About the Episode
In this wide-ranging conversation, Jaime talks with Jason Simon, CEO of higher ed marcomm agency SimpsonScarborough, about everything from labor shortages to budgets to martech and more. Learn more about the universality of the challenges we face, tips for the new CMO, ideas for recruiting and retaining staff – and much, much more.
Key Takeaways
- MarTech Gap in Higher Education: Higher ed spends significantly less on marketing technology than corporate sectors, resulting in challenges for scalability and effectiveness.
- CMO as Strategic Leader: Recent shifts have emphasized the CMO's role in strategic planning, crisis communications, and brand management, with many now having a seat at the cabinet level.
- Retention and Recruitment Challenges: Higher ed faces labor shortages in key MarTech roles, driving a need for remote work flexibility, competitive salaries, and thoughtful outsourcing.
- Balancing Crisis Communications with Long-Term Strategy: Effective CMOs must navigate daily crises while staying focused on overarching brand goals and institutional objectives.
Episode Summary
The Growing Influence of Higher Ed CMOs
As Jason Simon highlights, higher education CMOs have seen their influence grow significantly over the past decade, with many now reporting directly to the president or serving on the presidential cabinet. This shift comes as institutions recognize the need for strategic communications and marketing insights to address both everyday challenges and long-term strategic goals. Jason attributes this increased influence partly to recent crises, like COVID-19 and social justice movements, which have underscored the importance of real-time communication, institutional values, and brand reputation management.
SimpsonScarborough's 2022 CMO survey indicates that institutions with CMOs in cabinet roles are 132% more likely to be involved in strategic pricing discussions and twice as likely to measure brand strength and retention effectively. For CMOs in non-cabinet roles, these findings underline the potential impact of a strategic seat at the table and the value of bringing data to decision-making discussions.
Addressing the MarTech Divide: Why Higher Ed is Falling Behind
One of the most striking insights from SimpsonScarborough’s research is the disparity in MarTech spending between higher education and corporate sectors. Higher ed institutions spend approximately 3% of their marketing budget on MarTech, compared to around 26% in corporate marketing—a gap that limits scalability and operational efficiency. Jason emphasizes that higher education’s tendency to invest in people rather than technology contrasts with corporate models, where MarTech solutions support leaner teams to achieve maximum impact.
CMOs aiming to bridge this MarTech gap can start by advocating for technologies that will improve team efficiency and ROI, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems, analytics, and social listening tools. Not only do these systems enable CMOs to measure and refine marketing efforts, but they also build a foundation for proving the value of marketing initiatives to stakeholders. For CMOs in resource-constrained institutions, Jason suggests looking to agencies for outsourced MarTech support or building centralized training initiatives to upskill internal teams on these vital tools.
Retention Challenges and Solutions: Navigating Higher Ed’s Talent Shortage
A significant takeaway from this episode is the current struggle in higher ed to retain and recruit talent, especially for digital and technology-oriented roles. This talent drain, driven by competitive salaries and remote work flexibility in the private sector, has left many institutions understaffed and under-resourced. Jason notes that almost 60% of current marketing professionals are considering leaving higher ed in the near term, a statistic that presents both a challenge and a call to action for higher ed leaders.
Institutions can better attract and retain top talent by offering competitive salaries, remote work options, and professional development opportunities that align with industry trends. For CMOs, strategically considering which roles can be effectively outsourced can help manage this talent shortage while maintaining critical MarTech functions. Focusing on training and development for existing staff can also support long-term retention and empower teams to drive brand initiatives forward.
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