For years, colleges have promoted the benefits of higher education with strong, data-driven messaging: better careers, higher earnings, more opportunities, and lifelong connections. But in many rural, blue-collar communities, that messaging has created an unintended side effect—an “us vs. them” divide. The more colleges emphasize what life with a degree looks like, the more they may inadvertently suggest that life without one is less worthy. 

This dynamic has given rise to a kind of cultural defense mechanism—particularly among male and rural audiences—where higher education is not just viewed with skepticism, but stigmatized as elitist, unnecessary, or out of touch. That perception is being passed down to the next generation, making male and rural prospects even harder to reach. If colleges want to rebuild trust and relevance, they must shift how they communicate—not just what they communicate. 

There’s no single message that can change people’s opinions. However, it is possible to soften hearts, change minds, and alter behavior by looking at the reason why stigma exists and tailoring messages to overcome it. Anti-stigma messaging is a powerful strategy that colleges can integrate to effectively reach audiences and invite them into marketing campaigns.  

A few hallmarks of anti-stigma messaging include: 

• Intentionally connecting to the community of focus 

• Including trusted voices and peer messengers 

• Meeting people where they are physically, socially, and psychologically  

• Using best practices for language  

The ways that these features appear in marketing efforts can have a profound impact on the unintended messages that may be tagging along in your campaign.

Get to know your ‘who’ and their ‘why’

Traditional marketing often relies on a strategy to cast the widest net in messaging and hope that it results in the biggest catch. But flipping this approach to focus in on prospects and really understand their values, perceptions, motivations, and barriers can make your audience engage in a much more meaningful and long-lasting way.  

Rural audiences, for example, make many choices based on their values and sense of identity—which is often closely tied to their community and upbringing. With deep pride for their way of life, resentment can easily blossom when messages lack recognition for hands-on work and contributions to their local economy. When this perspective is unpacked and acknowledged, messaging strategies can then pivot to avoid any misperception pitfalls.

Affirm, don’t alienate

It’s essential for colleges to respect and affirm the values of the communities they’re trying to reach. Many marketing messages unintentionally frame higher education as a way to be ‘better’ and have ‘more.’ For some, that can feel like a judgment on their families, communities, or identities.  

Instead, focus on how education can strengthen local communities, support family goals, or bring skills back home. Highlight alumni who returned to serve their towns as teachers, business owners, or healthcare workers. Ensure that messaging doesn’t position a degree as the only or best option, and, instead, does communicate that folks can be successful with or without a college degree or needing to leave their hometown. Reinforce that choosing college doesn’t mean rejecting one’s roots—it can mean investing in them. 

Promote pathways and flex formats

With education deserts a growing barrier for rural communities, proximity—whether that's from the lens of distance or connection to the community in which the campus resides—leaves audiences at odds with higher education. When young men and rural students don’t see themselves or their peers at college, whether in the curricula, marketing materials, or alumni outcomes, they’re less likely to believe they belong. 

Many colleges are already investing in programs or campuses in those rural pockets, offering online learning options, and showcasing them in marketing can meet students where they are geographically, financially, and academically. Other program options like flexible formats, including online and hybrid options, short-term credentials, stackable pathways, and apprenticeship-style programs can help students see themselves enrolling, while still staying connected to their home communities. 

Mind your messaging

As marketers, we know that words matter. And perhaps more importantly, the impact of words matters more than our intent in crafting them. It’s critical to ask: how might my audience’s lived experience change their interpretation of a message?  

When it comes to anti-stigma messaging, even small shifts can have a major impact on how a campaign is perceived—and can be the difference between breaking through or widening the divide. Adapting a message to bring specific values, features, and benefits into focus can make your message resonate more effectively. And looking at specific words and phrases to assess how they may inadvertently reinforce stigma can catch pitfalls before they occur.  

We look to five key checkpoints to ensure our message is as stigma-free as possible:  

• Use plain, everyday words that clearly communicate 

• Emphasize person-first language, not a condition, qualifier, or other label 

• Focus on positive language that showcases strengths, not deficits  

• Provide compelling, unique reasons for an audience to engage, instead of overpromising and inflating benefits or consequences 

• Check for judgment-free words and labels that don’t reflect opposing or moral implications  

Leave assumptions behind

It can be easy to get lost in data: application peaks and valleys, media buy clicks and rates, program seats filled. But rebuilding trust with skeptical audiences means continuously inviting and engaging them in marketing efforts. Challenging what you know—and what you think you know—to uncover critical nuances and emerging perceptions that strengthen your impact.  

Ultimately, shifting perceptions takes more than a campaign—it takes commitment. Anti-stigma communication isn’t a quick fix; it’s an ongoing effort to listen, reflect, and evolve alongside the audiences you serve. But by taking the step to understand, colleges can begin to close the cultural gap that has kept male and rural prospects at arm’s length.