Palomar’s marketing team is seeking help from a third-party marketing firm to effectively communicate a clear message to the community.

Interim President Adrian Gonzales mentioned this in a memo released on Feb. 1, saying the college will be seeking recommendations from a hired consultant.

his third-party firm will assess the message Palomar is sending to the community, and develop a new message.

Laura Gropen, director of communications, marketing and public affairs, said there was discussion in a committee called, the Strategic Planning Council, of $150,000 being allocated for marketing outreach review with a focus on messaging and research. This amount has not been finalized.

“What I’m hoping the outcome is going to be is a more focused and comprehensive strategic messaging for the organization that better communicates what we do well and why students should come here,” Gropen said.

Michael Gilardi, 21, is a business and computer science student who discussed the benefits of using an outside marketing firm to review the message of the college.

“I don’t think it is a bad idea for Palomar at all, but I just hope they used Palomar’s resources well…I highly doubt they are going to fail at that,” Gilardi said.

While Gilardi agreed that seeking outside help would be beneficial, he also mentioned the college needs to do more to use each organization on campus to assist in promoting the school.

“We don’t utilize each department, each department is in their own little bubble,” Gilardi said.

Gilardi brought up using modern technology to promote the college, and how the marketing team could be doing more to incorporate this technology.

Gropen said, according to the National Council of Marketing and Public Relations, 68 percent of community colleges in the United States use outside companies to help in marketing ventures.

Mary Cassoni, a business and marketing professor, talked about the benefits and reasons Palomar would seek outside help in its marketing.

“It’s not unusual for an organization to seek consulting for issues that are outside the norm of everyday operations,” Cassoni said.

Cassoni mentioned this may have to do with the steady decline in enrollment at Palomar.

Cassoni added: “I think we need to ask our students or ask the community ‘Are we doing everything right or everything we possibly can to make your time here at Palomar as efficient and good as possible?”