Evidence-Based Innovation Blog

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.

As the sun gets warmer and the grass greener, real estate signs are sprouting up on neighborhood lawns all across America.  It’s the best time of year to show a property and April and May are the peak months for home sales.  For MBA admissions directors, business school information sessions are a lot like a real estate open house – just without the ubiquitous “for sale” sign.  Like prospective home buyers, MBA prospects often conduct multiple searches before deciding on a business school.  Here are six tips toward a successful closing at your next MBA information session.    

Easter is a beloved holiday for springtime enthusiasts with its images of pastel bonnets, confectionary baskets, and garden bunnies.  It is also signals the height of MBA recruitment season for many business school admissions officers.  In today’s highly competitive market, finding the most qualified MBA candidates can seem a lot like hunting for hidden Easter eggs.  Here are five ways to create an MBA referral program so your applications multiply like rabbits.

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner heralding the approach of spring and a time of year when thoughts turn to renewal.  As daffodils and cherry blossoms begin to bloom, it’s the ideal opportunity to do some spring cleaning of your business school marketing collateral. Here are four “lucky clover” tips based on this favorite Irish holiday to ensure your MBA marketing communications are sprouting new prospects year round:

There’s plenty of speculation leading up to the Academy Awards. Will the first silent film in 85 years win Best Picture? Will the most photographed actor in the world take home the most recognized trophy in the world? Will the most nominated actress win her first Academy Award since 1982? 

All this anticipation and nail-biting is just like a scene from the higher education equivalent of awards season. Each time a media ranking is published MBA admissions officers take a deep breath and click on that “virtual envelope” in their inbox.

Here are some tips on promoting your media rankings, no matter what the result, that come straight from the red carpet in Hollywood.