Issue 232

Author

Brendan Schneider
March 31, 2025

In partnership with

PROLOGUE
The Great Remote Work Reversion: What the 2025 MarCom Survey Reveals

Happy Monday!

I was diving into the 2025 MarCom Society Salary Survey results this week, and one trend jumped out at me like a pop-up ad you can't close: the dramatic shift in remote work policies across our industry.

Remember back during COVID when we were all making jokes about Zoom fatigue and perfecting our work-from-home setups? Well, it seems like those days are fading fast.

According to the survey, a whopping 43.3% of school marketing professionals now report being "fully on-site" - that's 0% remote work. To put that in perspective, this is a massive jump from just 15% who reported being fully on-site in 2024.

The numbers get even more interesting when you look at policy changes. While 30.8% of schools have become more flexible with remote work since the pandemic, 17.2% have actually become less flexible. The largest group (34.4%) reports no change at all in their remote work policies.

What strikes me as particularly noteworthy is how this contrasts with the rest of the business world. While many industries are embracing hybrid models as the new norm, it seems our schools are reverting to pre-pandemic expectations at a faster rate.

So what might be driving this trend? There are several possibilities:

  1. School leadership may feel that in-person marketing team presence helps strengthen community connections

  2. The hands-on nature of school events and activities often requires physical presence

  3. There could be concerns about equity (if some departments can work remotely while others cannot)

  4. Perhaps there's a generational divide in leadership philosophies about remote work

The irony here is that the same survey shows marketing professionals are working longer hours (nearly 30% report 50+ hour work weeks) and taking on more responsibilities than ever. Greater flexibility might actually help address burnout and improve retention.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Has your school rolled back remote work options? Do you find you're more effective in-person or when you have flexibility? Is this trend aligned with what your faculty and staff are experiencing?

Drop me a note and let me know. We're all navigating this evolving landscape together!

Thanks,
Brendan

P.S. You can download the 2025 survey here.

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blog.moonshotos.com/is-your-schools-strategic-plan-stalling-its-likely-a-systems-problem

7 Quick Instagram Reels Tricks to Get More Views and Likes

Are you leveraging Instagram Reels for your school? Grab these 7 quick tricks to get more views and likes on your school's Instagram Reels.

socialschool4edu.com/7-quick-instagram-reels-tricks-to-get-more-views-and-likes

How to Use Claude to Create a Virtual Assistant (in Under 10 Minutes)

Discover how to set up and use Claude's AI-powered virtual executive assistant to boost productivity and streamline your workflow in just a few easy steps.

blog.hubspot.com/marketing/use-claude-to-create-virtual-assistant

Content at Scale: How to Train AI to Create Great Content

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www.socialmediaexaminer.com/content-at-scale-how-to-train-ai-to-create-great-content

How To Market Yourself for the Marketing Role You Want

Finding a new job in marketing isn’t easy right now. Up your chance for success by positioning (and developing) yourself as the full-stack marketer you want to be. Here’s how.

contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/market-yourself-marketing-role

Brendan Schneider (@schneiderb.com)

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RECOMMENDED VIEWING

RECOMMENDED LISTENING

203: Beyond the waitlist – The case for continuous marketing

Your enrolment success is a result of all the work that’s gone into your marketing and your brand building efforts, but having full admissions and long waitlists should never mean halting your marketing efforts completely. This episode, we make the case for continuous marketing – which isn’t just about getting new students but reinforcing your school’s brand and building brand longevity.

www.imageseven.com.au/203-beyond-the-waitlist-the-case-for-continuous-marketing

MARCOM JOB

Director of Marketing & Communications @ French American School of Princeton

We are looking for a dynamic Director of Marketing & Communications who can elevate the school’s visibility and strengthen community connections through strategic, creative marketing and communications efforts.

jobs.marcomsociety.org/job/director-of-marketing-communications-35

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