Background

In the present time of competitive and globalized business era, it is essential, important and valuable for the educational institutions and universities to adopt use and implement specific marketing strategies, policies, and method in order to compete and attain competitive advantages in the educational sector. In addition to this, by using various innovative marketing strategies, educational institutes could attain their long term objectives, vision, mission and goals in an effective and proper manner. Along with this, it should also be noted down that, through the effective use of marketing strategies and plans, a university or educational organizations could be success in the competitive market place. So, it is important for all to use and bring new marketing strategies for the total success of the organization.  

In addition to this, it is also important to know that, this research paper is conducted in order to attain various research objectives. These objectives would be attained during the study of this paper in order to reach a valid conclusion. On the other hand, in this research paper, marketing plan for Central Queensland University (CQUniversity) would be developed by analyzing both internal and external environment in an effective and proper manner. This paper analysis or explains the market demand, demographic, segmentation, target market of the CQUniverity. This paper conducts SWOT analysis, value & brand positioning analysis of CQUniversity and then decides the marketing aim and promotional objectives for 2018. On the basis of the analyses finding decides the marketing mix strategies, competitive strategies, media and budget allocation for CQUniversity in the next year.

Central Queensland University (CQUniversity) founded as the Queensland Institute of Technology (QIT) Capricornia in Rockhampton in 1967 that was awarded full university status in 1992. In recent times, more than 30000 students enrolled in the CQUniversity and 25 campuses and locations in Australia.  CQUniversity always focuses on provide excellent, equity and engagement educational services and focuses on the infrastructure, new courses, new degree and diploma programs and extensive research (CQUniversity Australia, 2017). CQUniversity offers more than 300 education and training offerings from certifications and short courses to the undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees students.

CQUniversity is currently targeting the Australian market and Australian students mainly through established 25 campuses in different location in the country. CQUniversity is target both the male and female national students through provides quality academic support programs, focus on equality, and degree credentials to the students. Market demand oriented courses, changes in courses or study material according current industry demand and focus on the infrastructure are the some strengths of the university that differentiate it from others in the market. In recent times, around 43 accredited universities in Australia those are located in different places that are created difficult for any one university to control a sizeable share of the industry. Australian students are generally attending universities that are near their home, so that rural universities do not able to attract many students in comparison of metropolitan universities. In 2012, the Commonwealth Government has reformed industry through introduced a demand-driven funding model for universities with goal of rise in domestic students enrolments (Deshpande & Rundle-Thiele, 2011). CQUniversity segmentation of the market on the basis of national and international students and target both national and international students without inequality in student on the basis of gender, race, nationality, culture, income class and others.

Market and Demand Assessment

The University and Other Higher Education industry revenue is expected to expand at an annualized 4.5% in the next five years by total $30.6 billion in 2016-17. The University and Other Higher Education industry is characterized by a low level of market share due to many players available in the market and top universities also not account huge market share. The international student enrollment is also enhanced rapidly in the past five years and high potentiality of the education industry. The federal Education Department report mentioned that 554,179 full-fee paying international students enrolled in 2016 that enhance by more than 10% on the past year (Doyle, 2017). Australia’s has the largest share in the international students with 43% and the largest international students come from China and India. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report presents the value of international education to be more than $21 billion in 2015 (IBISWorld, 2017). CQUniversity meet the expectation off the national and international students through provide the new courses, industry oriented degree and diploma program, and deliver quality education services to students.

PEST is an important and dynamic strategic tool that plays a key role in accessing and analyzing the external situation and condition of the organizations. Simply, this strategic tools indicates the major external forces or factors that may negatively affect the success and growth of the organizations. In the same way, this allows the organizations to develop most effective and appropriate strategies as per the external situation of the organizations. Political, economical, social and technological environment of Australia analyses to assess the potentiality of CQUniversity in the market. The below section describes the PEST analysis:

Political environment: Political factors such as stability of government, number of government parties, corruption and others are affected the management of the university. The stability of the Australia government, low corruption rate, and less pressure of the other political parties are some factors that support CQUniversity to effectively run their operations in Australia (Deshpande & Rundle-Thiele, 2011).

