Academic and Marketing Excellence in the Education Sector - Coursework Example

MARKETINGSTRATEGIES USED BY THE OF STRATHCLYDE By Location Introduction The of Strathclyde is a Scottish research institution located in Glasgow, United Kingdom. It became fully-fledged in 1964, during which the institution was awarded a Royal Charter(Davidson, et al., 2014, p. 3). The institution maintains a strong commitment towards widening the participation of students in higher education. Also, the University has an ambition of becoming one of the leading technological institutions in the world. Currently, the University has a population close to 23,000 students. 64 percent of the students are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 30 percent in postgraduate programs and 6 percent in postgraduate research. The University has witnessed a growing number of international students in the recent due to its strategy to globalize the education sector. The report highlights the marketing strategies used by the University of Strathclyde to achieve both academic and marketing excellence in the education sector. Marketing communication plan The University of Strathclyde has a common goal of attracting high-quality students and recruiting wonderful faculty members and staff. Also, the institution targets at encouraging more alumni to make donations in support of existing school programs, as well as build up the school’s reputation and brand recognition. In order to stand out from the other Universities and Colleges in the UK, the institution focuses more on writing an effective marketing strategy that suits their environment. The institution concentrates its efforts in creating a five to seven-piece communication plan to build and sustain interest in its activities(Morfaw, 2009, p. 126). The flow of marketing information targets to the student population and focuses on the key marketing message to be communicated to its audience. Above all, the University’s marketing strategy pays more attention to the academic outcomes of the institution. The University also builds its communication around marketing specific academic programs and the previous results achieved from the same programs. The results could be based on the graduate and job placement or faculty achievements. Specific tactics used for marketing include the development of print and web collateral that contain adequate information on the programs of interest and their points of difference. Such technics enhance the University’s web presence and result in the development of more compelling pages that highlight the quality of the academic programs offered by the institution. The marketing tools also used include a tuition and scholarship net cost calculator that is used by aspiring students to gauge the affordability of a specific academic program. The University also has a comprehensive and unique communication plan for parents of the prospective students. The marketing messages focus more on the quality of the academic programs offered by the institution. Also, the communication materials focus on the institution’s commitment to using exceptional teachers and providing cost-effective opportunities for scholarships to all qualifying students. The University has a distinctive post-acceptance communication plan that is designed to build more commitment among the admitted students(Davidson, et al., 2014, p. 3). The program also covers those students who have confirmed their intent to enroll at the institution. All the communication processes are integrated with common inquiry e-mail address that is linked to an outbound electronic correspondence system. The system is designed to expand and enhance more direct mail communications between the parents and the University administration. SWOT analysis The University of Strathclyde uses SWOT analysis tool as an effective marketing strategy to provide prompts to the teachers and other staff. The tool is only used by the departments in the University that need to analyze critically what is effective and less effective in the available systems and procedures. It prepares the administration for an assessment, audit or quality check plan that is often expected in any public institution(Cox, 2009, p. 189). The University of Strathclyde uses the SWOT analysis tool to plan or analyze activities that could have an impact on its finance, management and planning decisions. It enables the teachers and staffs carry out more comprehensive analysis. The marketing department has smart and clear goals and objectives that enhance the use of the SWOT analysis tool. The department ensures that all the key stakeholders within the University buy into the set goals and objectives before exploring into the marketing industry. The SWOT analysis process is handled by a team of professionals from the marketing department and representatives from the other academic departments. The team engages in a brainstorming process to develop useful ideas that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the marketing ideas to be implemented. However, the team members are often independent and not involved in the creation of the content used for marketing. The members share the goal, collect relevant data, filter, and sort and analyze the data in four areas before prioritizing the elements involved in marketing(Cox, 2009, p. 190). The University’s successful improvement of relationships between parents, teachers and their students has been made possible due to the effective use of the SWOT analysis tool. In such a case, the University administration at the marketing department began by identifying and considering the existing activities within the University that encouraged better partnerships within the institution. A team of experts then completes a SWOT analysis by identifying the current strengths and appraising the existing weaknesses. During this process, the teachers, parents, and students are involved maximally. The marketing department then uses the current analysis to identify the factors that could improve the relationship between the involved groups. Also, the team is tasked with identifying possible opportunities that could be created and develop necessary measures in place to implement or not implement the proposed marketing strategy. Initially, the University would hold one open day every year to encourage parents to visit the institution and engage with the students and members of staff. Currently, parents have no specific days but are encouraged to visit continuously on a regular basis in order to keep in touch and be involved in running the institution. A SWOT analysis of the different programs offered by the institution has been a simple but effective tool to ensure that all the major factors are considered in running the institution. Lecturers, tutors, Parent Teacher Associations, students and other management committees have a valuable contribution to make when using the SWOT analysis tool. As a valuable and reliable diagnostic tool, SWOT analysis is only as good as the context and data considered. The University’s persistent form of making the analysis real, focused and in the context has enabled it