Client Report FINAL copy

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BISHOP LUDDEN RESEARCH CLIENT REPORT

EMILY IRGANG, TONI SETARO, KATHY RUDKIN, JULIA TRIFILIO DECEMBER 2016

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary………………………………….…3

Problem and Opportunity Statement………………....4

Situation Analysis……………………………………….5

SWOT Analysis………………...……………..............10

Key Publics……………………………………………..12

Research Objectives…………………………………..14

Research Methodology……..…………………………14

Research Results and Analyses……………..………17

Recommendations………………………………….....25

Appendices………………………………………..……28

References………………………………………..……45

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Executive Summary

Bishop Ludden Junior-­Senior High School is a private Catholic school located in Syracuse, NY. The school teaches students from grades 7-­12. Despite the schools current success, Bishop Ludden has been looking to expand its enrollment and admissions and create a better relationship with its alumni. To do this, we have conducted a detailed research report and plan to help better guide Bishop Ludden reach its business objectives. We studied Bishop Ludden’s key publics of prospective families and alumni to gain better insight on to how to increase enrollment and donations. We executed three different research methods to garner our understanding such as surveys, focus groups and social listening. These methods provided tremendous help into understanding the key issues at Bishop Ludden and its reputation. Through our research, we found that Bishop Ludden should expand upon its curriculum in order to remain competitive in the Syracuse education system. We also recommend that Bishop Ludden become more transparent with its alumni as to where its donations and money are going: what programs and initiatives are specifically being funded by the alumni. Lastly, we also recommend that Bishop Ludden create a marketing advertisement on its alumni to give to prospective families to show off its alumni’s success.

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Problem and Opportunity Statement

Bishop Ludden Junior-­Senior High School is a private Catholic school for grades 7-­12. Bishop Ludden’s mission is to “to further the mission of Jesus Christ by teaching and proclaiming the Gospel” (“Mission Statement & Philosophy,” 2016). In past years, Bishop Ludden has seen a dramatic decrease in enrollment, funding and academic resources. The immense lack of funding from alumni has prevented prospective families from enrolling. Bishop Ludden is losing students to competing schools, which results in less funding and support for the school.

Overall, the lack of funding and donations could lead to the school having to close. By researching what the prospective families and alumni want, Bishop Ludden can better cater to the needs of its key publics. They will be able to better pinpoint its target audiences and create strategies for increasing outreach and enrollment. In the long term, this may bring in more funds and students.

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Situation Analysis Analyzing the Situation Background on the Issue: Bishop Ludden Junior-­Senior High School has struggled over the years with enrollment and soliciting donations from the community and alumni. Due to the lack of funding, Bishop Ludden has not been able to offer certain programs and opportunities to its students that it would like to offer. Since the school’s competitors, such as Christian Brothers Academy and Bishop Grimes, have many more resources, Bishop Ludden feels it is not viewed as a top choice among competitors to potential students. The school is also worried that it does not portray as being a unified brand. Faculty have expressed their concern on the varying shades of green and different looking mascot shown around the school. Finding new methods to increase outreach to alumni and community members will be the most effective way to see a difference in the current amount of funding and eventually will help with the concerning enrollment trend. Consequences of the Situation: Funding and alumni and community support is imperative to the overall success of the school and future of its students. Without monetary backing the school is unable to operate on a competitive level. Bishop Ludden currently does not have enough resources to operate at an optimal level. Therefore, current resources are not being used to their greatest potential. Bishop Ludden alumni may feel detached from the school, and therefore reaching out and establishing a better rapport with them is a key aspect toward improving the current situation. Resolution of the Situation: The problem may be resolved by gathering information from a few different areas. One, Bishop Ludden needs to find what the most effective ways to reach out to alumni will be so it can efficiently know how to target the alumni base to receive the greatest amount of donations possible. Bishop Ludden will also need to reach out to the members of the local community and communities where its students live to gain donations. Two, the school needs to form a cohesive image to distinguish itself as a unified institution with an identifiable brand and recognizable identity. Lastly, Bishop Ludden needs to think of creative ways to attract new students from not only the current communities it recruits from, but also from new neighborhoods as well. All four strategic goals need to be a part of an organized and interconnected communication plan to later be created by Bishop Ludden.

