All schools felt that their staff were the differentiating factor (people) and that they had impressive grounds and facilities (physical evidence). The schools chosen for this research were Cowan House, Epworth High School and Hilton College.
The research question, purpose and objectives of the study
This is what this thesis achieved in relation to the marketing of private schools in the Midlands of KZN. Information from the interviews, together with the available secondary information, provided a good initial understanding of the marketing of schools in the Midlands of KZN.
Overview of the dissertation
It acts as a useful reference for many involved in schools who lack an understanding of marketing. Give a different perspective on school marketing as this research was strongly related to service marketing philosophies.
Introduction
The marketing concept
Due to the inseparability of education, students have to travel to the service factory (the school). People-based services can also be classified according to the level of skills the service requires.
The marketing of education
Conclusion
Introduction
Environmental analysis
Macro environmental analysis
These laws have a major impact on how schools operate in different countries and can affect the curriculum that is taught. Technology has a major impact on all organizations and no organization "is insulated from new technological developments.. no organization can afford to be left behind in technological development" (Ehlers and Lazenby, 2004, p.93).
Task environmental analysis
34;It is often competitors who decide how much can be sold and what price can be charged..Continuous monitoring of the competition forms the basis for the development of a strategy" (Cronje et al, 2004, p.93). It is the customers who keep the school open and the customers who pay the wages (Vining, 2000, p.28).
Internal analysis
The key role that teachers play in education cannot be overemphasized, as Vining (2000, p. 27) states, “The people in your organization are the ones who provide your greatest competitive advantage”. Schools are in a competitive environment and it is important that they understand their competitive position and that of their competitors.
Strategic Marketing
This is the core strategy and requires a detailed analysis of available resources and the market (Hooley et al, 2004, p.40). This should help identify market segments that the company may be able to serve effectively.
The marketing mix
Product
As it is difficult to evaluate the service in advance, there is a greater risk for the customer. Service personnel become an important element of the promotional mix as they interact directly with the customer.
Physical evidence
By identifying all process steps and points of divergence, as well as determining the degree of complexity of each step, a service delivery plan can be obtained. This is achieved by increasing or decreasing complexity or divergence within the various steps and sequences of the service provided.
People
Due to the importance of the employees for firms involved in services "it has recently been recognized - especially within the service sector - that many of the marketing processes applied to the external relationships are of equal value to internal relationships. The variation in customers 's needs can be complicated by the culture of the clients involved. The importance of the administrative staff, as the first contact that outsiders have with the school, is also emphasized by Vining.
Conclusion
Introduction
The macro environment
- The demographic environment
- The political-legal environment
- Economic environment
- Social environment
- Technology
There has been considerable growth in the independent school sector, from 590 registered independent schools in 1990, to 1287 registered independent schools in 2002 (du Toit, 2004, p.8). 34;There appears to be a specific group of elite, predominantly African schools, rising into the top money category. This finding has important implications for new forms of social class formation in the future arising from school and socio-economic background" (du Toit, 2004, p. 14). This instability in government schooling can undermine the confidence of both parents and undermine learners in the system.
School marketing in South Africa
Supplying teachers to charter schools could cause problems, with 55% of public school teachers planning to leave the profession. 34;The study found that non-Africans, men, secondary school teachers, those aged 25 to 49, the best qualified teachers, those in the middle to high income group, and technology, economics and management and science teachers were the most likely to leave. HIV-negative teachers are more likely to want to leave than HIV-positive employees" (Educational Labor Relations Council study, cited in Macfarlane, 2005, no page number).
Marketin2 of three private schools in the Midlands of KZN
The task environment
- Cowan House
- Epworth
- Hilton College
It is interesting that of the 62 Ladsworth Grade 7 leavers in 2005, 36 went to private senior schools (19 to Grace College). Grace College occupies a unique sector of the market as it is significantly cheaper than the other private girls schools and it is co-educational. It is interesting that only Hilton and Michaelhouse do not offer a post-matric year (St Stithian's introduced post-Matric in 2006).
The marketing information presented by the three schools
- Hilton College Mission
Professionally designed prospectus and magazine gave a good impression of what the school has to offer. 34;Hilton College aspires to be Africa's leading secondary boarding school for boys, providing a world-class education by cultivating a culture that embraces holistic educational practices and the best lessons of South Africa's unique multi-ethnic democracy, while the Christian values are maintained which were the core of the school's 130-year-old tradition. All the key elements of the product are also included in the Michaelhouse website (Michaelhouse, no date), even the phrase "recognized as one of the world's best independent boys' hostels".
