Keith Rhodes, former Senior Vice President, Group Director at Young & Rubicam Group and former Chief Marketing Officer at Quinnipiac University, announced today the launch of University Labs, a next generation digital design and development company.
University Labs was born with a clear vision to fill an unmet need in the marketplace by providing colleges and universities of all sizes with exceptional marketing services and innovative digital experience products, enabling both brand and digital experience transformation — resulting in greater audience impact, financial stability and growth. Through continuous research, rapid prototyping, a unique collaborative approach and a new model for building university digital experiences by creating living design systems and modular component labs, University Labs delivers unprecedented value, innovation and advantage to its university partners as they navigate the challenges immediately ahead.
Colleges and universities across the United States have entered a protracted period of disruption, resulting in record-high discount rates placing as many as one-third of colleges and universities on an unsustainable financial path, according to a study conducted by Bain & Company. In response, universities have begun to make significant investments in branding, strategy and messaging in support of their value proposition, but they continue to struggle with creating digital experiences that support the unique needs of a university environment — in addition to the demands of their audiences.
"Universities are struggling to stand-out across a complex student decision journey through a vast and fragmented university marketing ecosystem, where the university website is at the core," states Keith Rhodes, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of University Labs. He goes on to say, "Given that a university's website is a key moment of truth along the student decision journey, it has never been more important to make sure that a university's website is user-centric, relevant, responsive, accessible and on brand — especially given that greater than 90% of prospective students say that the quality of a university website affects their perception of an institution as a whole and greatly impacts their decision to apply and attend."
As a former chief marketing officer at a nationally-ranked university, Keith knows first-hand how difficult it is to find a digital agency that delivers innovative solutions while understanding the complexity of higher education. "Just having higher education experience is not enough. You have to be able to deliver innovation and competitive advantage by designing and developing experiences that result in audience impact and provide a strong return on marketing investment," Keith states. "This requires specialized skills, expertise and technology combined with a thorough understanding of the complex needs of a university." Keith goes on to say, "And, with the onset of university marketing as a strategic function, newly appointed chief marketing officers are seeking more sophisticated marketing partners, technology and solutions to help them build their brands while better connecting with their various audiences — making this the ideal time in history to launch University Labs."
Keith began his career in higher education as Quinnipiac University's first chief marketing officer following a successful career at leading marketing agencies in New York and Boston, where he led marketing programs for some of the world's most influential companies, including Land Rover, Starwood Hotels, NFL, Sony, Johnson & Johnson, AICPA, Fidelity Investments, Microsoft, Lufthansa, etc. Recognizing the challenges ahead for tuition-dependent schools, Keith established a vision and led Quinnipiac through both brand and digital transformation over the course of a 4-year period — resulting in significant advancements in brand equity, strategic positioning, awareness and reach, enrollment and overall perception of Quinnipiac's value proposition. "Keith's vision and deep knowledge of marketing have taken Quinnipiac University to new levels," said President John L. Lahey, Quinnipiac's president of 31 years, who led the transformation of Quinnipiac from a small local college into a major nationally-recognized university. "I wish Keith the very best in his new venture," he went on to say.
For additional information, please visit www.universitylabs.com.
