• Argument/Counter-Argument - Questioning
• Sender Debating position, convincing, defending
• Receiver Venting, sharing realities (the why
  behind the behavior)

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Sender Message Channel Receiver
Arguments/Concerns Counter Arguments

• Im getting a job - I dont need college
• Didnt take the right classes - My grades are NOT
  good enough
• Too difficult - I cant handle the pressure
• Teachers/Counselors didnt tell me about it
• I dont know anything about financial aid
• Dont know how - Cant afford college (too poor)
• Parents Dont want loans (If you dont get a
  scholarship)
• FAFSA is too complicated - Too many forms to fill
  out

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Sender Message Channel Receiver
Point A (The Urban Context) The Receiver's
WORLDVIEW (The reality of low-income urban
audiences youth)

• The streets
• Education/public schools
• Economics
• Health care and public health

• Government (the system)
• Mass media
• Family/Community
• Mainstream, dominant society

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Sender Message Channel Receiver
Traditional Delivery Channels

• TV 34 of African American youth watch 4 or more
  hours/day
• Radio 28 of AA youth listen to 4 or more
  hours/day
• DVD/VCR 95 of AA have a VCR or DVD in the
  household
• Print 75 of AA youth like to read
• Transit 48 of AA youth take public
  transportation
• Internet 91 of AA youth had access to the
  Internet
• Movie Theater 62 of AA youth go to the movies 2
  or more times/month

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Sender Message Channel Receiver
How To Say It!! (Advertising vs. Community-Based)

• High media consumption
• Peer acceptance
• Unrealized adult power

Adult power trumps peer influence
Counselors, some teachers and parents/family
are KEY influencers
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Sender Message Channel Receiver
What to Say!! Promoting Postsecondary Education

• You CAN go to college. You can get financial aid.
  We can help
• Your future -Your choice (The choices you make
  today)
• Make tomorrows success (your dreams) happen with
  todays choices
• College can better your life (promote the
  benefits of education)
• You say you want to get paid. You say you want a
  better life. Get in the game!
• Start by seeing how much money the government
  will give you (FREE)

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Sender Message Channel Receiver
Celebrity n. 1. Famous Person 2. A Highly
Visible or Popular Person Who Appeals to Others
3. Renown
Sender (Celebrities)
Channel (for Celebrities)

• Leverage voice and visibility
• Passionate/vested in the topic
• Knowledgeable about issue
• Community roots credibility
• Nationally or regionally known

• PSAs (TV/Cable/Radio/Print)
• Press (TV/Radio/Print/Ethnic)
• Policymakers (ALL levels)
• Grassroots advocacy/forums
• Celebrity events (bring peers)

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Sender Message Channel Receiver
How to Say It!
Sender (Peer-to-Peer)
Sender (Community-to-Parents)

• Identifying the peer leader
• Sub-group cultures (leaders)
• Access, language, credibility
• Recovered, older peers (A ? B)
• Arguments/Counter Arguments

• Keys to the community (parents)
• Listen to involve Use media
• Empower parents (1-to-3-to-15)
• 3Rs (Real, Relevant, Respectful)
• Best interest (high expectations)

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Campaign Messages and Themes

• Youth have the power and choices to change their
  lives
• Youth are on their own and must fend for
  themselves
• Many know that education is the way out of the
  negative cycle in which they find themselves
• Youth are unaware of ALL of their choices
• Work with and talk directly to youth

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Campaign Messages and Themes

• Youth have the power and choices to change their
  lives
• Motivate youth to be the catalyst of their own
  success
• Empower youth through the campaign messages,
  activities and media

It will be important for ALL adults to support
and inform youth about their choices and tell
them they have more power than they are aware of.
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Campaign Messages and Themes

• There MUST be resources and people in place who
  can help
• Provide and/or direct youth to services, programs
  created and designed for them Go To Them!!!
• Support and promote a one-stop solution center
  for a wide variety of education issues
• Parents and youth need 1-on-1, face-to-face
  assistance with completing forms

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Campaign Messages and Themes

• There MUST be resources and people in place who
  can help
• Promote ALL types of financial aid, besides just
  scholarships
• All media and materials should drive teens and
  parents to a user-friendly toll-free number
• Parents and Students need help across the finish
  line

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Education Messages with Street Life

• Develop messages that create community ownership
  of student achievement and higher education
• You can change the game
• You can go to college - Get financial aid
• Messages must be real, authentic and respectful
  of the community
• Go into the community (listen and involve the
  target audience in the process)
• Create messages, images and symbols that
  ethnic/urban audiences relate to

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Education Messages with Street Life

• Use both traditional and non-traditional delivery
  channels
• By and For messages will compete with other
  life choices
• Special focus on the highest risk youth (many of
  whom are trendsetters)