Conclusion
Introduction
Research objectives
This research aimed to obtain information relating to the marketing of three private schools in the Midlands of KZN. This is what this dissertation set out to achieve in relation to the marketing of three private schools in the KZN Midlands. This study was based on in-depth interviews with marketing managers (and possibly their colleagues) at three schools.
Sample frame
Before the interview, a questionnaire (see Appendix) was sent to the marketing manager of each school in order to collect the information that could be requested. Interview transcripts (see Appendix) were sent to the respective schools to ensure they accurately reflected what was said. By combining information obtained from interviews with theoretical background and examining secondary data sources, a good initial understanding of the marketing of three schools in the Midlands of KZN was achieved.
Interview design
Who are your customers and is it fair to say that they are at the heart of your school's marketing?. Is your school full and how do you expect it to grow in the future?. Because education is largely intangible, how does your school convey the quality it offers.
Conclusion
- Long term orientation
- Societal responsibility
- Product differentiation and positioning
- Product
- Product quality
- Price
- People
- Process
All the schools were fully aware of the importance of the customers to the school. If the boarding section of the school was large, marketing would take place in neighboring countries (Hilton recruits in neighboring countries and to a lesser extent overseas). They were all aware of the cost to the parents and the cost of competing schools.
Internal environment
None of the schools used technology to give themselves an advantage over other schools, but they all used technology as a tool in education. It is not that difficult, as there are only a few boarding schools for boys in sub-Saharan Africa. It's not just about competition, it's more about delivering quality so the guys are comfortable when they leave.
Task environment
The convenience of having both genders in one school is an advantage, especially as it is considered a family school. They surveyed the existing customer before joining as their loyalty was to the existing customers because they bought the boys school. To some extent, it appeared that some schools almost regarded competitive analysis as unethical.
Macro environment
The amount of competitive analysis undertaken was limited, although websites, magazines and the prospectuses of competing schools were examined. The main factor affecting foreign students was the exchange rate, but South African private schools were still competitively priced compared to private schools in other parts of Africa and internationally. The findings of the research were presented as well as the secondary information regarding the three schools.
Introduction
How do the three schools apply the marketing concept?
Customer orientation
Integration of activities
Long term goals
This would enable schools to differentiate their product and develop a competitive position in the market. The study shows that schools face competition head-on and their position in the market is "unclear". However, it is important for schools to differentiate themselves as it enables them to meet a unique need in the market.
The elements of the marketing mix
- Product
- Price
- Place (distribution)
- Promotion
- Physical evidence
All schools offered scholarships and grants, and some schools also gave discounts to siblings. In addition to the above, the schools use a series of other criteria as proof of the quality of the services provided. All schools spent time training and selling the school's values and goals to staff.
Environmental analysis
The macro environment
Two of the schools would not actively recruit from certain areas, as they felt that students from these areas would not fit the ethos of the school. None of the schools interviewed saw the changes in education within South Africa as a threat to private schools. This apparently indicates that students or parents are not satisfied with the current education in some of the public schools.
The task environment
All the schools have a forum to try to develop an understanding of the different cultures at the school, but this must be done carefully as there is the possibility of a negative reaction if it is pushed too much. All the schools were aware that there is an increase in the number of independent schools competing with the more traditional independent schools. If the schools do not take a definite position in the market, it is almost impossible to apply the marketing mix effectively since the purpose of the marketing mix is "essentially working out the tactical details of the positioning strategy" (Kotler, 1991. p. 303) ).
Introduction
Recommendations
- Strategic process
- Need identification
- Service differentiation
- Opportunities
Currently, all schools in this research segment the market according to income and geographic criteria. This results in schools competing directly with other expensive private schools in the same geographic area. It is important to determine what the market's perception is of the schools and their competition.
Future research
We strongly believe in marketing – it cuts through all the different layers of the school. We have a caps program (Cowan House arrow) that is school wide. We drew a map and tried to find out where all the children come to school from.
Fathers will suggest what we should do about the work environment (eg children play in the stock market). Since education is largely intangible, how does Cowan House convey the quality that the school has to offer.
