Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

The marketing of higher education in South Africa - Venture versus vision

Willemien Law, Cape Technikon, South Africa
Susan van Schalkwyk, Cape Technikon, South Africa

Higher education around the world has experienced rapid growth and along with the pressure of obtaining sufficient funding and student numbers, institutions have become big businesses with hundreds of employees. In certain cases a decrease in demand from the age group 18 to 22 has resulted in identifying new market segments and expanding target markets to post graduate and part-time segments. According to Sandra S. Liu it is important to bring all students in contact with programs that are both beneficial and rewarding from the broadest sense of personal as well as societal fulfilment (Lui, 1998). Thus resulting in major challenges for marketers in this industry.

Traditionally, when higher education institutions integrate the marketing concepts into their overall planning process, they use a product/market model, taking into account the complexity of their package of products. These packages could consist of a combination of academic programs, research outputs, staffing and the overall learning experiences of the students (Cope and Delaney, 1991). Kotler and Fox (1995), however, also emphasise the importance of developing long-term relationships with target students. They see marketing planning as a response to meet and anticipate the needs of individual students in a changing environment. In the aggressive market that higher education institutions are current operating, competition is strong and it is essential to discover each "buyer's" personal needs in order to fulfil their requirements. Institutions should, therefore, re-evaluate their overall marketing strategies in highly fragmented market segments in order to compete in a fast changing environment.

This paper will report on a survey conducted into current marketing practices at higher education institutions in South Africa (current ventures) and then compare these with modern customer relationship and database marketing principles and theories (visions). The result of this research will then be used to develop a customer relationship-marketing model for institutions in higher education.

Key words:
Marketing of higher education; Customer relationship; Marketing; Database marketing

Objectives, outcomes and activities:
This paper proposes to investigate current marketing practices in higher education in order to contribute to designing more effective marketing strategies within the institution's strategic plan.

Willemien Law, B.Econ, MBA, and Susan van Schalkwyk BA (Hons), are both affiliated to the Faculty of Management, Cape Technikon, South Africa. They both have worked in industry extensively before joining academia where they currently occupy senior positions as head of department and lecturer respectively. They also consult for a number of companies and have been involved with several educational institutions throughout South Africa.

Contact: Willemien Law, email: wilmien@ctech.ac.za