About the Episode
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About the Episode:
Jenny Li Fowler sits down with Jaime Hunt, host of Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO, for a no-holds-barred conversation packed with hot takes on higher education marketing, leadership dysfunction, and the systemic cultural habits holding institutions back. Drawing from decades of experience, Jaime and Jenny bring a sharp, refreshingly honest lens to some of higher ed’s most persistent challenges—from siloed departments and underfunded marketing teams to presidents chasing prestige at the expense of authenticity.
This is not your typical higher ed podcast episode—this is a masterclass in what’s broken and what needs to change.
Key Takeaways
- “Best-kept secret” is code for underfunded marketing teams: Institutions blaming marketing for low visibility often haven’t invested the necessary resources to make strategic marketing successful.
- Leadership envy creates brand incoherence: University presidents who want to emulate other institutions damage authenticity and confuse audiences.
- Silo culture is people-powered: Gatekeeping behavior by individual leaders perpetuates information hoarding and weakens institutional collaboration.
- Social media is a strategy, not a tactic: Higher ed must stop treating social media as a checkbox or side gig—it’s a high-stakes, reputation-driving function.
- “We've always done it this way” is the enemy of innovation: Institutions that cling to tradition miss opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Peer envy drains resources: Chasing what other institutions are doing—without alignment to your own mission and capabilities—leads to waste and frustration.
- Faculty-led leadership lacks marketing literacy: Leaders who haven’t worked with strategic marketers don’t always grasp the investment needed for results.
Episode Summary: Hot Takes in Higher Ed Marketing – Unfiltered
Why is “best-kept secret” a red flag?
When leadership claims their institution is a "best-kept secret," it often signals a failure to invest in marketing—not a failure of marketing strategy itself. Jaime Hunt emphasizes that this narrative tends to shift blame onto marketers when the real problem is systemic underfunding. In the current competitive higher ed landscape, successful marketing takes real dollars, not just effort. The millennial boom is over, and Gen Z demands more personalized, strategic engagement—none of which is cheap or easy.
As Jenny points out, this mindset allows leadership to feel like they’re identifying a problem without actually solving it. A "best-kept secret" isn’t a badge of honor—it’s a warning sign that your institution isn’t showing up in the right places with the right message. And that’s a solvable problem… if you fund it.
How does presidential envy derail branding?
One of Jaime’s boldest takes is that university presidents often want to turn their institutions into something they’re not—because they’re chasing their own career ambitions. She shares firsthand experiences where presidents modeled their branding goals after elite institutions, despite leading access-focused or regional schools. The result? Brand incoherence and disillusionment among students and staff.
Jenny is floored by how common this phenomenon is. When leaders use marketing as a stepping stone to another job, authenticity is sacrificed. Jaime suggests that only when leadership embraces the institution’s true strengths—rather than idolizing others—can meaningful, effective marketing take place.
What’s really behind the silo problem in higher ed?
Gatekeepers. Not systems. Not structure. People. Jenny argues that silos are created and reinforced by individuals who hoard information and resist collaboration. And when those people sit in positions of power, their behavior becomes institutional culture. The “workaround” culture becomes the norm, and efficiency suffers across departments.
Jaime adds that often these gatekeepers are more interested in their own portfolio-building than in organizational success. Their refusal to share data or collaborate stems from a desire to “own” wins, which ultimately leads to frustration and stagnation. Her advice? Build relationships where you can, and when you hit a wall, work smarter—not harder.
What’s wrong with “we’ve always done it that way”?
This phrase may be the most dangerous one in higher education. Jaime shares a story where her team was spending valuable time compiling a daily media report—only to discover the new president didn’t even want it. The report was a holdover from a previous administration. Simply asking a question revealed that the work was outdated and unnecessary.
Jenny relates this resistance to change to her experience in social media, where platforms and tactics evolve constantly. If higher ed can’t embrace change, it will continue to fall behind—not just in marketing, but in student engagement, technology, and beyond.
Why is peer envy wasting your marketing budget?
Another of Jaime’s hot takes: Institutions constantly chase what their “aspirational peers” are doing—without considering whether it aligns with their own goals or resources. Presidents and VPs will send down expensive brochures or slick videos from other schools with vague directives to “do something like this,” even when those schools have entirely different budgets, teams, and missions.
This kind of knee-jerk mimicry leads to misallocated funds and confused messaging. Jaime stresses the importance of understanding what your school actually needs and who your audience really is. Peer envy isn’t a strategy—it’s a distraction.
Is there a social media literacy gap in higher ed?
Oh, absolutely. Jenny vents about how many leaders still treat social media like an afterthought—asking for viral videos or hashtags as though those are strategic objectives. Social is not a side project or a job for interns. It’s a core part of brand management and crisis communication, and it requires professionals with experience and authority.
Jaime reinforces this by comparing the treatment of CMOs and CFOs. No one walks into a CFO’s office and tells them how to balance the budget. But everyone thinks they understand marketing. Until that changes, social media professionals will remain underpaid, undervalued, and overextended.
Connect With Our Host:
https://twitter.com/TheJennyLi
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:
Confessions of a Higher Ed Social Media Manager is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows, too!
Some of our favorites include Higher Ed Pulse and Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO.
Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.
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