Marketing Plan for Public Schools

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Marketing Plan for Public Schools

• Samuel B. Hardy, III, Ed.D.
• Augusta State University

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Marketing Defined

• Marketing is an organizational function and set
  of processes for creating, communicating, and
  delivering value to customers and for managing
  customer relationships in ways that benefit the
  organization and its stakeholders.
• AMA, 2006, Definition section para. 1

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Why marketing for public schools?

• External Threats (vouchers, private schools,
  etc.)
• Government Expectations
• Public (Parental) Expectations
• Influence Legislation
• Image Building
• Obtaining Resources

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What do we do in Public Education?

• Service A service is any act or performance
  that one party can offer to another that is
  essentially intangible and does not result in the
  ownership of anything. Its production may or may
  not be tied to a physical product.
• (Kotler, 2003, p.444)
• Education fits the following service
  requirements it is people-based, it requires the
  client to be present, and it meets a personal
  need.
• (Kotler)

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Plan Steps
Define your Business
Define your Clients
Define your Plan
Sustained Client Loyalty
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Identify your Clients

• The overarching theme1) create value for clients
  and develop useful relationships, and 2) capture
  value from clients as a result.
• Who are your clients?

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Your Marketplace

• Map your bus routes
• Know the ethnicity of your marketplace
• Socio-economic back drop
• The businesses
• The major employers
• Civic groups
• Gauge their expectations

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Communication Channels

• Web site
• Bulletin Boards in front hallway
• Newsletters
• Public Service Announcements
• School Meetings (not parent night)
• Direct Mailings
• Attend neighborhood/civic functions
• GET THE WORD OUT!

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School-Driven Strategy

• Assess your schools assets
• Faculty
• Programs
• Achievements
• Promote Assets to Target Audiences
• Market Segmentation
• Create a Market Offering
• Value Proposition

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Build a Program that Delivers Value

• Assess your Strengths and Weaknesses
• Self-assessment, too
• Which assets best match which target audience?
• Relationship Building begins with this set

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Establish Loyalty

• Dissatisfied clients are very dangerous
• Loyalty breeds positive responses which are
  self-perpetuating
• The threat is real, and the threat is not going
  away!

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Marketing Plan Development

• Mission Statement Alignment
• Schools Current Situation
• Program(s) Overview
• Targeted Segments w/Needs/Benefits Fit
• SWOT Analysis
• Objectives
• Implementation/Communication Strategy
• Evaluation
• (Kotler)

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Web Sites

• Small Business Administration
• www.sba.gov
• PlanOnline.org
• www.planonline.org
• Education Australia Online
• www.edoz.com