In 1984, Nike’s basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro was convinced that Michael Jordan would be a generational talent and relentlessly pursued him to be the new spokesperson for the brand. As depicted in the movie, “Air,” Sonny was told that the real decision-maker in the family was Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mom. From then on, all of Sonny’s recruitment efforts were based on developing a trusting relationship with Deloris.
Think about it – the greatest basketball player in the world and the most powerful basketball agent, David Falk, both took a back seat to Deloris. She completely controlled the recruitment process and did not allow Sonny to have a direct conversation with her son until she secured a deal from Nike that forever changed the sports world. Now, almost four decades later, the Air Jordan Brand has earned her son over $1.6 billion in royalties (5% of sales per year).
Michael Jordan was 21 years old when he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1984. He was legally able to decide to sign with his first choice, Adidas, for $250,000 a year. Yet, it was Deloris who saw all the chess pieces on the board and made the moves that secured a better future for her son.
Parents of elementary, middle, and high schoolers have even more decision-making power when it comes to their children’s activities – so your CTE recruitment initiatives should take a play out of Sonny’s book.
Your career and technical education programs are more than just subjects; they are powerful pathways that will empower students toward their brightest futures. Yet, CTE programs suffer greatly from an awareness challenge. According to a survey by Advance CTE, 47% of parents and students report never hearing the term “Career Technical Education.” Based on those numbers, your programs are unknown to most of your targeted audience.
Nike was close to shutting down its basketball division if it did not sign Michael Jordan. It needed a champion like Sonny who understood he needed to change the perception of Nike not with the person who would wear the shoes, but with his mother.
Examine your marketing initiatives and see if they are providing parents/guardians with clear and informative messages to help them understand all that CTE has to offer to ensure their children’s future success.
- Are you being proactive in your communications and answering basic questions like “When are classes available and for whom? Where are they offered? How do they fit with other required courses? Do they cost money for students?”
- Are you spending more time listing the programs you offer than describing the overall benefits students will receive from experiential learning opportunities?
- More importantly, are you utilizing current CTE parents/guardians to deliver these positive messages to prospects?
If, as Advance CTE reports, 90% of current families are satisfied with the CTE experience that their child is receiving, shouldn’t their words be used in your marketing efforts? In a world where individuals trust the online reviews of complete strangers, imagine the value of a neighbor telling them that enrolling their child in a CTE program was the best decision of their life.
While there will only be one Michael Jordan, there are millions of parents like Deloris Jordan who want to ensure that their children are on educational pathways that will lead them to success. Reach out to the parental figures of your current CTE students and have them be your recruitment ambassadors. Use their words to promote your programs in your online and print materials.
Remember that years ago, over 50% of them had absolutely no idea what was taking place in your classrooms. Now, they want to sing your praises – ENGAGE THEM.
AI contributed to the graphic for this blog.
Bill Padnos
With years of expertise in career and technical education and workforce development, Bill is a passionate champion of CTE, recognizing the significant influence these pathways have in steering students toward promising futures. In his role as an advisor to Rhodes Branding for its CTE initiatives, he collaborates with the account management and business development teams, contributing to engagement strategy, content creation, and outreach efforts aimed at ensuring success for the company's CTE partners.