Economic environment: Economic growth of the country impacts on the operation or performance of the universities as decline or negative growth of economy reduces number of students. In recent time, Australia economy positive and enhanced GDP growth trend, less than 2% interest rate, less than 2% inflation rate and less than 7% unemployment over the past five years indicates strong economic position of the country that beneficial for CQUniversity.  The cost of education low in the Australia comparison other countries that also enhanced numbers of international students come in Australia for study (The Department of Education and Training, 2016).

Social environment: The high literacy rate, people familiar with technology, and people consider education with status are the social factors that contribute to growth of University and Other Higher Education industry. The positive attitude and perception of the people for the child education is the supportive point of view for the student point of view. Social support of the education industry by the people also contributes into the growth of the universities (Kurtz, Mackenzie & Snow, 2009).

PEST Analysis

Technological environment: E-learning and technology based learning support by the people or student that also indicates potentiality of the growth of education industry. Infrastructure, transportation, and technology availability in the nation also contribute to enhance international student growth in Australia. CQUniversity also use technology to provide education, payment of fees, share events information, news, guide or teach student and e-learning that help it to achieve growth in the Australian market (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer & Reibstein, 2010).

In recent times, around 43 accredited universities in Australia that indicates CQUniversity faced high competition in the market. Moreover, around 40 Australian universities, a smaller private speciality university and many international universities in the market that creates extremely competition for CQUniversity. Every university face the difficulty to command a sizeable share of the industry and the perfect competition structure of the industry indicates CQUniversity requires huge affords to maintain their position and share in the Australian market. CQUniversity established 35 campuses at different location that helps it to target different geographic location students in the country. CQUniversity not only faced competition with Australian universities, but also faces competitions from the world famous universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Caltech and others. All the major competitors’ main aim and objectives are provide quality educational services of the students at less cost and contributed into the academic success and professional success of the student (Deshpande, Basil & Basil, 2009). Most of the universities use technology to promotion of their educational services and courses or programs and all uses e-learning options to target the international students. In today’s, some universities introduced their mobile apps to provide education services of the global students.

In this section, analysis the CQUniversity by conduct SWOT analysis to identify internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) that help to assess the current gaps in the university marketing mix. The below SWOT analysis table is indicted CQUniversity current position in the Australian market:

Internal
Strengths	Weakness
·         Excellent academic support initiatives ·         Market or industry oriented educational program or courses ·         Leadership studies certificates awarded to all finalists ·         E-learning, part-time, and full-time education programs ·         Provision of Microsoft studies to all first-year students ·         National student easily target	·         Poor segmentation and poor understanding of the target market ·         The communication channels used do not reach all students ·         High investment in infrastructure enhance cost of education ·         Inappropriate connection between individual departments within the university ·         Less focus on international student
External
Opportunities	Threats
·         Central Queensland is strategically located ·         Use technology to target worldwide students ·         Unique university studies position and rebrand the school’s programs ·         Availability of donor those gives students sponsorships ·         Growth in the university’s national reputation and regional public image	·         Economic uncertainty ·         Entry of new players those provide cheap product and different product ·         Direct and indirect competition in the Australian market as national and international universities ·         Change in society perception in the duplication of educational programs ·         Some staff are unqualified to deliver quality services ·         Lack of funding and personnel focus

(Source: CQUniversity Australia, 2017)

CQUniversity unique vision, quality of service, diversity, outreach, engagement, research, learning and teaching, less cost of education and inclusiveness have led to it develop value and positioning brand in the market. The less cost of education and it offers more than 300 education and training short courses and certificates that help CQUniversity to position self in the competitive business environment. CQUniversity focused on the qualified and experienced lecturer and the staff, due to it understood the importance of human resource into the academic success of the student and performance of the university (CQUniversity Australia, 2017). The qualified and experienced human resource is contributed to provide quality educational services and maintain the relationship with student that helps university to enhance value of brand and position self in the competitive business environment. Moreover, through offers different professional courses, high industrial placement and less cost of education provide value of the customer/student of their money/fees that help CQUniversity to become position in the top universities of Australia. The international QS World Universities ranking system is given ranked CQUniversity among the world’s top universities that feel student proud and develop reputation and brand value of university in the market (The Department of Education and Training, 2016).

