Advertising Strategy for Canberra University - Case Study Example

Advertising Strategy Student’s Name: Professor: Submission Date: Situation Analysis University of Canberra Background The University of Canberra is described as the University of the Nation’s Capital. The main aim of this university is to be recognized as being Australia’s most innovative institution in tertiary education level; ranked at world status with regional as well as an international reach by the year 2018. The institution’s area of research is focused on the environment, governance, communication, health, and education. These areas are supported within three University research centers as well as research centers that are faculty based. The University appears in top five percent universities rank all over the world by QS World University Rankings 2014-2015 (Snyder, 2011). For the ratio of international students and staffs, the university has been placed in the top four percent by the same ranking group. The University discipline, as well as public administration, is ranked among the top 150 all over the world. Regarding facilities, the University has a friendly campus that houses selection of health and fitness as well as eateries facilities. There is live music and has a pub that serves beer that is locally brewed. It has an on-campus Health Hub that has a pharmacy, Super Clinic and a host of other services. The University has a sporting Commons which is home to the Brumbies Super Rugby Team, ACT Sport and University of Canberra Capital among others. The University has the intention of integrating the facilities into research and teaching and offering exciting avenues through which the university can be able to serve the community. The University brings on board partner organizations to aid in the development of the campus and be part of the University culture of education, research and innovation (Snyder, 2011). Previous Campaign Analysis Looking at the past campaigns it can be seen that the university has re-marketed and re-positioned twice and in both instance it has not been able to gather the benefit that was expected. These attempts were made back in the year 2007. There have been positive indications though in the recent campaigns and this was dubbed breakthrough campaign. It can be realized that digital engagement is on the rise whereby there is 2/3rd digital while 1/3rd is traditional. The University in the previous campaigns has decided to embrace directness as well as simplicity as the key communication alongside the delivery of reasoning and overall forms of conditioning. Industry Analysis The University has based its business in two segments, the undergraduates, and the postgraduates, and over the past period the numbers regarding student enrollment are not favorable to both segments. There has been growth in industry revenue due to increased international students’ enrollment. There are changes that have taken place in the industry regarding of review and reforms which have increased the levels of enrollment that has given Universities a headache on how they can be able to expand in order to accommodate the numbers that are rising. The structural changes that are taking place are intended at ensuring that 40% or more of Australians aged between 25 and 34 years attain bachelor level of qualification (Snyder, 2011). The changes of visa requirements in the country have led to growth in the international student enrollment. IBISWorld has estimated that industry revenues will rise at the annualized rate of 4.8% over the next ten year period that is fuelled by high demand regarding places needed for university education. Political Factors The government has made efforts that are aimed at ensuring policies are created that will ensure that there is an increase in the levels of enrollment in university institutions over the next ten years. The policies are being implemented in line with the fact that there are several students who are graduating from high school and, therefore, look forward to joining colleges and gaining university education (McDonald, 2015). Economic Factors With the change in lifestyle, several households are trying to budget their income to ensure that they can accommodate the financial needs of the education. This is the reason as to why the industry is expected to grow its revenue in the next ten years up to 29 billion (McDonald, 2015). This is indicative of how lucrative the industry has become regarding gaining from growth in the economy. Social Factors University degree is not only being seen as lucrative in Australia, but in several countries all over the world. People determine their social status in the society through their university education and possession of a university degree certificate. As a result, the number of people studying in the institution has tremendously grown. This has increased the number of people who are taking part in university learning today Technological Factor With globalization, technological advancement has seen its stretches and breadth far and wide (McDonald, 2015). The Education sector is also embracing technology in their style of teaching and administration. UC has also adopted virtual classrooms in a bid to reach several students who cannot be able to attend brick and motor classes. Environmental Factors Several institutions are concerned with their standing in the society, and one way through which reputations can be enhanced today is by acting in a manner that is considerate to the environment. UC has also tried in this aspect, and the University has developed several important courses in environmental science Legal Factors Legal factors that concern the University of Canberra and the education industry as a whole are hinged on policies and standards that have been put in place by the government and several regulatory authorities. The university is expected to adhere to the legal provisions to operate without any hindrances Competitor Analysis The University of Canberra is in a competition with every University in Australia, and the major competitors who have been determined significantly are Australian National University, Canberra Institute of Technology and the Australian Defense Force Academy. All these are the competitors because they are located in the same area as the University of Canberra. Other competitors who are not found in Canberra are universities in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney where the University of Canberra has various campuses in which it offers different degrees. Consumer Analysis In 2014, there were approximately more than one million students who graduated from high school. The higher education demand has experience increase in demand over the last few years. There are several universities that are coming up to get a piece of the growing market. As the Australian population increases, the demand for university education is also on the increase. The society in Australia and most other countries still consider University