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Research Program: Research is needed in order to form recommendations that will solve the current problem. Information about what social media platforms and forms of communication the alumni and members of the community use will be needed in order to know how to effectively target and reach out to them. Bishop Ludden will need to be aware of the culture and ideals that the current Bishop Ludden community members hold. Research and analysis will need to be done to compare and contrast Bishop Ludden to its competitors. It is also needed to compare the differences and similarities between Bishop Ludden students’ needs, wants, aspirations, and goals to those of the students of its competing schools. Information will also need to be gathered to know how to successfully penetrate and recruit from new communities. Analyzing the Organization Competition: Bishop Ludden has pinpointed two main competitors. They are Christian Brothers Academy and Bishop Grimes Junior Senior High School. The first one, Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), is a private Catholic middle school and high school located in Syracuse, New York. CBA is a highly regarded institution within the area and has a large population of students ranging from 7th through 12th grade. In comparison to Bishop Ludden’s strong emphasis on Catholic faith, CBA focuses more on academics than religion. This works in CBA’s favor, as the school is able to attract more students with and without Catholic backgrounds. CBA has many resources that include modern library and computer labs, fully equipped science labs and renovated athletic facilities. CBA offers strong academic curriculum and has many more financial resources than Bishop Ludden (“Academics: Overview,” 2016). The second competitor is Bishop Grimes Junior Senior High School, located in East Syracuse, New York. It is a private, not-­for-­profit, Roman Catholic school established in 1966. Just like CBA, Bishop Grimes has an honorable reputation and attracts students from all over Syracuse. It prides itself on being an affordable Catholic school with a strong tradition and over 6,000 alumni. The school has a 100% graduation record. It also has a rather low student/teacher ratio and offers ENL (English language) support to foreign exchange students. Bishop Grimes has many financial resources that support up-­to-­date technology, 43 sports teams, and strong Fine Arts programs (“About Bishop Grimes,” 2016). Both competitors are active on social media and have modern websites that are easy to navigate. In addition, both schools send out information pamphlets and newsletters for parents, things that Bishop Ludden cannot afford. In the past three years, the competition has increased. CBA and Bishop Grimes have been growing while Bishop Ludden’s enrollment has been declining. The competition from these schools will remain a considerable factor in Bishop Ludden’s future success.

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External Impediments: The environment in which the school operates will also affect Bishop Ludden. The most crucial factors affecting Catholic private school education is the current state of the economy as well as families having fewer children nation-­wide (Lewin, 2014). In addition, the economy in Syracuse may be negatively affecting private schools such as Bishop Ludden. Many local families are sending their children to rival public schools in order to save funds for their son’s or daughter’s future college education (Pascual, 2016). The specific area surrounding Bishop Ludden is not known as a particularly wealthy area. Many surrounding families are blue-­collar families with lower to middle income. According to a recent study on the Syracuse economy, the average household income is just under $32,000. The average yearly tuition at Bishop Ludden for 2016-­2017 was $6,250 for 7th and 8th graders and $7,370 for 9th through 12th graders (Bishop Ludden website, 2016). Although the school offers scholarships, this would still be difficult for low-­income families in the area. Another external factor negatively affecting enrollment at Bishop Ludden High School may be the decreasing birth rate across the country. According to a study conducted in 2013, the number of women in the 15-­44-­age group having children has dropped to a record low (Lewin, 2014). This national trend is seen in Syracuse as well. Families belonging to the Catholic churches that feed into schools like Bishop Ludden used to be much larger. One family would typically have at least three children that cycled through the school. Now, Bishop Ludden is finding it harder to attract families with more than one or two children. Research Program: The information and research above comes from the websites of schools mentioned. In addition, it comes from databases and the Lewin article in The New York Times. It would be appropriate to conduct further research. Some research that would be valuable involves looking into how competitors use social media and how they reach out to families and alumni regarding school events and funding. Researching the specific recruitment strategies both schools use would also be smart.

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Analyzing the Publics Customers: Bishop Ludden’s primary customers are families who live in the Syracuse area and are looking to send their children to Catholic school. Those who might be inclined to send their children to Bishop Ludden are those who appreciate the presence of a family atmosphere within a school, and those who feel it will benefit their children to be educated in a diverse environment. Additionally, customers may also be individuals who attend surrounding Catholic schools, and are unhappy with their experience, such as Christian Brother’s Academy. Secondary customers are colleges, who are looking for intelligent and well-­rounded individuals for their student bodies. Within the last three years, there has been an emphasis on recruiting the families who have children enrolled in surrounding Catholic schools. Within the next three years, this will likely change to recruiting families who have children enrolled at non-­religious high schools. Producers: The key producers are the principal and president of Bishop Ludden. The principal is Brenda Reichert, who oversees the daily operations of the school. Mary Ellen Shirtz, the school’s president, works with the Diocese of Syracuse to determine the budget and funding of the institution. Additional producers are Matt Oswalt, Director of Advancement, and Andrea Marshall, Director of Development. Oswalt is responsible for increasing enrollment and retention, while Marshall works to raise funds and monitor alumni relations. Enablers: Current enablers of Bishop Ludden are the parents and guardians who pay the tuition of their children, considering the cost of tuition is what keeps the school afloat. Presently, tuition is being discounted in order to attract future customers and increase enrollment. Additionally, the local Syracuse media can serve as an enabler, because positive coverage, particularly with the school’s successful athletics department, can lead to an optimistic perception of Bishop Ludden in the community.

