Marketing And Competitive Environment Of A University Brand: 2018 Marketing Plan

Introduction and Background of the Study

The brand environment exposes a university’s distinctive character in the form of its name, design, and symbol. Universities are brands and effective marketing planning define successful university brands. The academic field is decorated by brands, and this requires intensive marketing as stated in the strategic plan (Babin & Zikmund, 2015). Strong brands for a university in any given academic year are built on excellent marketing planning strategies. Marketing plan in a school is justified in the image, structures, buildings, faculties, and fees charged by the university to the learners. CQ University, an Australian based higher education learning institution was founded in 1967 famous known as the Queensland Institute of Technology. CQ University has expanded its presence throughout Bundaberg, Gladstone, Adelaide, Emerald, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Yeppoon, and Brisbane among many other cities. The university offers a broad range of faculty programs cutting across business, law, engineering, education, health, IT, environmental science, visual arts, and psychology (Brandi & William, 2013). The university is Austalia’s leading provider of distance learning with approximately 50 percent of its students studying online. The branding of the institution has been phenomenal, making it grow regarding student numbers, new campuses and courses, excellent infrastructure, and public image. Currently, CQ university’s student body capacity is more than 35,000 spread across its 24 branches and campuses in Australia. The closest competitors of CQ University are University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Monash University, and the University of Western Australian.

The CQ university’s main brands are new faculties, new campuses, improved infrastructure, and the general public reputation. The school’s management needs to design an adequate marketing plan under which the brand products and services can be adequately marketed to the market based on the demand assessment for education in Australia (Fournier & Avery, 2011). Education is the main key to success; this fact has increased demand for education from most people in Australia. There is growing demand for certificate, diploma, bachelor’s, and postgraduate programs by learners in Australia.

Research done early 2017 by CQ University business students indicated that not all people can afford bachelor’s degree programs and that offering other certificate or diploma programs by the university would be the best strategy to win more markets (Hollensen, 2015). Therefore, the marketing plan for CQ University in 2018 should market these new brand services on offer to win this potential market. The marketing plan for 2018 for CQ University about demand and market assessment would also capture the demographic, and segmentation and target market analysis as follows:

Market and Demand Assessment

The fact that CQ University product and service brands are demanded by both secondary school leavers and post university graduates, the 2018 marketing planning would be designed to address learners from all demographics. About new courses, the marketing plan needs to indicate clearly what the faculty deals about to capture interest from the students. Further, since some target market is working class and distantly located far from the main campus, the university will introduce digital and e-learning services to all its campuses to win this market as well as addressing its demands (Howarth, 2017). Further, about engineering courses, the university would launch a new workshop that enables students to do practical irrespective of whether female or male gender with ultimate comfortability.

The market segmentation of CQ University is based in a different location from the country. As a result, the university has opened up numerous branches and campuses in various places in Australia. The 2018 marketing plan would target the potential markets that work and stay in remote and rural areas through the provision of both on and off-campus education offers and facilities. All departments at CQ University shares the responsibility of marketing the institution’s brand products and services to the target market through sharing of ideas useful in every academic year’s marketing planning purposes (Kimberly, 2016).

The target market for CQ University is students from the whole world both nonworking and working. The university targets students in more than 14 different faculty programs some of which include engineering, business, health sciences, agriculture, IT, mathematics, psychology among others. CQ University offers certificate courses, undergraduate, and postgraduate research degrees to the target market in their areas of study respectively (Kimberly, 2016). For 2018, the marketing planning designed would be focused on the target market needs for the certificate, diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate programs.

A PEST analysis refers to the political, economic, social;, and technological, environmental factors that affect the marketing planning strategy for CQ University in 2018 both domestically and internationally (Kristiina & Jenni, 2015). Based on the marketing and competitive environment of CQ University, the administration should understand the impact of PEST factors to the institution when designing the marketing planning for 2018 academic year as below:

The current legislations that govern the functioning of universities in Australia affect the running of the institution. This dictates on the future approach for marketing planning of the schools new courses, new branches, and new faculties to the target market for this is confined by the Australian law requirements (Lesley & Steven, 2017).

Demographic Analysis

Further, there are political changes such as elections within the institution that have a hand on the effectiveness of marketing plan for the university’s brand to the target market as well as ensure that the marketed product is offered in the mentioned quality.

