Marketing Plan for Educational Institution/University

MIDDLE EAST UNIVERSITY FZE MARKETING STRATEGY AND PLAN Membership Marketing Strategy Purpose Group President MEU Chair:Mr. Janardhanan Pariyarath Chancellor: Vice Chancellor : Head of Student Services and Enrollment : Dean of Graduate Program: Dean of Post Graduate Program: HOD School of Nursing: HOD, School of Management: HOD School of Pharmacy : Admissions Director : Student/Staff Member – MEU: Chancellor’s Advisor: Marketing Team: Meeting: The Marketing Strategy Purpose Group MEU IS TO BE CONDUCTED ON†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ PurposeThe goals of the Marketing Strategy Purpose Group are to: ?Define target student populations for MEU ?Determine academic programs to be promoted ?Establish a marketing plan that focuses on increasing enrollment The Marketing Strategy Purpose Group is here submitting the (FOR APPROVAL) MARKETING PLA N GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO President Mr. Janardhanan Pariyarath to use as a guide EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Enrollment growth is of strategic importance to the future of the Middle East University. Marketing is an integral element of any recruitment activity.The Marketing Strategy Purpose Group (SPG) IS TO BE FORMED. All of the offices departments and staff have to pool the resources and funding in order to reach a broader audience of potential students. This partnership has been a positive step in achieving enrollment goals, and must continue in the future with the support of other departments across the campus. With the Marketing Plan Guiding Principles as a starting point, the Purpose Group began to determine actions that must be taken in order to improve enrollment and strengthen the overall image of the MEUUsing research from a number of sources, the Purpose Group IS TO IDENTIFY a pool of academic programs for promotion to potential students. A. HALO PROGRAMMES OF MEU ?Bachelor and post b achelor program under School of Nursing B. Core mix of programs of MEU ?Bachelor and post bachelor program under school of Management ? Bachelor and post bachelor program under school of Arts ?Bachelor and post bachelor program under school of pharmacy ? PHD Program C. Tie-up programs of MEU MBA, MCOM, MA, BBA, BCOM, BA, BSC – Calicut University. Target Audiences Target Audiences – Health care Industries, Hospitals, Medical Organizations ?Target Audiences – Traditional Fresher’s from schools for graduate Programs ?Target Audiences – Community College for post graduate program ? Target Audiences – Traditional Students (Employed expatriates) ? Target Audiences – Diverse Student Body Marketing activities among the above targeted audience include: †¢Research †¢Recruitment Geographic Range †¢Image Building/Promotion of the University as a Quality Institution †¢Web Site/E-recruiting †¢Promotion of Academic Programs and Halo Programs †¢Scholarship Development Enrollment Advisory Group †¢Internal Communication †¢Internal Marketing †¢Television and Radio †¢Media Relations †¢Visit Programs †¢Alumni †¢Community Involvement Based on demand from prospective students and growth potential and employment trends. Halo Programs were decided based on the positive effect of these quality programs on the overall image of the university. It was Decided that there will be overall promotion for academic programs, however research is also used to ascertain which marketing tools were the most effective for promotion to MEU’s primary target audiences.Finally, it is recommended that funding be increased for promotion, including funding for new research to be implemented that will assist in the marketing effort for MEU. In order to make the most effective marketing decisions, research will be needed. MARKETING PLAN GUIDING PRINCIPLES 2013-2014 A. Strengthen our connecti on to the MEU without diminishing our identity. B. Reinforce the university’s image as: a. An institution of academic excellence b. A comprehensive university with the intimacy of a small college. c. A campus where the student is the center of the universe Focus A. n our target population, which consists of five prospective groups: a)Target Audiences – Health care Industries, Hospitals, Medical organizations b)Target Audiences – Traditional Fresher’s from schools for graduate programs and Community College for post graduate program c)Target Audiences – Traditional Students (Employed expatriates) d)Target Audiences – Diverse Student Body C. Concentrate on promoting a small number of academic programs, selected on the basis of these considerations: a)Extraordinary quality and/or reputation: halo programs. b)High demand program c)Enrollment flexibility (e. g. online, evening and weekend courses) While capacity should be a factor in certain case s, the choice of programs should not be driven by considerations of excess or insufficient capacity. Some â€Å"prestige† programs may not have the capacity to absorb more students, but they create a â€Å"halo effect† that makes the university as a whole attractive to prospective students. At the same time, increased demand for a limited-capacity program would create the need to expand it. D. Package online, evening and weekend courses as â€Å"the flexible curriculum† and promote it to non-traditional and non-local students. FINDINGSMarketing Strategy Purpose Group has formed a set of recommendation to make satisfaction inventory analysis. Statistics are to be collected from several sources: 1. Visit to school 2. Parents and other family 3. Current students 4. College admissions staff 5. College web site 6. Catalogs, view books 7. Graduates of school 8. Friends 9. College guidebooks 10. Guidance counselor or teacher Television and radio advertising did not lea ve a lasting impression on The students but that broadcast advertising was very influential. The following elements and questions are going to be put forward or pointed out while approaching the prospects.If SPG is to check out these questions and