ROI University: A Higher Ed Marketing Show

In this episode, Rustam Irani introduces Chris Sheppard as the new co-host of ROI University and shares how the show is evolving into a more conversational exploration of marketing, data, analytics, AI, and innovation in higher education. Rustam and Chris discuss why human storytelling matters even more as AI-generated content becomes commonplace, including a standout piece of direct mail from Macalester College that broke through the noise. They also introduce Pennant, a new venture they co-founded to help higher-ed marketers bring fragmented marketing and enrollment data together, improve attribution, and make reporting more actionable. It's a look at where ROI University is headed—and the practical ideas, experiments, and insights Rustam and Chris plan to bring along for the ride.

Resources Mentioned

• The Prompt — Chris Sheppard's weekly LinkedIn newsletter covering AI news, higher-ed implications, practical prompts, and ways marketers can use AI in their workflows.
• Pew Research Center — Referenced in Chris's discussion of research around AI-generated web content.
• ChatGPT — Discussed in the context of how AI-generated marketing content has evolved and become increasingly recognizable.
• Vercel — Mentioned as part of Chris's technical toolkit.
• Supabase — Mentioned as part of Chris's technical toolkit.
• Pennant — The data and analytics venture co-founded by Rustam and Chris, designed to bring marketing, CRM, attribution, enrollment, pacing, and performance data under one roof. Sponsor: https://www.pennantdash.com
• Macalester College — Highlighted as an example of differentiated, attention-grabbing higher-ed direct-mail marketing.
• Tulane University — Mentioned as another example of creative higher-ed direct mail.
• Arcadia University — Mentioned for a memorable composition-notebook direct-mail campaign.

Timestamps

• 00:01 — ROI University is evolving: Rustam introduces Chris Sheppard as the show's new co-host and explains what his technical, operational, and strategic perspective will bring to the podcast.
• 02:07 — A more conversational approach: Rustam and Chris discuss the new format and their plans to share real-world observations about marketing, data, AI, and what's working in higher ed.
• 03:25 — Chris's journey from IT to digital marketing: Chris shares his 20+ years of experience spanning technology, development, digital marketing, home services, and higher education.
• 05:30 — AI, The Prompt, and keeping content human: Chris discusses his LinkedIn newsletter, the rapid evolution of AI, and why AI should support—not erase—the human perspective behind higher-ed marketing.
• 09:10 — The higher-ed marketing that actually gets noticed: Rustam shares the Macalester College direct-mail piece that got his entire family's attention and explores why differentiation, curiosity, storytelling, and authenticity still win.
• 13:37 — Introducing Pennant: Rustam and Chris reveal their new venture and the problem it aims to solve: fragmented marketing, advertising, CRM, attribution, and enrollment data.
• 17:55 — Moving beyond stale spreadsheets: They discuss why even sophisticated institutions struggle with disconnected datasets and reporting that can become outdated almost as soon as it's created.
• 18:49 — What's next for ROI University: Rustam and Chris preview a show built around practical insights, real examples, experimentation, data, AI, and candid conversations about what works—and what doesn't—in higher-ed marketing.