Increased economic growth and trends by CQ University gives its an edge on its prospect to market its brand new courses, infrastructure, and faculties to the target market for 2018. However, the education cycles in Australia act as a stumbling block to the success of CQ university’s marketing strategies. The challenge from funding and grants by the government makes it inadequate for the institution to enforce the established marketing planning strategies and hence to hinder its survival (Marginson, 2015).

Therefore, in 2018 the administration of the university needs to partner with reliable sponsors to facilitate the success of its marketing plan. On the other side, the finance department of CQ University should account for every single coin received from the government, foreign grants, tuition payments by the learners, and research and training contacts from external parties.

Social factors have also affected CQ University in numerous ways thus making the administration keen when designing the marketing plan of the institution for 2018. In 2018, the university aims at being faster when adjusting its curriculum so as to address the market demand needs and fit in the societal requirements for the community (Muhammad & Allan, 2014). Increased pressures from the members of the society have driven CQ University to tune its marketing planning strategies in accordance to community demands.  

Changes in target market behavior and attitudes have changed their requirements. Currently, most students demand e-learning due to employment and their location in remote and rural areas where they value distance learning.

Technology has been the driver of CQ University success in the industry. For the 2018 marketing plan, the marketing team should inform the target market that the university has invested heavily in modern technology and that students are offered with computers to do research and innovate new ideas (Jain & Haley, 2009). The marketing plan design should include the benefits the university has reaped from technology regarding innovation and creativity of new ideas.

The ability of the company to offer e-learning and digital learning to students has been facilitated by the use of modern technology. The 2018 marketing plan will particularly state that the university invests in digital economy for the benefit of the students.

Segmentation and Target Market Analysis

There has been stiff competition in the Australian education sector where CQ University primarily operates. The main competitors of CQ University include the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Monash University, and the University of Western Australian among many others. Just like CQ University, these universities aim at governing and efficiently managing stakeholders interest transparently and in an accountable manner (Magretta, 2013). The key stakeholders of these schools are the students, the government, the community, and its employees.

Further, these competitors of CQ University seeks to engage all government levels, other universities, vocational and training institutions, and research institutions in the provision of quality and ethically guided education services. These objectives are met through compliance with legal, social, and monetary policies, incorporation of quality management concepts, and mutual communication between the administration and the key stakeholders.

The marketing and promotion tools adopted by these universities include advertising, personal selling, direct marketing, public relations, and the digital media. In 2018, CQ University would advertise its products and services brands over its website, billboards, roadshows, and the social media platforms to attract a broader market niche than the competitors.

The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of CQ University which should be considered in designing 2018’s marketing plan are as below:

CQ University needs to market its new brands to the target market more than before. The sharp rise in fees, and business courses boom then students and their parents are getting more canning in researching the value for money. CQ University branding strategies have been much more on logos just like competitors, and this needs a change in 2018 (Malewar, 2015). With rapid changes in the marketplace and demand for quality education, CQ University’s new courses, new branches, and new infrastructure branding strategies have been useful. For 2018, the marketing planning initiative of CQ University will focus on tertiary education to attract international students. This implies that the brand messaging when promoting the brand will be unique to differentiate it from other competitors.

The marketing goals and promotional targets for CQ University in 2018 will be SMART goals. The marketing planning strategy will be SMART and designed as below:

The marketing goals will be simply specific. The university aims at implementing the new courses and putting into use the new lecture halls build by the University for use by students when learning by the end of 2018 (Tapp & Spotswood, 2013). This is because of provision of the advertised product brand, for example new courses should be offered as marketed to secure public reputation.

PEST Analysis

The goal of implementing the new marketing plan and putting it into use by CQ University by the end of 2018 will be measured. To assess the effectiveness and the rate of the goal success, the administration will implement a new performance management system for the staff, faculty, and other university personnel (West, Ford, & Ibrahim, 2015).

The goal of the marketing plan needs to be achievable (West, Ford, & Ibrahim, 2015). The marketing team assigning the role of marketing new offers and the personnel recruited to implement the marketing plan should have the right knowledge, abilities, and skills needed to achieve the goals. By the end of 2018, the impact of the program on the university should be substantial.