achieve its academic and marketing goals. Marketing mix The University of Strathclyde has a developed and comprehensive marketing framework that guides its wide range of initiatives designed to improve the overall enrollment and successful graduation rates. The institution uses the marketing mix mindset tool for guidance in making critical decisions pertaining to the introduction of an academic program into the education sector. The marketing mix tool used by the University can best be described by 4Ps. The 4Ps are product (service), place, price and promotion(Talloo, 2007, p. 145). The marketing mix allows the institution to position its programs in the market and satisfy their interests and those of the concerned students. The institution chooses the perfect programs and services to offer students and parents. The management team ensures that the programs offered associated with quality, adequate options, warranties, brand names and quality features. The appearance of the programs, products, and services offered by the institution influence the student’s decision in enrolling in a program. In designing their programs, products, and services, the marketing department takes time to understand the academic loopholes existing in the education sector. The team of experts then embarks on brainstorming ideas on how the existing market needs can be satisfied. The team identifies the features each new program has to meet and how the features will be useful to the students studying it. Also, the team takes time to understand whether other Universities are offering the same programs and how they can outdo them in the market. The cost implements are also discusses and measured against the economic aspects of the environment to determine whether the program is viable. In identifying the Place, the institution establishes various platforms where parents and students could look for their programs. Possible places could be on academic websites and academic institutions that advise students on which programs to consider at the University. The type of programs introduced by the University of Strathclyde greatly influences the mode of distribution to its target publics. But, before deciding on which channels to advertise their programs, the University analyses its market coverage to determine whether there is an audience to talk to. Carrying out market coverage routines allow the institution to pursue selective, intensive or exclusive coverage of its programs(Talloo, 2007, p. 146). Using the marketing mix, the institution outlines its price for programs offered. Determining the price for its programs has always been challenging and at times frightening. Unlike other institutions that fear outlining high prices due to competition, the University of Strathclyde ensures that the right products are outlined on all modes of communication to enable the students and parents have good financial plans before joining the institution. Good financial plans among a greater percentage of the parents have enhanced efficient education throughout the successful academic processes within the institution. The last marketing mix strategy used by the University of Strathclyde involves the use of promotions to attract more students to seek enrollment. Promotion activities majorly cover advertising and selling part of the marketing strategies used to attract more students. The institution uses its promotion activities to help people understand the programs offered, how useful they can be and why they institution offers them(Talloo, 2007, p. 153). The University uses this opportunity to inform the students why their programs can satisfy their education needs. The messages used by the institution for promotion are always clear and targeted to a specific audience through the most appropriate tool. Also, the marketing messages are made consistent to get the audience’s attention and elicit more response through consultation or enrollment. AnsoffMatrix The University of Strathclyde has regular evaluation schedules to determine the progress reached by its academic programs. Also, the evaluation process is very useful whenever the institution needs to introduce a new program, product or service to its customers. During this process, various questions and options are likely to be considered in an aim to find the perfect opportunities with the best possible returns. The Ansoff matrix is a great strategy used by the University to help determine its growth strategy(Publication, 2004, p. 962). This University administration finds this tool quite simple and more fruitful, apart from using the basic SWOT analysis. The marketing team uses four growth options provided by the Ansoff matrix to match up the existing and new programs with the existing and new academic opportunities. The tool helps the marketing team highlight risks involves in implementing certain academic programs. In most cases, the Ansoff matrix allows the marketing team in the University to move from one section of the matrix to the other. The matrix is quite easier to prepare than using a SWOT analysis. It provides the marketing team with more useful information that assists the University administration to understand the existing product or market space(Publication, 2004, p. 962). The matrix also allows the concerned departments to focus more on the unique programs in the University. The institution would probably not get adequate benefits in the marketing strategies if they decided to provide general information to the public rather than venturing into highlighting specific programs. The University takes time to analyze its present programs and the unique teaching methods used to prepare the students. A greater percentage of the University’s income is achieved through these departments whenever used appropriately. Conclusion So far, the University of Strathclyde has been successful in initiating and implementing most of its academic and outreach programs. The institution’s marketing department remains to be the nationally and internationally recognized academic institution that is focused on promoting a reliable relationship between theoretical aspects and practice. The institution offers a supportive and nurturing environment for students seeking to pursue and achieve a first-class career. With the various marketing strategies used, it is possible that the institution will maintain to be a top performer, both academically and financially. Bibliography Cox, J. W., 2009. Critical management studies at work : negotiating tensions between theory and practice. 1st ed. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. Davidson, A. et al., 2014. Enhancement-led Institutional Review of the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). Morfaw, J. N., 2009. Total quality management (TQM) : a model for the sustainability of projects and programs in Africa. Rev. ed ed. Lanham: University Press of America. Publication, G., 2004. Business : the ultimate resource. Beijing: Citic Publishing House. Talloo, 2007. Business Organisation And Management (For Delhi University B.Com Hons. Course). 1st ed. New York: Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Read More