Meeting the Needs of Your Target Market: A Research Study Analyzing the Motivation of Men and Women

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Meeting the Needs of Your Target Market A
Research Study Analyzing the Motivation of Men
and Women Returning to School.

• Ronald Blankenship
• Yancy Villa-Calvo

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Research Goal

• Summary
• The present study examined the motivation of
  men and women returning to school. Understanding
  the motivation will help recruiters and marketers
  focus efforts in specific areas that will attract
  adult students.

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Previous Experience

• The Evening Program at Christian Brothers has
  experienced an increase in the number of
  African-American females returning to school to
  complete Bachelors degrees.

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Instrument for the Research

• Questionnaire designed and distributed by the
  Evening Program advisors.
• Data analyzed using SPSS and run by the
  Institutional Effectiveness Department at
  Christian Brothers University.

FOR MORE INFO...
Contact us via e-mail at rblanken_at_cbu.edu or
yvilla_at_cbu.edu
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Method

• 300 questionnaires were distributed to current
  evening class students.
• 207 were useful since they were Evening Program
  students.
• Frequency 146 female and 61 male

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Demographics -Age

• Females (146) Males (61)
• 24-younger 11.0 23.0
• 25-29 24.0 14.8
• 30-34 29.5 36.1
• 35-39 15.8 14.8
• 40-44 12.3 1.6
• 45-49 6.8 6.6
• 50-54 ---- 1.6
• 55-older ---- 1.6
• Total 99.3 100
• Missing 0.7 ----

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Demographics - Race

• Females Males
• African American/ 62.3 27.9
• Black
• Asian American/ 0.7 1.6
• Asian
• Caucasian/White 32.9 70.5
• Hispanic ---- ----
• Puerto Rican 0.7 ----
• Other ---- ----
• Total 96.6 100
• Missing 3.4 ----

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Research AnalysisEmployment Statistics
1.2
13.4
15.7
69.7
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Research AnalysisLength of Time

• The majority of the adult learners return to
  school as transfer students.
• 31 indicated they are returning after 3-10
  years.
• 35.4 indicated they are returning after 0-3
  years.
• Assumptions.

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Reasons for Returning to School Family Enrichment

• 63.6 of total female respondents compared to
  63.9 of male respondents indicated family
  encouragement.
• Assumptions
• Marketing Initiative

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Reasons for Returning to SchoolConvenience and
Flexibility

• 80.7 of the total respondents prioritized
  convenience of location.
• 85.4 of the total respondents indicated that the
  format and flexibility of the classes were both
  important.
• Our experience.

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Reasons for Returning to SchoolCareer and
Professional Development

• Majority of the adult students are returning to
  prepare themselves for continuing their graduate
  goals and career development.
• University reputation in the corporate community
  plays an essential role for adults when deciding
  where to complete their degrees.

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Reasons for Returning to School Career Change
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Reasons for Returning to School Corporate
Advancement

• 68.9 of males indicated a Bachelors degree is
  necessary compared to 71.3 of females.
• Assumptions.

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Reason for Returning to SchoolPersonal
Satisfaction
Females
Males
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Needs of the Target Market

• Males

• Females

• General Education
• Career Change
• Family Enrichment

• General Education
• Career Change
• Family Enrichment

Ranked from most important (1) to least important
(3)
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Suggested Marketing Approach

• (African-American Females between 30-34 years of
  age).
• University reputation.
• Location!!!
• Flexible class format considering special needs,
  i.e. family.
• Accessibility to services.
• Academic enrichment.

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• Questions?