1. Corporate marketing experience doesn't necessarily translate to academia.
Academia is different. Really. Corporate marketing types can find the transition baffling. I've been in the room when a marketer from a corporate background asked the leadership: "Why can't we just tell the faculty what they should be researching?" I've been in the room when a former corporate marketer asked: "What is the Chronicle of Higher Education?"
2. Journalism experience is highly valuable, but doesn't necessarily translate, either.
Journalists have incredibly powerful strengths: the ability to get the heart of an issue quickly, write with precision and passion, and stand up to authority figures. Journalists making the transition to academia have to learn, often through great frustration, that the world is changed. Most professors would, frankly, rather be listened to than listen to former journalists, er, spouting. I've seen this dynamic in action and it isn't pretty. In addition, former journalists are astonished at the slow pace of response in the organization; how many nuances there are to simple questions such as: "Are we raising tuition this year?"
3. Former PR professionals may or may not have what it takes to work in academic communications.
PR agencies are wonderful places, and they can do great work. But few agencies work specifically in academic PR. They pay the bills with specific industry clients such as high tech, banking and finance, mining and oil exploration, transportation, etc. Few PR folks have really worked with the broad intellectual capital that is the faculty, and developed an understanding of how to talk to faculty. Moreover, they are used to being supported by coordinated marketing campaigns, ad placements, events management, etc. Life in a university or college is very different: endless silos of marketing activity, budget constraints, lack of advertising support.
more soon...
Monday, February 2, 2009
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