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Limiters: Bishop Ludden is limited by its competitors, which are the private Catholic high schools in the area, such as Christian Brother’s Academy. Bishop Ludden is not able to afford many of the amenities that these other schools have, such as new computers, enough textbooks for every student and an auditorium. Christian Brother’s Academy’s tuition is much higher than Bishop Ludden’s, allowing for the funds necessary to provide these amenities. Although more expensive, CBA has many features that Bishop Ludden is not able to provide to its students. Not only does Bishop Ludden lack modern technology, but they also are forced to borrow books from its sister school in Utica, New York. Bishop Ludden must work to help their alumni feel connected to the school in order to increase alumni donations and involvement, which could help increase enrollment. Research Program: It is imperative that research is conducted to discover what Bishop Ludden can improve on and how they can recruit students. In order to determine the steps that Bishop Ludden can take, the research objective must take a closer look at what prospective families want in a Catholic school, and the strategies of school’s competitors. Schools like Christian Brother’s Academy are extremely successful, and further research can provide the reasons for their success. By looking at the opinions of the community, through surveys and interviews, we can acquire the information needed to determine what aspects of education are important to prospective families, and how Bishop Ludden can improve.

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SWOT Analysis Strengths:

• Bishop Ludden prides itself on the success of its basketball program, both boy’s and girl’s. The boys program is constantly in the news for its overwhelming number of wins in the Section 3 Class AA division. For example, in 2016 Bishop Ludden’s basketball team made it to the Central New York Basketball Championships against Bishop Grimes (Webb, February 22, 2016).

• Every parent looks out for every student, not just their own. Every teacher goes out of their way to ensure the success of their students. It creates a strong community and one that many middle and high school kids can engage with and appreciate. For example, if a student were left behind after soccer practice, another family would offer to take them home because that is the kind of family spirit that Bishop Ludden promotes.

• The Bishop Ludden Arts program is unique. The program is run by Tom Pietropaolo who has devoted his entire career and life to the success of students in the theatre and arts. In 2015, Bishop Ludden’s concert choir was awarded 2nd place at the Darien Lake Music Festival. Bishop Ludden also received eight nominations at the Syracuse High School Theatre Awards in May 2015 (“Preforming Arts,” 2016).

• Bishop Ludden has an extremely loyal and strong staff. Whenever any staff member is given a job, they rarely say no and are proud and honored to help the Bishop Ludden family in any way possible. For example, when speaking with Amanda Webster, the campus Minister, she said she takes on the role of 3-­4 faculty members.

Weaknesses:

• Bishop Ludden lacks funds and resources. Without money, Bishop Ludden cannot buy new equipment and materials. Additionally, without funds, Bishop Ludden cannot remain competitive with other private schools in the area because the faculty may be forced to leave to get jobs that pay better.

• Many of the faculty at Bishop Ludden are overworked. Many of them have one job title but really fulfill three or four jobs. For example, Tom Pietropaolo, the theatre director, has taken on the roles of theatre stagehand, theatre art director and even theatre musical director. He has taken on more titles than a faculty member should.

• Bishop Ludden also lacks a strong alumni base. It has lost contact with many of the alumni and really only receive any form of communication or

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help from around 7 percent of its alumni network (A. Marshall, & M. Oswalt, personal communication, September 13, 2016).

• Bishop Ludden lacks a brand that is seamless throughout the school. It has many different mascots, many different shades of green, many different colored uniforms and it even uses a myriad of fonts in its signage. This lack of a true identity makes it hard for the school to grow because it does not know how to position itself with future and prospective families.

• Bishop Ludden needs to create a more consistent brand. Currently in the school, they have many different mascots, many different shades of green, and many different school logos around the campus. By establishing a clear brand, Bishop Ludden can promote a specific identity and establish more unity amongst students and staff.

Opportunities:

• Bishop Ludden needs to reach out to successful alumni of Bishop Ludden like New York State Senator John J. Flanagan. These alumni could prove to be valuable donors and may help the school stay afloat financially.

• Advertising to and recruiting at local feeder schools and other surrounding public schools will spread the word about Bishop Ludden. This could attract more students and increase future enrollment.

• The school should set up recruitment booths at local Catholic Churches. Higher recruitment means more students, which means a healthier school budget.

• The school will launch further programs and opportunities for students from other schools to come visit Bishop Ludden and focus on the age group of students who may still be deciding between schools.

Threats:

• Catholic schools like Christian Brothers Academy and Bishop Grimes are main competitors of Bishop Ludden.

