Why Proactive Research Sets the Route for Smarter Strategy

Let’s call it what it is: most market research in higher ed is still stuck in the rearview mirror.

Too often, institutions only look up when warning lights flash, like when enrollment dips, a program stalls, or reputation takes a hit. By the time market research is commissioned, the institution is already off-course.  

That’s not strategic insight. That’s crisis management in slow motion. 

In fact, SimpsonScarborough’s 2023-2024 Higher Ed CMO Study revealed that only 3 in 5 institutions have conducted brand research on their audiences in the past 3 years, with only 1 in 2 conducting research on inquirers in the past 3 years.  

Timely? Likely not.  

And you must be wondering what reactive research looks like. Well, it is:

• Late: surveys are launched only after problems appear.  
• Safe: questions asked to confirm what leadership already thinks.  
• Static: results get shelved, not activated.  

It’s not that these efforts are wrong. They’re just not enough. Especially in a world where change is constant, and the stakes are high.  

Now contrast that with proactive research.

Proactive research is about direction, not speed. It’s how forward-thinking institutions chart their path, anticipate detours, and decide when to explore new terrain. We treat research like trip-planning. Not just a look at where you’ve been, but a map of where you could go next.  

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Pulse Checks = Your Waze Alerts

Short, repeatable surveys that track topline metrics. They flag whether you are on course. They can help catch red flags early and course-correct before traffic builds. When fielded annually (or more often), they provide a steady signal amid the noise. Our Dear Colorado work shows how pulse checks don’t just measure progress. They help keep marketing leadership, the message, the mission, and its impact on the state of Colorado aligned mile after mile. 

Deep Dives = Your Off-Road Guide

Pairing the pulse checks with these bespoke immersive studies allows us to go beyond topline metrics. They help you unpack nuance, understand the audiences at a deeper level, explore what’s possible (not just what’s visible), and allow for the flexibility to pivot.

For example, if your pulse check reveals alums are disengaging, a Deep Dive helps you move from guesswork to a game plan. You uncover the “why” behind the data: misalignment with values? Lack of career impact? A generational disconnect? Then you turn that intel into targeted strategies that rebuild trust and re-ignite pride. 

In our POV, the smartest and most-ready institutions will benefit from blending annual Pulse Checks with biennial (if not annual) Deep Dives to stay both agile and grounded, allowing you to track evolving needs and pivot, rather than reacting after the fact. This cadence creates:

• Continuity. Regular check-ins across audiences, issues, and time.
• Context. Deep understanding of what’s driving change and what to do about it.
• Confidence. Clearer decisions, stronger strategy, and less second-guessing. 

And most critically? These insights don’t stay in a deck. They shape recruitment, inform campaigns, strengthen brand, drive engagement, and sharpen institutional priorities. 

Why the time to go deeper is now

Even in the absence of obvious red flags in topline metrics, institutions should plan for Deep Dives every 2 years (or when major shifts hit). Why? Because the world doesn’t stand still. People evolve. Perceptions change. Shi(f)t happens.   

If your last major research effort was pre-pandemic, your map is outdated. In a span of five years (2020-2024), the landscape in the United States has shifted dramatically:

That’s only five years’ worth of disruption. 

Higher education is not a bubble. It and its key stakeholders (be it prospective students and their parents, alums, donors, state legislators, general public) are part of a connected network that is affected by a plethora of such disruptions. Waiting 4-5 years between in-depth research is no longer sustainable in a world of accelerated change. Institutions need timely insight to keep up, let alone stay ahead.   

The bottom line

Research is the competitive edge. It is your GPS, your map, your pit crew. 

Without research, you risk drifting, guessing at turns, reacting to detours, and hoping for the best instead of planning for what’s next. But smart institutions know better: they chart their courses with purpose, use Pulse Checks like mile markers and quick reads to confirm they’re still on track, and they rely on Deep Dives like topographic maps, essential when the road ahead gets complex, crowded, or unclear. 

Strategy without insight is just educated guesswork, like driving cross-country with no navigation. And in today’s environment, guesswork is a risk no institution can afford.  

The institutions that will win the next decade are data ahead, not just data-informed.  They’re behind the dashboard, watching every dial, reading the road ahead, and ready to shift gears when needed. They navigate with insight, not instinct, and use research to power what’s next. 

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Want to be sure your institution is on the right road and ready for what’s ahead?

Our Multi-Year Reputation Research Packages give leadership a continuous navigation system to steer strategy with confidence. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start navigating with clarity, let’s talk.