The role of the college or university president in developing the marketing potential of the institution is discussed. The experience of industry indicates that a marketing viewpoint in an organization will grow only when the president of the organization fully understands its uses and limitations. However, many colleges and universities are failing to develop their marketing potentials because their presidents are mistaking insular admissions, promotion, or development activities for total marketing activities. For higher education, there are nine elements of the marketing activity: admissions, public relations and publications, student retention, counseling, faculty divisions, alumni relations, placement, institutional research, and development. These elements are not being realistically coordinated to focus on the needs of the institutions' clienteles. As the top institutional officer, the president should have a broad perspective relating to current and future growth and should assume responsibility for the coordination of all marketing activities. If higher education is to be productive, every president must be a marketing person, since it is the president's duty to relate the institution's activities to the realities of the client market place and the social/political/economic environment. (SW)