Most university communications treat recruitment like a high-budget film premiere but treat retention like a trip to the DMV. While central marketing focuses on brand building, the student experience often fractures through siloed, clinical and purely transactional communications from dozens of administrative departments. When the “brand promise” meets the “operational hurdle,” the student journey suffers.
In this session, Toni Marie Perilli, a 2025 AMA Emerging Marketer finalist, will show how to bridge the gap between high-level brand strategy and operational reality through accessible, scalable tactics. At Fordham’s Career Center, Toni Marie reimagined email strategy, voice and the role of resource repositories. She transformed functional communications into high-touch guest relations and on-demand video libraries. This approach led to a 30% year-over-year increase in engagement while reducing marketing spending by 50%.
Drawing on hospitality, entertainment and the arts, we’ll explore how to redesign transactional touchpoints into a unified, high-quality experience that helps keep students enrolled. You’ll learn how to turn friction points in student communications into low-lift concierge moments that reduce frustration, build trust and belonging, and smooth the student journey. These changes can increase satisfaction and retention.
After the presentation, including case studies from Toni Marie’s work at Fordham, you’ll have the chance to ask questions tailored to your institution’s needs.
By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Identify and eliminate “operational friction” within fractured institutional communications.
- Apply hospitality frameworks to transform transactional emails into high-touch “concierge moments.”
- Scale accessible resources using existing tech to bridge gaps between live programming and student needs.
- Humanize student support by replacing anonymous departmental outreach with recognizable, community-driven staff identities.
- Leverage interdisciplinary tactics from the arts and entertainment industries to optimize messaging.
- Unify the student lifecycle by aligning departmental retention goals with the central university brand narrative.
Are you a Digital Collegium member? Watch the replay in the Event Hub.
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