Many concerned academic administrators are turning to marketing as the cure for shrinking enrollments. These administrators often have unrealistic expectations of what marketing techniques can achieve. Marketing cannot cover up for programs of poor quality, create customers in an over-harvested market, or overcome high attrition when students leave faster than they can be recruited. However, when marketing is done well it can enable a college to make intelligent decisions; assist in understanding educational needs; facilitate the refinement of a college's mission, goals, and objectives; attract new students; retain current students; and develop a well-informed community and student body. Priorities in developing a marketing plan include obtaining the chief administrator's support, addressing each aspect of the institutional image, using the research arm of the school, and identifying constituencies. A successful marketing plan may have unexpected spin-off effects, and therefore the plan should include alternatives for coping with change. Additional tips for developing a sound marketing plan include writing college publications in plain, understandable language; utilizing a variety of innovative advertising techniques; exploring alternative funding sources; and considering the development of a quality control department. (LAL)