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Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Know your audience. Know their needs and wants. Rose Knows – and it shows.

Though it’s one of the best engineering schools in the nation, the size, name, and location of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology have kept it off the short list for many prospective students. Based on earlier work we conducted for the institute in the 1980s, Rose-Hulman leadership approached Stamats again in 2017. In the latest engagement, we focused on better understanding how target audiences perceived the school and examined ways to leverage that information to increase awareness and generate interest.

Since Rose-Hulman sought to understand perceptions from multiple dimensions, including employers and members of the community, Stamats’ research plan was designed around:

Comprehensive on-campus discovery
Stakeholder/campus community web survey
Panel survey of employers for STEM-related positions
Web survey of prospective STEM students

Research findings were powerful in grounding expectations for awareness and familiarity of Rose-Hulman outside of Indiana and neighboring states. In spite of academically talented students and extremely successful graduates, data showed that Rose-Hulman did not have much top-of-mind consideration among prospective students, their parents, or employers beyond the institute’s immediate region.

Importantly, data also showed that those audiences who were familiar with Rose-Hulman, loved the school. Further research pointed to specific attributes that resonated with each audience – providing crucial insights that could be used to develop more targeted and effective marketing campaigns.

The Challenge

Though it’s one of the best engineering schools in the nation, the size, name, and location of the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology have kept it off the short list for many prospective students. Based on earlier work we conducted for the institute in the 1980s, Rose-Hulman leadership approached Stamats again in 2017. In the latest engagement, we focused on better understanding how target audiences perceived the school and examined ways to leverage that information to increase awareness and generate interest.
The Project
Since Rose-Hulman sought to understand perceptions from multiple dimensions, including employers and members of the community, Stamats’ research plan was designed around:
- Comprehensive on-campus discovery
- Stakeholder/campus community web survey
- Panel survey of employers for STEM-related positions
- Web survey of prospective STEM students
Research findings were powerful in grounding expectations for awareness and familiarity of Rose-Hulman outside of Indiana and neighboring states. In spite of academically talented students and extremely successful graduates, data showed that Rose-Hulman did not have much top-of-mind consideration among prospective students, their parents, or employers beyond the institute’s immediate region.

Importantly, data also showed that those audiences who were familiar with Rose-Hulman, loved the school. Further research pointed to specific attributes that resonated with each audience – providing crucial insights that could be used to develop more targeted and effective marketing campaigns.
The Results