• Many of the faculty and staff at Bishop Ludden, are leaving for more lucrative salaries. The salaries at competing schools are attractive to these teachers.

• There is a growing trend that people are having fewer children. Consequently, local families are becoming smaller. A smaller population to draw students from may negatively impact enrollment rates (Lewin, 2014).

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Key Publics

Primary Key Public 1: Prospective Families A) Demographics

Enrollment numbers are declining for Bishop Ludden High School in Syracuse at alarming numbers. Families either cannot afford the tuition or they are attracted by the resources of competitors. Considering Bishop Ludden is a Catholic school, understanding the needs and wants of the Catholic families in the area can assist our client in its efforts for improvement and rebranding. Knowing more about the Catholic families in the Syracuse area can help our client recruit the children of those families and increase enrollment. The population of the greater Syracuse area is about 385,000 people (“Greater Syracuse,” 2016). Of these, 35 percent are Catholic. Catholics in the area are part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse. Unfortunately, the demographic makeup of these Catholic individuals is unclear (“Syracuse, New York Religion,” 2016). What is known is that there are about 160,000 households, with an average of 2.6 individuals per household. Of these households, only around 50,000 are families with children, which further narrows our target key public. In Syracuse, the average age of a male is 28 years, and the average age of a female is 30 years. Furthermore, the largest age group is those under 20 years old and that group accounts for 30 percent of the population (“Syracuse, New York Demographics Data,” 2016). Taking these two aspects into account, our client can infer that there is a large division of the population that is young parents starting families. Our client must do everything it can to make sure this key public is on track to eventually enroll in and attend Bishop Ludden. B) Psychographics The families of prospective students care about the well-­being and overall development of their children. They want to know that the money they are spending toward an education is being put to good use, and will be the best option for their child. These families are committed to teaching their children the ideals and traditions of the Catholic faith, as well as value a good Catholic education (A. Marshal, & M. Oswalt, personal communication, September 13, 2016). This public does not currently have much confidence in the Syracuse public schooling system and are open to the idea of a private institution. It is a very collectivism centered public, with strong value in family and community bond (A. Marshall, & M. Oswalt, personal communication, September 13, 2016).

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Primary Key Public 2: Alumni A) Demographics

Notable and successful Bishop Ludden alumni are another key public. They have the potential to help Bishop Ludden by providing donations and spreading the word of their positive experiences at Bishop Ludden to help increase enrollment. The age range of this sample of alumni is 41 to 63 years of age. Additionally, every member of this group is a Caucasian male. Some of these prominent individuals still reside in the Syracuse area, such as U.S. Congressman John Katko (“Congressman John Katko,” 2016). There are also graduates who have left the area, like Robert Wood, a Harvard professor who moved to Massachusetts, and Terry McAuliffe, the governor of Virginia (“Common Good VA,” 2016). Those located in the Syracuse area fit our client needs the strongest, and can be present at the school to help garner positive attention, implement new programs (teach classes, participate in shadow programs, etc.), and make a change at Bishop Ludden. B) Psychographics Although the ages, current geographical locations, occupations and many other demographics of Bishop Ludden Junior-­Senior High School alumni vary greatly, with no specific target nor range, many alumni have similar values and beliefs. Currently, alumni do not look at the school as an organization they can support (A. Marshall, & M. Oswalt, personal communication, September 13, 2016). They only see Bishop Ludden as a part of the Diocese and not as the school that they graduated from and spent years of their lives (A. Marshall, & M. Oswalt, personal communication, September 13, 2016). They still hold a part of that family/community bond that the school creates for its students, but strongly connecting with its alumni base through personal email, chain email and Facebook is essential to successfully connecting with this public. Since email and Facebook are highly used forms of communication for Bishop-­Ludden alumni (Newport, 2014), reaching them through these platforms could potentially draw them back to wanting to support their struggling high school.

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Research Objectives

Our group has chosen two research objectives that we will use to guide us throughout our research process. These objectives address both business and communications problems that Bishop Ludden faces. They are as follows:

• Attain demographic and psychographic information about Bishop Ludden alumni.

• Determine the information-­seeking behaviors of prospective students and their families.

Research Methodology

Methodology: For our research, we used primary quantitative and qualitative methodology. We wanted to attain insights into exactly what Bishop Ludden’s key publics were discussing. These methods included a social listening analysis, an online survey and focus groups. While collecting this data, our team was able to better understand why prospective families were not enrolling their children into Bishop Ludden and why alumni were not donating time or money to the school. After gathering our data, we hoped to be able to better assist Bishop Ludden in addressing these prominent issues and thus help the school reach its business objectives.

