Evidence-Based Innovation Blog

We are often asked, “What response rate should I expect from my non-degree or graduate management education (GME) survey?” The question itself is so general that it cannot be answered without referencing the questionnaire design, the specific audience, and the methods used to announce the survey.  

It's the Triple Crown and they're off....

Amidst a spectacular parade of whimsical head wear, horse fans are cheering their favorites during each leg of the 2012 Triple Crown. 

Meanwhile, MBA admissions officers and MBA program directors are in a race of their own as they round the corner to the start of the academic year in September. The next few months can feel like a tight race to the finish line to meet enrollment targets, so what is your MBA marketing strategy in this home stretch?  

Have you ever wished you could get inside the heads of people in your target audience?  To hear what words people use to describe their perceptions of your brand?  To see patterns in how people assess your value proposition?  To learn how your offerings bring meaning to their lives?

The most popular season for weddings has arrived. Specialty boutiques have moved their shimmery formal dresses to the front of the store, white tiered confectionary cakes are featured prominently in bakery displays, and florists are blooming with bridal bouquets. All of these happy matrimonial images remind me of one of my favorite wedding movies, Runaway Bride. 

For those who may not be familiar with film, this charming “chick-flick” is about a single woman who has more than a bit of trouble getting to the altar. No matter how many times this reluctant and jittery bride (played by Julia Roberts) walks down the aisle with a string of fiancés, she just can’t commit. In one scene, Julia Roberts nearly makes it to the altar but panics, turns around, and runs off in her wedding gown hitching a ride on the side of a FedEx truck. While three of her former fiancés give up on her, one handsome reporter (Richard Gere) stands by her side until she is ready.  (Warning: skip this next sentence if you don’t want to know the ending.) His constant presence and patience eventually pays off and they finally tie the knot in a delightful dénouement.

While one of those “feel good” films, the storyline also reminds me of some of the challenges of business school recruiting. Just when you find a top-notch candidate – “The One” – who is ready to apply, there can be some last minute reservations (due to time or financial concerns) that make the candidate run faster than Julia Roberts galloping away on a horse with her veil flying in the wind. What’s the secret to getting MBA prospects to say “I do?” This is where a business school lead nurturing program comes in. There are many lessons to be learned from the courtship process when it comes to MBA lead nurturing campaigns – and it all has to do with timing.

Sometimes privacy issues, sensitive topics, or the need for very in-depth information make one-on-one conversations with research participants more appropriate or fruitful than focus group sessions (e.g., when MBA applicants’ privacy requirements discourage group sessions).  That’s when business schools will opt for in-depth interviews (IDIs) as an excellent research strategy.