Marketing With Authenticity: Diversity Marketing and the Student Experience at Texas Christian University

Abstract

As universities within the United States continue to emphasize creatingdiverse and inclusive campus environments, many researchers and individuals have highlighted the lack of accuratedepictions of undergraduate campus diversity and inclusion in university marketing materials. However, few studiesinvestigate how potential inaccuracy in university representationof diversity impactsthe university experience for current undergraduate students. This study provides an examination of this issue through a focus upon the marketing of diversity at Texas Christian University and its relation to student experiences at this institution. It begins with a content analysis of current digital marketing materials released by Texas Christian University, and then connects this analysis to the information collected from a survey of current undergraduate students’ perceptions of the university’s diversity, inclusion, and the marketing materials relating to these concepts. In addition to exploring the nature of this relationship, the author proposesseveral areas of potential improvementthat the university could focus uponto more authentically market the diversity of the undergraduate population andthe levels of inclusion present at the university.