Research Method 1: Social Listening Analysis Sampling Frame: We examined social media posts, specifically Twitter from June 1, 2016 to October 30, 2016. We used Sysomos Maps to analyze social media related to Bishop Ludden Junior-­Senior High School and Syracuse Catholic private schools, as well as any social media related to Bishop Ludden’s alumni base.

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Rationale: We chose this time frame because it is during the summer when families enroll their children in school for the fall. If we could better understand what they were talking about during the “off-­school” season, we could better reach our target audience of prospective families. Additionally, we chose this time frame because it was during the summer when alumni are more likely to donate then so that the students have new amenities and supplies when the school year begins. We chose to use “Social Listening Analysis” as our method because social listening looks at what is being said online in relation to the client. Social Listening helped us understand exactly what our key publics were interested in through analyzing their conversations. It helped us understand the ongoing conversation of our target audiences. We measured their attitudes and beliefs, which helped us understand moving forward how to create a positive image for Bishop Ludden. The value of Social Listening is that we can track what is being said and examine how we can make it better. Execution:

• Recruiting Method: None • Location: Online (Sysomos MAPs) • Length: 1 hour per group member (4 hours total) • Incentive: None • Number of Social Media Posts: 30

Data Analysis Method: Content analysis

Research Method 2: Online Survey Sampling Frame: We created two different surveys. One survey was for prospective families and was sent out on October 18, 2016 and was closed on October 30, 2016. The other survey was sent to alumni and was sent out on October 18, 2016 and was closed on October 30, 2016. Rationale: We created two surveys to send out. One was for prospective families and was distributed at an open house at Bishop Ludden on October 23, 2016. The second survey was created to target Bishop Ludden Alumni. We sent this one out by targeting alumni from LinkedIn, Facebook and the Bishop Ludden Alumni base. We created the surveys to better understand our key publics perceptions and attitudes about the Syracuse private Catholic education system and alumni relations.

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Execution: • Recruiting Method: LinkedIn, Facebook, Bishop Ludden open house, Personal contacts

• Location: Online • Length: 11 Questions for the prospective family survey and 14 questions for the alumni survey

• Incentive: None • Number of participants: 90 participants

Data Analysis Method: Qualtrics Survey Analysis Research Method 3: Focus Group Sampling Frame: We had 8 participants in a focus group that was conducted on October 30, 2016. We met them at Bishop Ludden to further discuss the perception of private Catholic schools in the Syracuse area. We had a range of both prospective families and previous alumni. This allowed us to really understand our key publics by being able to speak with them directly. Some of the alumni even had children enrolled in Bishop Ludden so we were able to really understand the Bishop Ludden community. Rationale: We chose to complete a focus group because it would allow us to ask more in-­depth questions to prospective families and alumni. We were able to really understand what the key issues were like the lack of communication, lack of interest, etc. This information will provide Bishop Ludden with a better understanding of the immediate needs of alumni and prospective families, which would further allow them to better address its publics wants when picking and staying at a school. Execution:

• Recruiting Method: Bishop Ludden Open house, face-­to-­face conversations and telephone calls

• Location: Bishop Ludden • Length: 10 questions (Approximately 45 minutes for each group) • Incentive: Dunkin Donuts • Number of Participants: 8

Data Analysis Method: Manual coding of the data received.

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Research Results and Analysis Social Listening Results & Analysis Summary 1:

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After analyzing 30 social media posts about Bishop Ludden, the overall attitudes, sentiment and conversations about Bishop Ludden Junior-Senior High School on Twitter have been positive. From June 1 to October 7, the majority of the social conversations about Bishop Ludden have been about the school’s sports teams and players, college fairs and news about alumni. Out of the 30 collected social media posts, 80 percent exemplified a positive sentiment, 6.7 percent a negative sentiment and 13.3 percent a neutral sentiment. The only negative posts found about the school referenced Bishop Ludden’s outdated facilities at the school, specifically not having a generator. However, there was an overwhelming majority of posts about the success of Bishop Ludden’s sports teams, in particular boy’s football and basketball, and girl’s soccer and volleyball teams.

While collecting the social listening data there was around a dozen tweets and retweets discussing MLB pitcher and Bishop Ludden alumni, John Johnstone, returning to coach the varsity baseball team. There were also five tweets promoting Bishop Ludden’s college fair by parents and school districts. After a collection of social media posts, it is clear that when people talk about Bishop Ludden they are discussing its athletics, alumni and support for students to explore their higher educational opportunities.

