Summary
The purpose of this qualitative study is to analyze how advertising affects a student's search and community college choice among the plethora of community colleges, career/ technical schools, universities, and other influencers. The results of the research indicate that parents, friends, high school counselors, economics (i.e., money), and location are more persuasive than advertising. However, if the community college identifies a key consumer insight, then advertising is just as persuasive because it serves as a reminder, and it perpetuates the dialogue about higher education options.
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Extract
Advertising's Effect On Community College Search and Choice
Background
Advertising's dynamic persuasiveness embeds itself in the social, cultural, economic, and political network of society. Advertising flourishes in media and uses the array of media to touch, and ultimately persuade, those who come into contact with the advertising message. 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 date unknown). 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 & Green, 2005) to "get in touch" with potential consumers and "stay in touch" with current customers. One entity vying for consumers' attention is community colleges. Research suggests that high schoolers begin the college search process as early as their freshman year (Ashburn, 2007; Clayton, 1999). In some high schools, a curriculum is implemented for eighth and ninth graders which formally teaches them about career and educational planning. The teaching usually occurs in civics or sociology courses (Hossler, Schmit, & Vesper, 1999). By the junior year in high school, research conducted by Hossler, et al. (1999) concludes that this is the time "...when students seriously begin to extensively gather information" (p. 61).With more community colleges, career/technical schools, and universities to select from and an array of college choice influencers, community colleges need to redefine the roles and goals of their advertising efforts to encourage and bolster enrollment. Advertising is a strategy that will enable community colleges to understand their target markers), assess their needs, and determine how to communica...See the full content of this document
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