Newsletter #44: Purdue University’s $9,992 Covid vaccinations; Budweiser is getting an NFT marketing strategy; Facebook is working on its Ready Player One
📰 HE news
U.S students’ demand for international education remains strong, despite Covid restrictions. According to a report by EdTech company Cialfo, 60% of students were pushing ahead with plans, but their anxieties were centred on the “complexities” of arranging international travel, rather than the risk of contracting Coronavirus. Read
London retains the top spot for the QS World University Rankings’ Best Student Cities for the third year in a row. Okay, I guess. I wish these lists had categories e.g. “best non-capital student cities” or “best unknown university towns”. Everybody knows Tokyo, London and Berlin are great student cities, but most students don’t study in a country’s capital. Feels like we’re always missing a huge piece of the rankings puzzle. Look
💻 Digital marketing news
TikTok has had a busy couple of weeks. Firstly, it launched TikTok Resumes, which sees users apply for jobs using a TikTok video. It’s only available for U.S clients right now, but it’s one to bookmark if you are a UK institution looking to attract top ambassadors or external social media talent. Secondly, ByteDance (TikTok’s owners) has opened a new revenue stream by selling TikTok’s powerful content algorithm to other companies. Yes, it will be possible for an e-commerce or publishing brand to buy the technology that serves you addictive cat videos. Resumes | Algorithm
In a double-take moment for SEOs, Google will now start telling people why content is ranking for specific search results. Now displaying in search engine results pages are insights like “this content has search terms related to your search” and “it includes images that match your search”, so its pretty brushstroke at best. Don’t cancel your subscription to Semrush or Ahrefs any time soon, but this is a useful tool to educate colleagues on the building blocks of SEO. Read
Budweiser has signed VaynerNFT (Mr hustle himself, Gary Vaynerchuk) to head up its NFT marketing strategy. Yep, it’s happening, folks - questions about NFTs may soon start crossing your desk… Vaynerchuk’s success with the NFT-powered initiative veefriends has set he and his company up as the authorities in the space, and like he cleaned up with social media in 2009, I expect much of the same from his take on crypto over the next six months. Pay attention to how this unfolds. Budweiser partnership | Veefriends explained
🏫 What unis are doing
Orange Coast College has produced (what I think) is one of the best university facilities videos ever made. There’s no dialogue, no stats or soundbites, just a student surfing and improving his board using college equipment. Look
I should do a top 10 list of universities creating research videos about Zombies. This entry from Indiana University shows a media-trained academic running from students whilst explaining the origins of the undead. Some will think this is tryhard, but a thousand views and love in the comments says otherwise. Look
In order to meet vaccination targets, Purdue University has resorted to entering its students into a prize draw (worth $9,992) if they get the Covid shot. When a student wins, the team behind the campaign turn up at their front door with a golden ticket. There are 10 (!!!) tickets to win. Doorstep award | Competition details
🧑🎓 What students are saying
“When I heard about the policy I thought it was a bit patronising – I think if young people want the vaccine they will get it without need of a bribe and if they’re massively opposed to it then a promise of freebies won’t change their mind.” Students on the UK government-backed Deliveroo discounts for getting vaccinated. Read
👾 Culture shock
I think Mark Zuckerberg had just finished reading Ready Player One when he announced Facebook’s plans for its new venture, The Metaverse. Read
Meet Pandemio, the panda mascot that dances at vaccination centres in Mexico City and is cheaper than a $9,992 golden ticket. Look
