When I first started thinking about communication and design, I didn’t realize how much success depends on knowing exactly who you are speaking to. Whether it’s a university, a brand, or even a social media campaign, messages only work when they connect with the right audience. That’s where stakeholders come in.
A stakeholder is anyone who has an interest in an organization or is affected by its decisions (CFI Team, 2026). In my research of the University of Oklahoma Admissions and Recruitment team, I examined how these different groups interact with the university and why they matter. Understanding these audiences is essential for attracting and supporting future students.
Identifying the Right Audience
One of the most important steps in a communication strategy is identifying your target stakeholders. Without this, messages can feel too broad or irrelevant, meaning they fail to connect with the people they are meant to reach.
For OU Admissions, my research showed two key groups:
- Prospective high school students (primary stakeholders)
- Parents and guardians (secondary stakeholders)
These two audiences may be connected, but they have very different motivations, concerns and decision-making styles.
Students are focused on things like campus life, academic programs and personal growth. Parents, on the other hand, are more concerned with safety, affordability and long-term career success.
Why Research Matters
Understanding an audience doesn’t happen by guessing; it requires research.
To build accurate stakeholder personas, I reviewed:
- The University of Oklahoma Admissions website
- Campus Life and Academic pages
- Financial Aid and Student Support resources
- The Sooner Stories blog
- OU’s social media presence on platforms like Instagram and YouTube
This research helped reveal not just what OU offers, but how the university communicates its values. It also showed how OU uses storytelling and digital media to connect emotionally with students while also providing practical information for parents.
Reactions and Behavior
One of the most important parts of understanding an audience is knowing how they respond to messages.
For example, prospective students often engage with visual and emotional content like campus videos, student takeovers and social media posts. These formats help them imagine themselves at the university.
Parents, however, tend to respond more to clear, detailed information about costs, scholarships, safety and academic outcomes. The same message cannot be used for both groups in the same way. It has to be adjusted based on what each audience values most.
How Stakeholder Understanding Improves Communication
When organizations understand their stakeholders, their communication becomes more effective, targeted and meaningful.
For OU Admissions, this means:
- Creating content that inspires students to imagine their future
- Providing parents with clear and trustworthy information
- Using social media and storytelling to build emotional connection
- Using websites and resources to provide practical decision-making support
Without this understanding, messages risk being too general and failing to influence enrollment decisions.
References
CFI Team. (2026, April 2). Stakeholder. Corporate Finance Institute. https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/accounting/stakeholder/.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (2025, June 20). Campus life. University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/admissions/campus-life.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (2025, August 1). Admissions & recruitment. University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/admissions.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (2025, September 8). Student support resources. University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/admissions/campus-life/support.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (2025, October 17). Financial aid. University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/admissions/affordability/financial-aid.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (2026, May 14). Sooner stories. University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/admissions/sooner-stories.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (2026, May 26). Academics & majors. University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/admissions/academics.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (n.d.). Go2OU [Instagram profile]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/go2ou/.
University of Oklahoma Admissions & Recruitment. (n.d.). OU Admissions [YouTube channel]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@OU-Admissions.