Building a Strategic Marketing Roadmap for James Madison University (JMU)
James Madison University’s (JMU) Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) division faced challenges in its marketing efforts, needing a more strategic, long-term approach. The department required a tool that would serve as a day-to-day roadmap for their new marketing manager and help tie marketing activities to revenue goals. The Spur Group was engaged to develop a strategic marketing plan, complete with key performance indicators (KPIs) and tracking tools, to ensure the department could operate with greater efficiency and accountability.
🔍 The Opportunity
JMU’s Professional and Continuing Education division offers a diverse range of programs, from credit courses to professional development and youth camps, each with distinct marketing needs. Historically, the marketing approach was reactive, relying on last-minute efforts like e-blasts to fill classes. However, JMU wanted to move away from this ad hoc method and adopt a more strategic approach to marketing, focusing on long-term planning, measurable results, and the ability to tie marketing expenditures directly to revenue.
“This was a huge change in terms of mindset for the department,” explained Shonta Sellers, JMU’s Communications and Marketing Manager. “But we were totally on board because we wanted to be better stewards of the money we have, with the ability to gauge how effective we are.”
The need for a robust strategic marketing plan was especially important as JMU was preparing to hire a new marketing manager. The goal was to create a tool that would not only guide the new hire but also be adaptable across the department’s various programs, ensuring cohesive and results-driven marketing efforts.
“This was a huge change in terms of mindset for the department, but we were totally on board because we wanted to be better stewards of the money we have, with the ability to gauge how effective we are.”
💡 The Solution
The Spur Group began by sharing best practices with JMU’s team on strategic marketing principles and how they could be applied practically to the university’s operations. The first step was understanding how different business units within PCE had approached marketing in the past. Through meetings with staff across credit, professional development, and youth programs, The Spur Group gained a clear picture of how marketing was currently handled and where improvements could be made.
With this insight, the team built a comprehensive strategic marketing tool that would serve as a roadmap for the department. This tool was designed to forecast trends, allocate marketing resources efficiently, and measure success through meaningful KPIs.
“The Spur Group was so easy to work with, communicating so well and explaining the rationale and laying out a plan to move us forward,” said Sellers. “We were always challenged to look at things differently. Plus, having them on our team meant we benefited from significant knowledge, like with CRMs, that were outside the scope of our project. That makes them a priceless asset and well worth the investment.”
Once the tool’s framework was established, The Spur Group helped the JMU team set up key performance indicators. By using industry benchmarks, SpurCG guided JMU in establishing realistic goals for student enrollment and revenue. These KPIs, combined with other metrics, allowed the department to track the effectiveness of its marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions.
“There was a big difference in how we shifted our mindset,” said Nicki West, JMU’s Financial and Operations Manager. “Instead of focusing on just recouping the money spent, we were actually able to focus on maximizing the value of the money spent. That was powerful.”
📈 The Outcome
The strategic marketing tool has empowered JMU’s PCE division to plan and execute its marketing efforts with greater accountability and efficiency. By comparing actual expenditures with enrollment results, the team can now allocate resources more effectively across different channels, such as email marketing, print, and online ads. The tool has also enabled program managers and marketing leaders to have more meaningful conversations about goals and long-term planning.
“The accountability of this process has been incredible and has had far-reaching implications into other areas of our unit as well,” said Sellers. “We needed the structure, efficiency, process, and accountability. We had that before, but now it’s just a lot more organized, and with the entire team bought into the process.”
With the strategic marketing tool in place, JMU is better equipped to tackle its marketing challenges in a systematic and cohesive way. The department can now answer key questions about their budget, expected leads, and projected revenue, allowing them to operate with a singular focus on growth.
Shonta Sellers
Communications and Marketing Manager at James Madison University’s Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) division
“When the project is done, you’re left with the capability to execute on the plan,” Sellers added. “Some consultants will make you dependent on having to stay around – we feel empowered to function as a self-sufficient entity.”