Talking Tactics

Ep. 75: Stop Marketing Amenities. Start Marketing Belonging

Students today aren’t just evaluating colleges based on rankings, programs, or amenities — they’re asking a much deeper question: Will I feel like I belong here? In this

Ep. 74: Breaking Records, Building Belonging: Inside UNC Charlotte’s Advancement Playbook

UNC Charlotte is rewriting what modern university advancement can look like—fast, collaborative, and deeply rooted in place. In this episode of Talking Tactics with Safan

Ep. 73: How Social Intelligence Changes Higher Ed Marketing

Social media managers have been saying it for years: the comments section knows all. In this episode, Safaniya Stevenson sits down with Brittany Hennessy of Sprout Social

Ep. 72: Beyond the Tagline: Building Purpose-Driven Systems

What happens when the brand is not the lead but the work is? In this episode of Talking Tactics, Safy sits down with Deneen Gillespie to unpack a bold shift from traditio

Ep. 71: How Pretzels Became One of Higher Ed’s Most Memorable Enrollment Marketing Campaigns

What does a pretzel have to do with enrollment marketing? Turns out… a lot. On this episode of Talking Tactics, host Safaniya Stevenson sits down with Andy Schneider, De

Ep. 70: Fun, Strategy & Fur: Rethinking Mascot Rebranding in Higher Ed

What happens when a university mascot gets more than just a costume upgrade? In this episode of Talking Tactics, we unpack how a strategic mascot rebrand can fuel enrollm

Ep. 69: Collaborate, Curate, Consolidate: Fordham’s Approach to Smarter Student Programming

Are too many emails and events actually hurting student engagement at your university? In this episode of Talking Tactics, Safaniya Stevenson chats with Toni Marie Perill

Ep. 68: Is Storytelling Just a Buzzword? How Higher Ed Marketers Can Build Narrative That Actually Works

Storytelling is having a moment. But most brands are still telling stories that sound exactly the same. On this episode of Talking Tactics, Safy sits down with John Gor

Ep. 67: How Friendship Bracelets United a Campus Around Its Strategic Plan

Forget everything you know about strategic plans being boring. Fort Lewis College just cracked the code when they turned their five strategic pillars into friendship brac

Ep. 66: Is Your Campus Ready for Employee Advocacy? The Culture Check Higher Ed Marketers Can’t Skip

Think your university's perfectly curated Instagram feed is attracting Gen Z students? Think again. Employee advocacy experts Ben Hayes and Maria DeMario reveal why letti

Ep. 65: How Indigenous Values Can Transform Enrollment Strategies

In this episode of Talking Tactics, host Safaniya Stevenson sits down with Jana Hanson of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and Kata Traxler from St

Ep. 64: Going Vertical: When SEO Meets Social Video

When TikTok bans threatened to upend their social strategy, one university's marketing team discovered an unlikely ally: their SEO colleagues. In this episode, Amanda Fer

Ep. 63: From Likes to Leads: Finding Your Marketing Sweet Spot on LinkedIn

This week on Talking Tactics we’re talking social media championships and test kitchens? We’re joined by Michaela Taylor, Senior Social Media Strategist at the University

Ep. 62: Turning Keynotes Into Curriculum to Create Community Beyond the Stage

NC State University sold out 700 tickets in just two days when they brought Alton Brown to campus, but that was only the beginning. Nash Dunn and Allie Bloom Whitley shar

Ep. 61: New Game, New Rules, and Rewriting Student Philanthropy

What happens when a fundraiser decides to end one of higher ed’s most sacred traditions—the senior giving campaign? In this episode, Safaniya sits down with Alex Rodrígue

Ep. 60: Building Alumni Affinity Through Curiosity Content

Safaniya Stevenson sits down with Daniel Freeman, Chief Development Officer at Gaston Community College, to unpack how a “curiosity-first” approach reshaped alumni engage

Ep. 59: Risky or Rewarding? Bold Design Lessons for Education Marketing

Most higher ed campaigns play it safe—and end up milk toast. In this episode of Talking Tactics, Safaniya Stevenson sits down with Baldwin&’s Ashley Yetman and Emily Wats

Ep. 58: Turning a Brand Transformation Into a Party

What happens when a team of former tourism and events pros are in charge of rolling out a rebrand? You’ll want to hold on your beignets for this one. In this episode, we’

Ep. 57: Passing the Baton to Your New Host

You thought we were done with the show? Think again. The pursuit of top-tier tactics continues! Talking Tactics isn't going anywhere, but we ARE getting a new voice behin

Ep. 56: My Favorite Moments from Two Years of Talking Tactics

After two years and 55 episodes packed with practical, joyful, and wildly clever ideas, Talking Tactics comes to a close. In this final episode, host Dayana Kibilds refle