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Summary 2:

After analyzing the positive tweets, we discovered that the underlying theme was Bishop Ludden athletics, considering sixty-­eight percent of the positive tweets concerned Bishop Ludden sports. Twitter was utilized as a resource to promote games, the results of a game, performance of specific students and highlight those who received scholarships. In their tweets, students encouraged their peers to attend games to show their support of the various Bishop Ludden teams. Alumni tweeted the scores of the games to demonstrate their constant involvement with the school, while news outlets posted about athletic recruiting and the final scores of the games. Positive tweets included key words such as “game,” “playoffs,” “basketball,” “coach,” “support,” and “football.” The Twitter results demonstrate that basketball was mentioned in the most tweets. This demonstrates the strong basketball program at Bishop Ludden and its dedication to athletic excellence. 35 percent of the tweets were related to basketball in regards to the students being recruited and the scores of games, while twenty-­nine percent of the mentions were related to football games or scores. Bishop Ludden has a dedication to its sports teams, but especially football and basketball since they are receiving the most media coverage.

12%

18%

29%

35%

6%

Bishop Ludden Sports Teams Mentioned in Tweets

Soccer Baseball Football Basketball Other

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Survey Results & Analysis Summary 1:

We asked participants to rank four different factors on level of importance when choosing a school;; these factors include cost of tuition, extracurricular activities, experienced faculty and strong Catholic education. Overall, a strong Catholic education seems to be the most important factor for perspective families when deciding on private education. Nearly 80 percent of those surveyed believe having a strong Catholic education is the most important factor. In comparison, approximately 5 percent valued strong faculty the most and 15 percent placed the cost of tuition at the top. Using these summarized results, it can be inferred that those surveyed may have strong Catholic backgrounds and believe Catholicism is something that should be greatly emphasized throughout a child’s educational experience. Based on this information, Bishop Ludden should focus on marketing a strong Catholic curriculum when appealing to perspective families. With an emphasis on Catholic education, perspective families with Catholic backgrounds may be more inclined to send their children to Bishop Ludden.

80%

5%

15%

Most Valued Factor When Choosing A School

Strong Catholic Education Experienced Faculty

Private Education Tuition Extracurricular Activities

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Summary 2:

Almost all of the prospective families that took our survey had received communication from Bishop Ludden by mail. Ninety-­eight percent of the participants said they received communication through postal mail. 1.5 percent said they received their form of communication via email and 0.5 percent said they received their communication by “other.” The person who said they were contacted by “other” said it was a combination of both mail and email. A suggestion to consider would be to have more means of communication with the public. While mail and email can be effective, utilizing other means of communication will help Bishop Ludden better target their audiences.

0.5%

98%

1.5%

How People Were Contacted by Bishop Ludden

Other Mail Email

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Summary 3:

Of the alumni that took our survey, nearly 60 percent said they were contacted by Bishop Ludden regarding donations. When reading the “other” comments, 100 percent suggested that they were contacted for both donations and events. In the comments, some people mentioned that they felt like they were “just a checkbook” and felt less likely to donate for that reason. One participant event stated, “I will always donate because of my love of the school, but others many not be donating (or sending their child here) because of the perception that the school is not up to the high standards it once was, and therefore might be more apt to donate if somehow our reputation perception was changed.” This constant notion that Bishop Ludden is only utilizing their alumni for money and nothing else is seen negatively and gives Bishop Ludden almost a desperate reputation.

22%

18%60%

Reasons For Contacting Alumni

Other Events Donations

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Focus Group Results and Analysis Theme #1: Many of the prospective families we spoke with vocalized that one of the biggest influences on them when picking a school is that they want a school that will teach their child life skills and prepare them for the real world. Details about theme: The prospective families we spoke with heavily emphasized implementing practical classes into the schools curriculum. They valued classes such as home economics, woodshop, cooking classes, etc. They want their children to leave school with the ability to be independent and insightful. They want their children to be competitive applicants in the work field. One mother specifically stated, “I would love to see my child be able to write a personal handwritten note to a teacher or employer.” They also proposed the idea of having an internship opportunity for medical-­focused students that would allow them first hand experience at the Upstate Medical facilities. The parents overall really wanted their children to leave high school able to do simple life tasks, excel in their job field and be seen as overall well-­rounded Catholic teenagers. Theme #2: The prospective families emphasized that a strong alumni base is essential for success when choosing a school for their child because education itself is important but the opportunities outside of the classroom are almost just as if not more important. Details about theme: Bishop Ludden is a family. The prospective families we spoke with emphasized the importance of alumni when choosing a school for their child. The parents want to know that the school they are sending their children to has successful alumni. They all stated that they believed Bishop Ludden does a poor job at relaying this information to prospective families. One member rose the question, “How do you sell the concept of alumni relationships?” They felt that the alumni have left an important legacy at Bishop Ludden and that this legacy could be used for promotional opportunities. Many of the prospective families noted that they believed that local Bishop Ludden alumni do not send their children to Bishop Ludden but rather other competing private schools in the area. They firmly believed that if Bishop Ludden could better market and utilize their successful alumni, this would make a huge impact on enrollment and overall student experience. Interesting Observations: In the beginning of our focus group, some individuals were more vocal than others. They took the initiative to start each discussion, and operated as leaders. By the conclusion of our focus group, everyone felt comfortable sharing their