certificate as a very important document in their life (McDonald, 2015). The rise in social status means that most students would love to learn from an institution that has a reputation of status and that are located in most prestigious cities. SWOT The industry is witnessing its growth stage in its lifecycle and over the next ten years up to the year 2021 the industry value added is anticipated to grow up to 5.1% that is quite strong compared to the anticipated growth in GDP of 2.8% of this period (Camus, 2008). It shows that this is an industry that is growing even faster than the economy. Hence, as higher education demand increases there will be more opportunities for players in the industry such as the University of Canberra. The challenge that the industry is facing which is a threat is the fact that student enrollment numbers are not favoring both the undergraduate and postgraduate segment. The ACT market has been stagnant regarding undergraduate enrollment, and this is an area that needs improvement. Strengths: The University of Canberra has its strengths on the fact that it has been in existence for a long time that has enabled it to build a reputation of being among the best universities in the world. It is a university that is located in one of the most lucrative cities in the world; therefore, it can attract several students who would like to study in urban cities. Weaknesses: The University has not taken the advantage of the international market since it only created it internationalization programs a few years ago. This means that it will take it several years to be able to match up to other universities that created similar programs several years ago. Threats: The University of Canberra is facing the threat of other competing universities that are coming up all over the region. These are universities with bigger financial muscle that has enabled them to develop quite faster and taken up the market quite expansively making it tricky for the University of Canberra. Problem or Opportunity The ACT market has become stagnant over the past few years; this has not been favorable to UC regarding enrollment of students. With the budget that has been provided for this advertisement strategy, UC can be able to reach international students in Vietnam and be able to capture this growing market that needs aggressive institutions to tap from. I. Aims With more than 900,000 students who are graduating from high school in Vietnam, it is important that UC should be able to develop its presence in this market as one of the best universities in the world that it is (McDonald, 2015). With the fact that the university has had its internationalization over the past few years, it is important that it should be able to open up and get a share of this up and coming market. Goals The process that must be carried out before the actual campaign would involve an analysis of the Vietnam tertiary market, understanding the social, political and economic factors that affect the manner in which this industry operates (McDonald, 2015). The objectives that would be set out in Vietnam must be aligned to those who are advocated for by the University of Canberra back in Australia. Aligning of institutional policies and objective is very important when an institution has an intention of meeting synchronized goals (McDonald, 2015). The other process should be to understand the best means through which the communication can be passed across this new market to penetrate it and put the picture of the university in minds of all students. The outcome should be a proper understanding of the Vietnam market that will enable the University of Canberra to make changes to its strategy with ease whenever there is a need. At the end of the process, the promotion must have been able to communicate to the students who are the target market of the services that they offer and the advantage that they will be exposed to in case they choose the University of Canberra. The results should be measurable as shown by increased intake in Australia. Objectives The informational objective is concerned with ensuring that at the end of the promotional process in Vietnam there will be several students who will have received the information that is concerned with the educational services that are offered by UC and the personal convenience that one can experience while studying in the university. The information is intended to elicit a reaction by the market which will lead to higher enrollment by Vietnamese students who would have come through high school enrollment. The motivation is to ensure that most of the students react and enroll with the university. II. Target Segments Identification of the segment This institution deals in higher education and provides bachelor degrees, masters degree, and Ph.D. degree mainly faculties that involve public administration and policy and environmental sciences. The products that we offer will cater for the psychological needs of the students who intend to gain knowledge through tertiary education. The social needs of the students who make up the primary audience must be met through the offering of recognized international degree that can provide high chances of getting proper employment (Gregory & Wiechmann, 2002). This is a segment that has high growth potential since the number of Vietnamese students is increasing rapidly and income by different families in Vietnam is increasing. The secondary target for the information would be parents who intend to send their children to acquire university education. Primary Target The focus of the University is the market made up of young people of around 18 years up to 30 years both males and females. The individuals should be young, educated and highly ambitious. Individuals in this age bracket are highly likely to be brand conscious and highly involved in choosing the products that they use. Open minded in the sense that they are busy with their study and they are active in a social sense (Kayrooz, 2006). The most important factor should be economical, and they must be medium to high-income earners. Secondary Target It is important to look at the attitude and emotions of parents of existing students in the university who have relatives in Vietnam. It is important to understand that they can be able to influence their relatives into joining this institution as their learning destination of choice (Fill, 2005). III. Message Design The Positioning Strategy The institution guarantees the students; a. High rates of getting jobs b. Positive outcome as graduates c. Degrees that are recognizable d. Learning outcomes that can be applicable in the actual world The University Products The University of Canberra can provide more than a bachelor’s degree. The intention is to ensure that we have a mix that ensures that all the students have a pleasant time while living and learning in the institution. This university offers a wide range of products which enables it to reach a wide range of customers, and the products