Jenzabar, Inc., a leading technology innovator in higher education serving the new student, announced that it has acquired Spark451, a full-service marketing and technology firm providing enrollment strategies for the higher education market. The acquisition comes at a time when creative and modern enrollment strategies are critical for colleges facing declining student populations, shifting learner demographics, and other emerging challenges.
This acquisition is a critical milestone as higher education institutions transform their enrollment strategies during a time of unprecedented upheaval for college admissions. With the acquisition of Spark451, Jenzabar can offer even deeper enrollment strategy expertise and full-service marketing capabilities, including more complete support for institutional enrollment, retention, operations, management, and digital transformation initiatives. The addition of Spark451’s renowned use of data and strategic marketing techniques, including analytics and predictive modeling, helps colleges build or rebuild their brands, which has proven to achieve far-reaching enrollment goals by attracting a new student demographic.
“We are thrilled to join Jenzabar, a world-class organization that shares our deep commitment to helping colleges succeed and learners thrive in this new and changing world,” said Steve Kerge, CEO of Spark451. “Together, we offer an unparalleled set of solutions and services for higher education institutions, allowing schools of all types and sizes to overcome their enrollment challenges and build a roadmap to success in an otherwise turbulent market.”
The enrollment crisis facing U.S. higher education institutions has continued amid the pandemic. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, overall undergraduate enrollment dropped by 6.6% from 2019 to 2021, representing a decline of over 1.2 million students, while community college enrollment dipped by 13%. This enrollment decline is forcing colleges of all sizes to find new ways to build their brands, achieve their enrollment goals, and create new revenue streams by attracting non-traditional students who want to secure lucrative jobs in technology, healthcare, business, and other sectors.
“The model for higher education needs to be reinvented as learner demands change,” said Ling Chai Maginn, Founder, President, and CEO of Jenzabar. “By acquiring Spark451 and bringing them into the Jenzabar Family, we can better help institutions build future-proof enrollment strategies that allow them to find, attract, and engage with their best-fit students while simultaneously extending their reach toward the fast-growing, non-traditional student population.”
Source: Businesswire
