Case study: Schools need to be strategically aligned to their market to secure their future
Context
School A represented a new venture for a large overseas educational foundation looking to establish itself in the UK.
mtmconstulting was commissioned to deliver market research, devise the marketing strategy and then implement the communications plan for the launch of School A. Prior to this, mtmconsulting’s Mandarin market analysis research tool had been used as the bedrock upon which investment decisions about market entry were made.
Strategy development
Through mtmconsulting, School A was able to identify the location and market potential of key target market segments. With this detailed market analysis, mtmconsulting recommended potential sites for the location of School A which offered the best potential for the school’s ramp up plan.
School A had a clear value proposition and positioning with which it wanted to enter the market. In developing the marketing strategy, mtmconsulting undertook comprehensive research which included:
- Detailed competitor research of marketing collateral and mystery shops to establish the strengths and weaknesses of potential competitor schools with respect to School A’s positioning criteria.
- Constructing and implementing a detailed survey, aligned to School A’s desired positioning, of the target market segments to evaluate the relative strengths of different positioning criteria.
- Conducting extensive desk-based research to evaluate risks and opportunities within the market as a whole.
- In light of the research findings, recommending key messaging mantras for School A in keeping with opportunities in the market and the desired position of School A.
Communications planning and execution
In light of the market research and mtmconsulting’s extensive experience in delivering marketing communications for schools a detailed week-by-week communications plan was developed for School A. This included:
- PR and thought leadership articles in the press.
- Design and production of school video.
- Website, social media strategy, PPC and SEM execution.
- Events planning.
- Advertising design, purchase and budgeting.
- Direct mail — email and leaflet drops.
- Coordination of admissions activities and communications.
- Prospectus design and development.
- Branding design and brand guidelines.
- Affiliate marketing and sponsorship.
Schools need to be strategically aligned to their market to secure their future. If you are considering opening a new school or changing sites, call us now on 01502 722787 or email james@emrsolutions.co.uk.