will range from the bachelor’s degree up to a Ph.D. degree and an active lifestyle that is provided at the university’s sporting Commons which hosts several sporting teams. Under the bachelor’s degree, the line of products includes most of the graduate programs that are very popular in Australia, that include science and environment, Health, Communication, Arts and Design, Information Technology, Business, and Law. Students are offered an opportunity to study at the University of Canberra College that offers an academic English pathway to the UC. Once a student has had a success completion at the diploma level, they are guaranteed entry into the second year of a linked graduate course. Masters degree will be comprehensive to capture what the students will have learned during the undergraduate program. The Ph.D. will be part of the practical research courses for the students. The campus life is set up in a native haven of tall trees, clean air, and huge expansive lawns. Students will be exposed to the natural company of wildlife that includes the famous Australian Kangaroos, Rabbits, and Pandas. Students who are enthusiastic about clubs and society can also join a number that are available in line with every student’s interest. Canberra is the capital of Australia, forget Sydney. There is a great ethnic diversity of Canberra that is reflected in the manner of their dining, theater and music. It is an exciting city that is young with happy nightlife and several cafes and bars as well as clubs. It is a city that has been rated the best to live in while in Australia. Branding The University of Canberra will be in conjunction with several agents in Vietnam so as to ensure that the target audience recognizes the products easily that will raise the brand equity hence making it much attractive to several consumers. Promotion The Promotion will involve communication to the market that the University will establish to be the target market (Brennan, 2008). The main objective of promotion will be; to create the required awareness, persuasion of the potential customers, reinforcement of the brand of the product, and creation the relevant demand in the market. To ensure that the objective is met, the advertising, and sales promotion will be inclusive Advertising There will be massive investment in advertising as part of the huge budget that has been offered. The advertisement must be able to meet a huge number of people due to the level of competition faced by the organization (Bartels, 2002). Television Advertisement will be the main form of advertisement, and it will target the Vietnamese people who usually watch television from around 6 in the evening until midnight during the weekdays but during the weekends television advertisements can be done for longer hours. Much of our television advertising will be done during the weekend since it is during this period that a large number of people would be watching. The data on watching trend will be confirmed through the communication commission of Vietnam. Newspapers are much popular in Vietnam meaning UC can make use of convenient brochures and flyers to advertise. The Internet is also a huge channel through which the University can be able to advertise its products especially through the social media sites such as Facebook, Whatsapp and Youtube (Kashani & Jeannet, 2005). Place The University will offer its product courses mainly in Canberra yet there will be other courses that will be offered in other different campuses located in Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney. IV. Budget The budget that has been provided is basically for the purpose of research, production, and media. The budget method that will be utilized by the firm is financial since it is broken down based on the money value for each purpose. The value apportioned to each area is expected to achieve such purpose effectively. Below is a structure on how the budget will be broken down; Production Net Value (A$) Bachelors degree 50000 Masters degree 40000 Investment in Colleges and Campuses 20000 PhD 50000 Media Net Value (A$) Television 40000 Newspapers 30000 Social media 20000 V. Implementation The campaign will be launched in September 2016 with the intention targeting the campaigning that usually takes place at the end of the year between September and January. The message created on the products that are offered by the University of Canberra will be communicated through the channels that have been highlighted above. Preparation of the pieces that will be utilized for the project as well as the evaluation has been broken down in the Gantt chart that is attached in the Appendix section. The implementation process should be able to meet the set timeline that is provided for by this comprehensive breakdown in order to avoid duplications and delays. VI. Evaluation The teams will be allowed to select the most effective evaluation timing as well as methods that are related to the chosen media that will be used during the campaign. This will take place via the institution and not the agencies that have been placed in Vietnam to take part in the promotion. The evaluation of the campaign is hinged on finding those important metrics that will show the success of the plan that will have been laid out. The University will be evaluated on the basis of meeting the market share and sales. There will be a promotion analysis based on the sales and promotion budget. The promotion analysis will be carried out monthly to evaluate the plan and make adjustments on the budget accordingly. Just like the sales and promotion schedule, the analysis of sales will be reviewed monthly in to achieve the goals that were set by the University. References Bartels, G. (2002). Marketing for sustainability towards transactional policy-making. Amsterdam: IOS. Brennan, R. (2008). Contemporary strategic marketing (2nd ed.). Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Camus, B. (2008). Audit marketing. Paris: Éditions d'Organisation. Fill, C. (2005). Marketing Communications: Contexts, strategies, and applications (4th ed.). New York: Pearson Education. Gregory, J., & Wiechmann, J. (2002). Branding across borders: A guide to global brand Marketing. Chicago, Ill.: McGraw-Hill. Kashani, K., & Jeannet, J. (2005). Beyond traditional marketing: Innovations in marketing practice. Chichester, West Sussex, England: Wiley. Kayrooz, C. (2006). Autonomy in social science research the view from United Kingdom and Australian universities. Amsterdam: Elsevier JAI. Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2006). Principles of Marketing (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. McDonald, G. (2015). Business Ethics: A contemporary approach. Port Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. Snyder, I. (2011). A home away from home?: International students in Australian and South African higher education. Clayton, Vic.: Monash University Publishing. Appendix The Gantt chart attached in a separate document. Read More