Ep. 98: How a Rebrand Boosted Enrollment 50%

Jaime Hunt sits down with Jennifer Umberger, VP and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Kettering University. They unpack what it really takes to break out of higher ed’s “sea of sameness” and build an enrollment marketing engine that actually moves the needle. Jennifer shares how Kettering’s distinct co-op model became the center of a sharper brand story—and how tight alignment between marketing and enrollment helped drive major growth. If you’re looking for a marketing strategy for student recruitment that’s built for today’s expectations (ROI, outcomes, and relevance), this one’s a must-listen.

Guest Name: Jennifer Umberger, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Kettering University

Guest Social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferumberger/

Guest Bio: Jennifer Umberger joined Kettering University in February 2023. As the University’s Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Jennifer leads Kettering University’s brand strategy, focused on awareness, enrollment marketing, and thought leadership to increase visibility and support for Kettering’s mission, vision, and Pillars of Success. She oversees the University’s web and digital strategy, social media, creative production, advertising, enrollment marketing, public relations, media relations, and the University Magazine. She is a member of the President’s Cabinet.

Jennifer has more than two decades of marketing and communications experience, most recently at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (formerly Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield Universities), where she served as Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. In that role, she oversaw executive communications, enrollment marketing, university marketing and brand management, strategic communications, media relations, and athletic communications and marketing. She was also the strategic communications lead in partnership with Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.

Jennifer earned a Bachelor’s degree in History with a concentration in Mass Communication and an emphasis in Public Relations from Albion College, as well as a Master of Business Administration from Augsburg University.

She is a member of the American Marketing Association and serves as Vice President of the board of directors for CUPRAP, a professional community dedicated to advancing higher education marketing and communications. Jennifer also serves nationally on the Committee on Leadership for Alpha Xi Delta, a women’s fraternity of which she is a member.

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Connect With Our Host:
Jaime Hunt
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimehunt/
https://twitter.com/JaimeHuntIMC

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Confessions of a Higher Ed CMO is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! 

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