should make answer by giving proper suggestion to the management, everything is concerned towards MEU Satisfaction Inventory analysis. ?Courses and majors ?Brochures about Academic programs ?Admission information/catalogs ?Approval and accreditation from the ministry of education or any other agency ? Faculty information about each course and programs offered ? Regularity of operational efficiency ?General feels and rapport about the university institution ? Cost breakdown ?Infrastructure and Housing information ?Campus life/student information ?Financial aid estimator Campus tour ?Extracurricular activities, tour, annual day, cultural, artistic programs. ?Library resources, Recreation facilities, Campus Safety MEU Satisfaction Inventory à ¢â‚¬ ¢The overall level of satisfaction at MEU is significantly higher. †¢MEU students place a high level of importance on academic quality of faculty, content of courses within their major, campus safety, parking and academic advising. †¢The least important things of MEU students pointed out are sports and leisure activities †¢MEU students continue to express concern that they cannot always easily get the classes they need to graduate on time. Basic element and reason behind lack of growth in tie up program is absence of teaching staff and the irregularity of operation or running the program also marketing efforts we did is not satisfactory everything is pointed towards the increase in labor turnover. Advertising Budgets of Comparable Universities It is difficult to accurately estimate the percentage of funds devoted to advertising and promotion at MEU Although University Relations is the department that has funding specifically allocated for advertising and promotio n, many units across the campus are spending funds from their budgets on marketing projects.Although the MEU Accounting Department is unable to provide an accurate total of money spent on advertising and promotion across the university due to inconsistent coding of expenditures across the units. There are several departments at those campuses engaged, in marketing activities, and there is not an accurate record of money spent on advertising and promotion. RECOMMENDATIONS Funding In order to adequately address the five target populations and to strengthen the image of the university, more funds must be allocated to marketing.Other public universities in close proximity to MEU are spending substantially more money on marketing and advertising. That assumption is based on the large amount of radio, television and direct mail advertising that is in the marketplace from these institutions. MEU’s message is getting lost quickly in a flood of advertising from such institutions as Wi sdom, Atlas, HAWK, Sharjah, City college Ajman, While some of these institutions are not direct competitors, nevertheless, potential students are choosing these schools instead of MEU. Research New research will be needed to track the results of the marketing effort MEU.It will be time to re-evaluate the impact of the latest marketing and promotion plans. It is difficult to measure the success or failure of any plan without research. Although it is expensive, research can also protect the institution from costly mistakes. Recruitment Geographic Range A geographical recruitment range has been defined to attract students. MEU students are primarily EXPATRIATES IN UAE. An area of growth for MEU is REQUIRED. By focusing marketing efforts TO SHARJAH & DUBAI, AJMAN, UMMUL QUAIN, This range would obviously change when student housing becomes a reality on the MEU campus.Image Building/Promotion of the University as a Quality Institution There must be a two-prong approach to marketing. Image building is the first step. This will be done through the creation of television, radio and print ads. Several ads need to be created to speak to each of the target populations. Some of the advertising should showcase more of our most notable/successful alumni. They are the best proof MEU has of people achieving their goals through education. This campaign can be expanded to include alumni with their favorite/most influential MEU professor.This will help potential students make the connection that one-on-one attention from faculty is an important quality, and a unique attribute of MEU. The second prong of image building is promotion. Promotion includes all public relations and media relations activities. The accomplishments of students and faculty must be highlighted for the public whenever possible. An important resource for image building is the recent AND PAST Student Satisfaction Inventory. By using the results of a survey by MEU students, this information can be sent to potent ial students, parents, alumni and others.It is a strong statement about the quality of the institution. Image building requires time. While MEU is already thought of as a quality university, this perception can be strengthened through promotional efforts that show the actions of the campus community. The goal is to be a top consideration for students pursuing higher education. Web Site/E-recruiting College web sites are a key factor in attracting students. MEU is nearing the completion of a re-designed, interactive web site that will serve potential and current students in a more professional manner.The new site will have an updated application form, a financial aid calculator, and an improved catalog component. Members of the University Relations staff will monitor all aspects of the web site weekly. The web site must also be promoted through an image campaign. By having positive experiences on the web site will help to build good word-of-mouth references for MEU. With a strong web site presence, more emphasis can be placed on recruitment techniques through the MEU web site. One recommendation from is to hold online Open houses for students.Other considerations include e-mail alerts about campus events and establishing a dialogue with admissions counselors and faculty. In the long run, a stronger web site