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ideas and opinions. When examining what should be changed about Bishop Ludden’s marketing strategy, they all agreed that there should be a highlight of successful alumni who left their legacy at Bishop Ludden. Many of them suggested including an alumni story in a monthly newsletter so as to better understand the entire alumni community. What we found the most interesting is what the group thought about tuition and allocation of funds. Originally, to avoid discomfort, we planned on having respondents anonymously answer our tuition-­based question on a sheet of paper. However, they all felt so passionate about their answer that they wanted to vocally share it with the group. One member specifically stated, “I would clean bathrooms and spend $20,000 just to keep my child out of the Syracuse public schools.” This was also the turning point of the focus group, as those who were originally timid began to open up.

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Recommendations Billions PR determined that Bishop Ludden had outdated means of communicating with both prospective families and alumni. Thus, may have affected Bishop Ludden’s growth because people may have become completely disengaged with the community. Bishop Ludden also has not been very transparent about the projects and initiatives they have created so alumni feel discouraged from donating and prospective families have become uninterested. According to our research, utilizing their alumni as a marketing tool would not only create a better relationship between the school and the alumni, but would also attract more prospective families. Strategy 1: Increase awareness or exposure to prospective families Rationale: If Bishop Ludden is planning on increasing enrollment they need to create new recruiting methods to reach its publics. Based on the results from survey and focus group research, Billions PR recommends that Bishop Ludden recruit new students through social media, become more transparent with the community through more constant communication, and lastly, create classes that will lead to a more well rounded child. Recruiting new families through a strong social media presence will allow Bishop Ludden to attract new audiences and families. Snail mail is an effective method for recruiting families in lower-­income neighborhoods because of lack of access to technology. However, Bishop Ludden needs to have a stronger social media presence. Given that prospective families will already be researching schools in the area, having a strong social media presence will help Bishop Ludden recruit more families. Utilizing Instagram and Facebook for campaigns will help the school reach larger audiences in a place where they wouldn’t expect to see schools connecting with them. For example, Instagram campaigns will help recruit because these families will be targeted in new ways that show that the school is current and involved in technology trends. It helps depict them as a modern school. Additionally, Bishop Ludden needs to remain active on these social media platforms. Currently, Bishop Ludden lacks an Instagram page, and has minimal interaction on Twitter. Garnering a strong social media base will show that Bishop Ludden is up to date and able to constantly communicate with its publics.

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Developing a “well-­rounded” child. Prospective families expressed their desire for sending their child to a school that would develop the child’s everyday life and communication skills. During our focus group, the prospective families explained their beliefs that expanding the school’s curriculum to include more practical classes would increase the value of the school. All focus group participants strongly emphasized that they were will to pay a higher tuition cost if the value of the school increased. Through our focus group findings, we strongly suggest implementing classes such as home economics, woodshop, public speaking, and personal finance into the offered curriculum. We also recommend that these newly added classes be promoted and advertised when recruiting for Bishop Ludden.

Example of a “Mock” Instagram Marketing Post

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Strategy 2: Garnering a better relationship with alumni Rationale: If Bishop Ludden wants to have a better relationship with its alumni base, they need to remain in constant contact and not just approach their alumni for donations. We recommend that Bishop Ludden create events to make the alumni feel valued and use this as a positive marketing strategy. Bishop Ludden should create a marketing promotional video of their alumni. This creative video will be used as an essential marketing tool to target prospective families. It should include interviews with successful Bishop Ludden alumni, showing where the alumni are today and how the school positively impacted their growth. It should communicate to those watching that Bishop Ludden differentiates itself from other schools by establishing a strong sense of family. We hope that giving a great deal of value to the family aspect will persuade families who are deciding what school to send their children to that Bishop Ludden is the right choice. Bishop Ludden can perform a social media blast and post the video to the school’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages. The school can also show the video to families at future open houses and when visiting other schools to attract potential students. Creating this video is an easy and affordable way to garner more attention. Strategy 3: Overall transparency with public Rationale: Bishop Ludden needs have more constant communication with the public so they are transparent and clear on their goals and initiatives. Telling people what programs and initiatives they are starting or continuing will not only serve as a marketing tool, but will also make alumni more inclined to donate. Based on responses recorded during a survey and focus group, Billions PR believes that Bishop Ludden needs to be more transparent and connected with its prospective families and alumni base. Prospective families of Bishop Ludden lack knowledge on the school’s programs and initiatives, leading to disinterest in sending their child to the school. In order to attract prospective families and increase enrollment, they must improve communicating to this key public what Bishop Ludden has to offer. Additionally, Bishop Ludden’s alumni base feels out of touch with the school, and that the administration views them as a checkbook for donations. It is imperative for Bishop Ludden to be transparent with their alumni in regards to where funds are being distributed, and make the alumni feel in touch with the school’s programs and events.

