[November 11, 2014]

Universities with Chief Marketing Officers Have More Strategic Marketing Plans, Formstack Report Reveals

Formstack, a leading provider of online traffic conversion solutions, today announces new higher education research in a new report, "Is Your University Ready for a CMO?" The report breaks down the impact of chief marketing officers (CMOs) in higher education facilities and their marketing departments across the country.

Through survey research from over 550 higher education professionals, Formstack analyzed the impact university CMOs have on overall strategic vision and technology adoption. Formstack worked with mStoner Inc., a leading higher education communications agency, to administer the survey.

According to the data, 35 percent of respondents already have CMOs at their institutions. The report also revealed that these universities are 49 percent more likely to have a strategic marketing plan than respondents at non-CMO institutions.

"We're seeing a shift in leadership at higher education institutios," said Chris Byers, CEO, Formstack. "CMOs are driving more strategic planning, implementing better tools to increase growth and leveraging the latest technology to remain in the competitive market. This data clearly shows that C-level leadership is a key factor in remaining competitive in marketing."

Another key finding revealed in this report is the adoption of university technology under marketing leadership. According to Formstack's data, universities with either a CMO or a vice president of marketing are 21 percent more likely to implement cutting-edge marketing tools, like CRM (customer relationship management) or marketing automation software.

"The data clearly illustrates how a college or university can benefit from having a CMO," Michael Stoner, president of mStoner, Inc., observed. "Every institution faces new challenges. Those with CMOs can be more nimble in responding to them and are better positioned to leverage technology to support marketing initiatives. Wise investments in these areas are particularly important now considering current budget concerns."

To download the 2014 Higher Ed Marketing Report, please visit www.formstack.com/CMOreport.

About Formstack:
Formstack's robust form-building solution helps businesses create branded, mobile-ready web forms. By marrying form and website data for better engagement and conversions, Formstack provides digital marketers the resources to understand multichannel campaigns and convert more leads and inquiries. From A/B testing and analytics, to social media plugins and custom themes, Formstack allows for smarter data collection and optimization that leads to measurable business value. For more information about Formstack please visit www.formstack.com.

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