and e-recruitment plan can add up to substantial cost savings by eliminating the need for printing and postage. a)Target Audiences – Health care Industries, Hospitals, Medical organizations TARGET AUDIENCE NURSING The Office of Graduate Programs has done outstanding work in the area of marketing. An extensive series of brochures promoting each of the programs has been produced. MORE than the potentiality of the market and the possibilities of the market is not considered.As nursing courses is becoming key element of the all programs of MEU. Still the MEU Not taking any scientific way for answering questions of targeted group which may come across on t he time of marketing operation PROSPECTED nursing target candidates are enrolling because of the need only. Highly demanded market prospects are coming to enrollment automatically, here â€Å"better suggestion and recommending habit of the market† is to be noted. MEU ALSO required taking much effort for strengthening the technical support from the Ministry of higher education UAE, Indian Nursing Counsel, and all authoritative bodiesMEU stands out from other universities by offering NURSING AND PHARMACY COURSES, MEU and allied institution hold good status providing these courses and program to targeted audience in hospital and medical organizations. Since there is such a large potential student population that is undecided about their course of study, we need to develop a marketing campaign that solely addresses the need to provide this group with options and assistance in plotting a course for their future. As a purpose group member observed, â€Å"We (MEU) have success with the ‘I Can’ts. ’ We need to empower them. † This ould be a unique marketing campaign by identifying the â€Å"undecideds† and offering them support and solutions as they find their way to a major. Marketing images and slogans, there was nearly universal response for images and ideas that provided the perception of â€Å"choice and possibility. † This is a theme that can be used to address traditional freshmen in marketing materials. b)Target Audiences Target Audiences – Traditional Fresher’s from schools in UAE for graduate programs and Community College for post graduate program Community college transfer students are an area of enrollment growth at MEU.The Office of Admissions is having great success with regularly scheduled â€Å"On the Spot Transfer Days† at MEU. There should proper marketing strategy for BBA, BCOM and OTHER DEGREE PROGRAM. Concerned other competitors MEU’s share in the market is very poor, mai nly because of lack proper marketing program and some time we fail to close the sale because of increasing turnover of marketing employee. And more than insufficiency of teaching staff also decreasing confident of the soul of MEU. c)Target Audiences– (Employed expatriates) Non-Traditional Students THE SCOPE AND POTENTIALITY OF THIS MARKET IS UNLIMITED.A marketing campaign can be developed and tailored to fit the market. By emphasizing faculty support and guidance, there should be separate marketing staff for offering the potential prospects, BBA, BCOM, MBA, and MCOM PROGRAM TO employed expatriates in UAE. Furthermore, evening and weekend classes are expanded; it will be a marketing opportunity to reach this group with a message of convenience. With courses being offered in almost every top career field, MEU can easily look appealing to these are that considers she/he an employee first and a student second.MEU should promote the services of the Career Development Center to thi s group. We should keep the potentiality of this market if once we cached the fruits we easily expand the target audience also to local emirates’ d)Target Audiences – Diverse Student Body More needs to be done to recruit a diverse student body to MEU. New initiatives by the Office of Admissions are seeking to reach out to students through the Flint churches. Contacts have been made with the Urban League of Flint to try to engage the Black Scholar Award recipients in the coming year as well.Throughout the year, MEU HAVE TO bring hundreds of middle school and high school students to campus to introduce them to campus life. These programs should be supported with strong promotion whenever possible. It is also recommended that Admissions, University Relations meet on a regular basis to find new ways to market and promote these programs. A new initiative to attract International Students to MEU is in the beginning stages. This will require a broader marketing reach that wil l also result in enhancing diversity and promoting enrollment growth.While there are a large number of international students attending community colleges in UAE, attracting these students to MEU could take on a regional approach. A brochure has been developed for international students, but that is not enough. Specific advertisements addressing their needs should be run in student newspapers as well as some magazines. Again, this will be an expensive venture. e)Other Target Audiences Although five target populations have been chosen, there are associated groups, who have great influence over these potential students that need to be marketed.Marketing initiative needs to be developed to recruit not just the potential students, but also these groups that are influencing factors in their decision to pursue a degree. Direct Mail While e-mail can help to save on printing and postage costs, it cannot be used alone, especially in efforts to attract non-traditional and graduate students. T he problem is many people change e-mail addresses often, or they do not check their e-mail on a regular basis. E-mail is simply not the most reliable form of communication. Direct mail continues to offer the most accurate response.It is also easy to track the results of direct mail, since most of the pieces created have a reply card. That information is entered into the University Relations Marketing database. This provides insight into which promotional pieces were well-received, and which had very