Ep. 88: Student Fans: Using Taylor Swift's Playbook for Higher Ed Success
Tue Jan 27 2026
Allison is joined by Jenny Petty, VP of Industry Relations and Advisory Services at SimpsonScarborough, and Kerri Shook, Owner of ks strategy studio, to discuss rethinking student recruitment and retention by building a fan base. Inspired by Taylor Swift's “Eras” model, UM saw retention climb by 9% since 2018 by focusing on emotional storytelling and experiential branding. They explain how cross-campus collaboration led to new traditions, like the “Freshman Float,” that combat the perception of a lack of campus vibrancy. Learn how to use data to justify this emotional approach, listen to students to co-create experiences, and foster a true sense of belonging.
Join us as we discuss:
[2:23] Rethinking student engagement through the lens of Taylor Swift fandom[9:30] How a lazy river float became an orientation capstone for the UM experience[18:34] Co-creating brand with your students and adapting to your audienceTo hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on
Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player.
Guest Name:
Guest Social:
Guest Bio:
- - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcio
About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!
Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Allison is joined by Jenny Petty, VP of Industry Relations and Advisory Services at SimpsonScarborough, and Kerri Shook, Owner of ks strategy studio, to discuss rethinking student recruitment and retention by building a fan base. Inspired by Taylor Swift's “Eras” model, UM saw retention climb by 9% since 2018 by focusing on emotional storytelling and experiential branding. They explain how cross-campus collaboration led to new traditions, like the “Freshman Float,” that combat the perception of a lack of campus vibrancy. Learn how to use data to justify this emotional approach, listen to students to co-create experiences, and foster a true sense of belonging. Join us as we discuss: [2:23] Rethinking student engagement through the lens of Taylor Swift fandom[9:30] How a lazy river float became an orientation capstone for the UM experience[18:34] Co-creating brand with your students and adapting to your audienceTo hear this interview and many more like it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website, or search for “The Application with Allison Turcio” in your favorite podcast player. Guest Name: Guest Social: Guest Bio: - - - -Connect With Our Host:Allison Turciohttps://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonturcio/https://twitter.com/allisonturcio About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Application with Allison Turcio is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.