As most not-for-profit universities stick a toe in the water of higher ed marketing, they will need to watch out the for-profit sharks that have been steadily feeding for years. If you want to get a taste of the the competition looks like, check out the Kaplan Your Time ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_5SjeUKQ-g

It is a powerful ad in lots of ways. It makes no direct claims that Kaplan will offer students a better education, but much of what it does says is true and will resonate. Talent is not just in schools and it is being wasted. we are steeped in tradition and we need to react faster.

I don’t know if Kaplan can deliver on the promise of a student-centered educational system, but I know this will be a persuasive argument for students–and it is not the message with which we must compete.