NEWS
By Ryan Lessard
news@hippopress.com
Debate gets hot The last Republican debate on Fox Business on Jan. 14 proved a heated one, especially when billionaire Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz exchanged barbs, Reuters reported. The spat ended a longstanding ceasefire between the two candidates, who had thus far only said positive things about each other publicly. During one spat, Cruz defended his legal eligibility to run for president since he was born to Americans in Canada, while Trump doubled down on claims that a Cruz nomination would invite legal challenges from Democrats and prove a liability for the party. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio debated aggressively, calling New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a Northeastern clone of President Obama and claiming Cruz often changed his positions on issues for political expediency. Paul out of debates After it was announced that Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul would not be invited to perform in the prime-time debate, Paul decided to boycott the second-tier debate. The Union Leader reported Paul attracted more social media traffic than usual during his boycott on six different social media sites. Paul criticized the network’s decision to demote him to the “undercard” lineup as arbitrary and for not releasing the poll numbers ostensibly used in its decision. Graham endorses Bush Former presidential candidate and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has endorsed Jeb Bush in his bid for the White House. The AP reported Graham’s endorsement was coveted because of the pull he has in the early-voting state he represents. Graham ran an energetic campaign in New Hampshire, often appearing with his longtime friend and ally Sen. John McCain, but he failed to gain traction in the polls. He pulled out of the race in December. Sanders endorsement Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders earned the endorsement of former DNC chair Paul G. Kirk Jr. at a press conference at Dartmouth College Jan. 14. The Union Leader reported Kirk said at the event that Sanders would fix campaign finance rules that are “poisoning our democracy in politics.” Hillary’s lead narrower than 2008 In a sign of Hillary Clinton’s waning support or of the growing share of support for Bernie Sanders compared to the early support for her 2008 opponent, Barack Obama, it seems Clinton’s national lead has dropped faster this year than in 2008. The Washington Post compared polling averages and found that the relative lead she maintained in 2008 between now and the Iowa caucuses was higher than 15 to 20 percent, but the most recent polls for 2016 show that lead has already dropped below 10 percent. HIPPO | JANUARY 21 - 27, 2016 | PAGE 6
Soccer, Hispanics and college Major marketing push to boost SNHU’s national brand By Ryan Lessard and Kelly Sennott news@hippopress.com
Earlier this year, Southern New Hampshire University partnered with Major League Soccer by offering scholarships to League players and getting the school’s name on the airwaves during games. Now, SNHU has begun sowing the seeds with younger generations across the country by setting up small fields and offering a full ride to one local kid in each city where it builds one.
Why soccer?
So why does SNHU have its sights set on soccer, which has lagged behind America’s top four sports for generations? In short, because the sport is growing and its audience is exactly who SNHU wants to attract. “It’s in the sweet spot of students who would be interested in taking online education as young adults,” said Scott Durand, who is SNHU’s vice president of marketing and student recruitment. He says it’s tied directly to a long-term goal to make the school a well-known entity among the Hispanic community. “One of the things that was very interesting to us about Major League Soccer was how their fan base is Hispanic,” SNHU President Paul LeBlanc said. Soccer has a fan base 101 million strong — 40 percent of whom are Hispanic and 60 percent of whom are millennials. Demographically, it makes sense for SNHU to market the school to this group. They’re the fastest-growing segment of the population, and LeBlanc says 50,000 Hispanics turn 18 each month. But it also helps a group that’s lagged behind others in college attainment to gain access to higher education. “We have a lot of conversations about, ‘How do we reach marginalized or underserved city populations?’” LeBlanc said. Durand hopes the seeds he’s planting in major urban areas across the country like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Denver will bloom into a major boost in enrollment down the road. “I don’t think SNHU shies away from our mission to deliver education — our high-quality education — to as many people as we can,” Durand said. The school wasn’t actively looking for a major-league sport licensing deal back when it was first approached, but Durand said MLS chose SNHU over two for-profit universities and a major state school. “What made the difference for us choos-
Newark (NY Red Bulls) mini-pitch. Courtesy photo.
ing each other was the larger opportunities only education provider through MLS. “It’s pretty unique. I would say there’s [for education],” Durand said. no other university-major sport relationship like this one in the country,” Durand said. The partnership So far, it’s working out well for MLS and The mutually beneficial relationship between SNHU and MLS started last spring the players, according to Durand. “I think, to date, we have nine players in when a graduate of what was then New class and another seven that are committed Hampshire College made a phone call. That graduate was John Guppy, the former gen- to start in the next term,” Durand said. These players are not the same players eral manager of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club and the founder of a marketing firm as in SNHU’s Division II home team, the called Gilt Edge Soccer. On the other end Penmen, though the Penmen players (and of the line was Scott Durand, a fellow grad- all SNHU students, for that matter) could end up benefitting from the MLS relationuate and friend. As Durand tells it, Guppy pitched a tra- ship. Durand says the school began creating ditional advertising relationship, where the internships at soccer clubs, virtual senior school buys some ad time or puts its logo projects to solve club issues and a series of in the stadiums. But Durand, his market- webinars featuring MLS corporate execuing team and LeBlanc had something else tives for students who are more interested in the business side of the sport. in mind. “While we’ll definitely be making some soccer-specific commercials and running Mini pitches In keeping with the title “the official eduthem through Univision, ESPN and Fox — that already fits well in our mission and cation provider of Major League Soccer,” how we approach the U.S. market, but it’s SNHU teamed up with the U.S. Soccer really about educational tie-in,” Durand Foundation, Adidas and MLS to build small said. soccer fields (called “mini pitches”) in each To start with, SNHU is offering online of the 20 cities that is host to an MLS team. college education for players signing a con- It’s called the “20 for 20 Pitch Program.” tract with MLS. Before it made this option They’re getting built specifically in disavailable, young players were faced with advantaged neighborhoods at community more attractive offers from colleges where centers and elementary, middle or high they could play and get a degree at the same schools. time, but MLS contracts precluded the posOn each field, on the backstops will be sibility of taking a soccer scholarship. The Adidas, U.S. Soccer Foundation and SNHU partnership also positions SNHU as the branding in plain view of the young players.