Newsletter #43: University of Greenwich has a priority Clearing number; Instagram wants to be TikTok; Giant 3D billboard cat
📰 HE news
Another large acquisition in the EdTech space sees 2U purchase the provider of Harvard’s and MIT’s online courses for $800m. While traditional universities in the U.S are facing budget cuts, the valuations of EdTech disruptors have boomed in the last year, making the once-fringe category of online learning a growing threat to the mainstream model. I recommend listening to Christopher Lochhead’s latest podcast on “digital vs analogue natives” to fully appreciate this - it’s not just the pandemic driving change, but Gen-Z’s preference for digital as the default mode of experience. EdTech buy | Lochhead
This summer, A-level students will get advanced notice of exam topics to offset disruption caused by Coronavirus - hopefully, saving some tears this Clearing. Read
💻 Digital marketing news
Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram) said that the app is no longer a “photo-sharing” but, rather, an “entertainment” platform. Okay, I guess? Development will now focus on “creators, video, shopping and messaging”. Sound familiar? It should, because it’s the same strategy as every other big social platform right now. I get it - video is the trend, but what happens when you move so far away from your original value proposition that you lose all distinctiveness? Answer: You become Facebook. Look
Facebook launched a $1 billion creator fund… But who for? I can’t think of a single influencer who started out on Facebook and doubt there will be a youth resurgence anytime soon. A month ago, the social giant release a podcast network. A week later, it was a new newsletter platform. Next week, it will be whatever TikTok, Clubhouse or Snapchat are doing. 65% of Facebook’s users are now 35 and older… Rapid diversification, an ageing customer base and a lack of innovation - when Facebook can no longer buy its competition, it’s full speed ahead to irrelevance. But only if antitrust doesn’t catch up with it first. Read
TikTok is introducing a “shoutout” feature, which is essentially a built-in Cameo. You pay your favourite creator to make a personalised video, which, for brands, is a new route to influencer marketing. Interestingly, TikTok is using the product to seed its in-app economy - all transactions are made using TikTok Coin. If you've not read up on virtual currencies, now might be the time to grab a beginner’s guide. Read
🏫 What unis are doing
Birmingham City University put its students on billboards to celebrate their final year degree show. Absolutely love this. Handing over prime marketing inventory to your student community, showcasing the best of your university whilst giving your students a platform to talk about their work - it’s textbook community marketing. Look
University of Greenwich is sporting “Priority Clearing”, which is a nice twist on the “be first to know about grades” line most unis run with. “Tips directly to my inbox” I can take or leave, but a “priority phone number for results day”? Now, I’m interested. Look
University of Derby’s Clearing campaign is asking prospects to “make it real”. Usually, these things end with the tagline, but the messaging is supported with powerful storytelling. Student profiles go deep, sharing a narrative with professional video and photography. Bookmark this if you want inspiration for an undergrad recruitment campaign. Look
🧑🎓 What students are saying
“I would love to have in-person lectures, but a lot of universities are saying that some things will be online for the first term at least. They’ve said it might be a blended approach. For bigger departments like mine there will be online lectures because it’s apparently not safe to have 300 people in a lecture hall, but we can have 30,000 people at Wimbledon.” Students on Covid-19 measures at universities, now that UK lockdown restrictions have been lifted. Read
👾 Culture shock
AI voiceover is good enough for corporate videos now. Listen
A sealed copy of Super Mario 64 sells for $1.5 million. Even the heritage community is like, WTF? Look
A giant 3D cat on a billboard. Look