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Appendices

Appendix A: Social Listening Coding Sheet Variable Instruction Code Coder Coder’s Name

1 = Emily 2 = Toni 3 = Julia 4 = Kathy

Search Terms

Specific Search Terms Used: 1 = Catholic AND School AND Syracuse 2 = “Bishop Ludden” 3= “Bishop Ludden” AND alumni 4= Private school AND Syracuse

Social Media Platform

The platform on which you found the information: 1= Blog 2= Twitter 3 = Online Forum 4 = Facebook 5 = YouTube 6 = Instagram

Date Date the social media post was published Write the day, month and year (Parameters are from June 1-­October 30) 0 = Missing data N/A = Not Applicable (write in the reason for N/A)

Age Age of person who posted the information 0 = Missing data N/A = Not Applicable (write in the reason for N/A) 1= under 18 2 = 18-­24

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3= 25-­40 4 = 41 – 60 5 = 61+

Race/Ethnicity Race/Ethnicity of the Person who posted the information 0 = Missing Data N/A = Not Applicable (write in the reason for N/A) 1 = American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. 2 = Black or African American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. 3 = Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands 4 = Hispanic or Latino: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. The term, "Spanish origin", can be used in addition to "Hispanic or Latino". 5 = White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe. 6 = Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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7 = Other (write in the race or ethnicity)

Gender Gender of Person who posted information: 0 = Missing Data N/A = Not Applicable (write in the reason for N/A) 1 = Male 2 = Female 3 = Other (write in the gender)

Sentiment A social media post’s sentiment (or tone) is constructed by using quotes, assertions, or innuendos, which results in positive, neutral, or negative coverage for the information searched 0 = Missing Data N/A = Not Applicable (write in the reason for N/A) 1 = Positive 2 = Negative 3 = Neutral

Sentiment Keywords What keywords or phrases are associated with the post that created the sentiment (tone) coded above? Write in a maximum of 5 keywords 0 = Missing Data N/A = Not Applicable (write in the reason for N/A)

Additional Comments Include additional comments that may give context to this post. Write a maximum of 10 words.

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Appendix B: Qualtrics Survey a. Prospective Families Survey

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b. Alumni Survey

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Appendix C: Focus Group Questionnaire

FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONNAIRE

Welcome (2 minutes)

Welcome. Thank you for agreeing to participate in this focus group. My name is Kathy Rudkin, and I will be the moderator for today’s group discussion. I would like to talk to you today about your attitudes and opinions about Syracuse’s private Catholic education system. We are conducting this focus group to get a more in-­depth understanding of how a family decides on choosing whether or not to send their child to a Catholic school. I am going to ask you a few questions;; I ask that only one person speaks at a time. There are no right or wrong answers, but please do respect each other’s answers or opinions.

I will be tape recording the discussion today because I don’t want to miss any part of your comments. I will treat your answers as confidential. We are only going to use first names and last initials during the discussion but will not use names in the study. We also ask that each of you respect the privacy of everyone in the room and not share or repeat what is said here in any way that could identify anyone in this room. Finally, this discussion is going to take no longer than an hour. If at any time you want to stop. Please let me know. Does anyone have any questions before we start?

Ice Breaker (5 minutes)

[START TAPE RECORDER NOW] I would like to go around the room and have each person say his/her current town. For example “Baldwinsville.”

Thank you. I ask that you say your first name & last initial before giving an answer. Also, what is your favorite memory from high school?

Opening Question (3 minutes)

Do any of you have a child currently enrolled in a private school? If so, which one?

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Group Discussion – Topic 1 (5 minutes)

Let’s talk about schools in general. What is the most important factor to you and your family when choosing a school?

Group Discussion – Topic 2 (15 minutes)

Now, let’s talk about school amenities. What are some amenities that you would hope to see in your child’s school? Example being smart boards. Is your child looking to become involved in competitive sports at school? Probe: What sport specifically do you think they would be interested in? Thumbs up if you go to church every week. Write down what your family would be willing to pay for tuition.

Final Thoughts (5-­7 minutes)

In closing, I would like to pose one last question. What advice would you give me to have a private Catholic school target you and your family better?

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Review and Wrap-­up (2 minutes)

[Provide summary of discussion] Did I correctly summarize your comments in today’s discussion? Thank you for coming today and sharing your opinions with me. I hope you enjoyed the discussion.

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