The marketing planning goal of the university needs to be results focused. The results of the whole plan should surprise me measurable regarding output and value. The results of the 2018 academic year marketing plan should allow the staff, professors, administration, and students ascertain the competitiveness of the university all over the country.

Goals should be achieved in the given timeframe stated by the University (Ruby & Linda, 2014). In this regard, maximizing the number of students undertaking the new courses and ensuring optimal utilization of the university’s infrastructure facilities should be realized by the end of 2018. Without the creation of a sense of urgency, the goal is unlikely to get achieved.

The marketing mix of CQ University for 2018 will be based on the 4P’s of marketing as explained below:

The products to be included in the commercialization plan for 2018 by CQ University include new courses, new infrastructure facilities such as computers, high qualified lecturers and professors, sufficient resources for research, and recreational facilities (Roger, 2015. The university needs to understand the needs and demand from the market on the type of product and services brands to budget for this in the 2018’s strategic marketing plan.

Grounded on the marketing campaigns undertaken by the university to the target market, responses from the society shows that the cost of education is critical. Some fees charged by the school differs from one faculty to another. For example, the administration charges more fees in medical sciences when compared to business courses.  

The provision of education and accommodation services is not a guarantee since there is intense competition posed by other universities in Australia. Therefore, CQ University will have to promote its products to the market (Robert, 2014). Offering discounts will be essential to promotional strategy to ensure that the university gains a competitive edge. The use of web site marketing, advertising, social media marketing, and public relations will be utilized in 2018.

Marketing the new course, new infrastructure facilities, and accommodation services by the university will get done in the right manner at the right time and the right place. Being located in more than ten cities in Australia, the institution should partner with the branches to organize marketing campaigns and roadshows to market the new offers (Richard, Fionna, & john, 2016). The use of Facebook account and university website will be utilized in 2018 since this is where most people interact with the university.

Under this segment, the university will design competitive strategies about Porter’s five generic competitive forces as per Michael, (2014) as below:

CQ University’s 2018 marketing plan designing is prepared about the competitors marketing strategies for their brand products (Ho, 2014). The stiff competition in Australia’s education sector creates pressure to CQ for their is no monopoly power, and thus the administration should act in considerate to the existing competition to win a competitive advantage.

The fact that education industry is in high demand, there is pressure from new entrants into the market where they compete for the same target market (Michael, 2014). In 2018, the marketing plan will reduce the fees charged to students to enable the company to remain as an active competitor. As a result, the company estimates this will weaken the new entrants.

The running of CQ University depends on how efficiently suppliers drive up the price for valuable product brands for CQ such as computers and library books. The 2018 strategic marketing plan will require the university to have more than one suppliers to enhance reliability (Wilson, 2010).

The ultimate success of 2018 marketing plan by CQ University depends on the target markets decision to join the University. Therefore, the marketing team will be required to reach broader market sizes since the larger the market size, the more the power the institution has over the customers as compared to its competitors (Gordon, 2013).

Competitor substitutions pose threat to CQ University since the competing universities have adequate resources to invest in different product brands as demanded by the students (Adam & Alison, 2016). However, the 2018 marketing plan for CQ will ensure that the provision of education services and learning facilities has substitutes whose cost to the university is fair.

The media and budget allocation for 2018 for CQ University marketing plan will be as below:

Expected Outcomes and Conclusion

With the implementation of the marketing plan for 2018 as discussed above is accompanied by numerous expectations from the CQ University. The use of advertising, university website, social media marketing, and roadshows would help the university reach a vast potential market and thus admitting more students than the other universities. The information that the institution provides adequate learning and research facilities will attract many students to apply for the university and join before the end of 2018. Further, the decision to cut down school fees by the university will attract more customers and help the institution compete out the new entrants as well as the existing large institutions in the market. Also, the provision of education services to students who work or stay in rural areas through e-learning will help the company raise its capacity by approximately 20 percent by the end of 2018, and this will lead to increased financial stability of CQ University.

In conclusion, marketing planning is a key factor that educational institutions should emphasize on. In administration, strategic marketing planning plays a significant role in ensuring that the goals set get achieved in the right time. Providing product differentiation, provision of e-learning, organizing strategic alliances, and student welfare focus makes a university competitive and gains an edge over the rivals. Therefore, the university should value the use of modern technology when handling education programs and services to the stakeholders.

References

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