little impact. Promotion of Academic Programs and Halo Programs The following areas were selected to become part of a pool from which programs will be selected for special promotion. Each of the programs chosen for advertising was selected based on three factors: 1. Interest from prospective students, 2.Growth potential and 3. Employment trends. Beyond marketing material development, detailed marketing plans need to be developed for each program. With the unique needs of each area, plans must be tailored to address specific attributes of each program, and the needs of various target audiences. Halo programs are an important component for helping to build the image of MEU as a quality academic institution. As with some academic programs, Halo Programs are being used to promote the university. Halo Programs are essential ingredients in mounting a successful public relations campaign.A good example of a Halo Program contributing to the image building process is nursing program. Management program is another outstanding halo program. By promoting such a high quality program, prospective students will perceive MEU as a leader in an important area of management, leadership and training, which then reflects positively on the entire University. Scholarship Development With rising tuition costs at public universities in UAE, it is recommended that scholarship development should be started to accelerate the pace to help potential students offset the price of pursuing a degre e.Furthermore, a concentrated effort should be made to develop more opportunities for emirates’ to train them for facing corporate environment. Enrollment Planning Committee The Enrollment Planning Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chancellor for Student Services and Enrollment Management. The purpose of the Enrollment Planning Committee is to establish goals, make recommendations to the Chancellor, suggest strategies and assist in setting enrollment targets for various areas of the University.The EPC will engage in the discussion and provide support and a framework for the following: †¢An Admissions Plan which identifies strategies and enrollment targets †¢A clear marketing plan that is tied to established enrollment goals †¢The Enrollment Planning Committee is tied to the Purpose Group Reports (in their final and accepted forms) and the mission of the institution. The EPC shall meet on a quarterly basis to discuss, recommend and move forward enrollment r elated issues. Membership of this committee would include Internal CommunicationCommunicating the marketing initiatives to the campus community will be a major undertaking in the next few months. This can be done through a series of workshops, e-mails, and the formation of a Marketing Representatives Group. This group would be made up of designees from each unit on campus. The group would meet monthly to review marketing initiatives across units, and to coordinate efforts. Each representative would report back to their unit on the ongoing promotional efforts across the university. Internal Marketing For faculty and staff members, marketing is part of routine everyday business.Marketing is in the form of responding in helpful ways to phone calls or e-mails, assisting students with problems or questions, and being involved in the community. A continued emphasis must be placed on services to students at the institution. If a student or alum talks about their experience at MEU as positi ve, it is one of the most believable and affordable forms of advertising. Media Relations MEU has benefited in the last year from a strong relationship with the media. Mounting a media strategy campaign can help position the university as the ideal place to receive a liberal arts education in UAE.In an effort to take advantage of media attention, MEU should implement a media strategy including: †¢Identifying events/information that are appropriate for press conferences †¢Keep an updated list of all media contacts †¢Establish a contact with each department to find out newsworthy events †¢Work with local media in the creation of public service announcements that promote events on campus †¢Meet with the community relations leaders of media outlets to form partnerships that can provide free promotion of events †¢Maintain an up-to-date media resource guide for providing experts to various media outletsVisit Programs The most important recruiting strategy is the campus visit. With this in mind, the Office of University Relations along with the Office of Admissions and the Office of Graduate Programs is launching a new visitor’s center on campus. The primary purpose of the visitor’s center is to have a central-meeting point on campus for large groups. This room will be geared to hosting new visitors to the MEU campus. It will be a meeting point for tours, a room used for open houses and receptions, and general â€Å"starting point† for all visitors to the campus.These programs will be at times convenient for potential students and their families. Individuals who seek personalized attention will still be directed to the appropriate offices for service. Alumni However, they are still one of the most underutilized resources of the campus. In an effort to re-engage alumni, it is important to make them part of the public relations activities at MEU. Alumni should be formed and used for recruitment. They can be featured as success stories in publications or commercials. Community InvolvementMEU should lead the way in community involvement. By opening the campus to the community for events, new visitors will be brought to the campus. This can leave a lasting, favorable impression. The campus should continue to support and open the doors to such events as Destination Imagination. An effort should be made to attract other academic and community events to campus such as science fairs, competitions, health fairs, business expos and others. By this gesture of goodwill to area organizations and businesses, it will build positive momentum for MEU.