Competitor Analysis

The primary aim of CQUniversity will be reached target of enrolled around 35000 Australian students and more than 5000 international students for 2018 through applied different marketing and promotional strategies. Marketing and promotional objectives will be targeting the student those lives in different Australian states and territories and targeting the international students through utilize the online and social media marketing channel in the next year. Marketing and promotional other objective is to create brand awareness through enhanced 30% website and social media page hits in the 2018 compared previous year (2017). The like, share and comments on the social media sites and university’s official website included into the number of website hits (Doyle, 2017).

The marketing mix strategies are the important methods that provide strategic directions to the organizations about how to compete in the market through the effective utilization of four P’s.  On the other hand, marketing mix indicates the 4P’s (product, price, place and promotion) of the CQUniversity that will help it to make their position and improve performance in the competitive Australian market. The proper utilization of marketing mix (4P’s) would be helped the university to improve their position and enhance market share in the market. The following are the current market mix of the CQUniversity:

Product: CQUniversity offers more than 300 short courses, certificates, diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees to the national and international students. The university offers educational and training in the different areas of study include Accounting and Law, Business, Apprenticeships, Creative, Psychology, Trades and Training, Healthcare, Performing and Visual Arts, Engineering and Built Environment, Science and Environment, Information Technology and Digital Media, Education and Humanities, Social Work and Community Services, and Work and Study Preparation (CQUniversity Australia, 2017). The university also offers distance learning facilities of the student and set the benchmark leader for a renowned research institution, student success, research excellence, social innovation and community engagement. The new courses and changes of degree courses or educational programs by CQUniversity on the basis of current industrial need ensure the placement of the students.

Pricing: Different kinds of pricing strategies such as economy pricing, premium pricing, penetration pricing, psychological pricing, price skimming, and others are applied by the universities according to student need in the market. In recent times, education is expensive and cost of education is high, due to institutes spend lots on the development of infrastructure and faculties or staff that enhance cost. CQUniversity offers quality education and set the prices through consider the competition price in mind. CQUniversity offers different kinds of courses at an affordable cost that provide option of the student to select course according their need, requirement and budget (Raposo, do Paço & Ferreira, 2008). Technology use by the university to reduce cost of education and provide quality education services of the student.

Promotion: Selection of the appropriate promotion and advertising strategy is majorly contributed into creating awareness among student regarding courses and degree programs offers by university. The different kinds of promotion and advertising strategies are applied by CQUniversity to create awareness in student of its training program, diplomas, and degree courses to develop position in the competitive Australian market. CQUniversity targets local market by use of national news paper, FM radio, magazines and print media marketing channel that would be effective way to create awareness in the specific region or area or national students regarding the certifications, diplomas, training program, and degree courses. Moreover, CQUniversity uses online, internet and social medic marketing channel to target national and international students at less efforts and low cost. For target the national and international students, CQUniversity utilizes social media and online sites such as University site, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc to maintain proper communication with global students and their parents that help it to maintain its market base in the worldwide market (Quick & Byrd?Bredbenner, 2013). CQUniversity also develops its reputation and brand value in the market by promoting its educational services in the major social events, sports events, health awareness events, educational events, and others. CQUniversity also focuses on share information regarding its student success, social innovation and community engagement through use of social media to create its reputation or brand value in the people as well as engage people with it.

Place: CQUniversity spread across 25 campuses and locations Australia-wide to target the urban and rural students in the nation. E-learning and technology based learning facilities reduce the location barrier and provide option of universities to provide education of students at any place in the world. Online and e-learning are recently become important aspect of deliver educational services of the students at any place that have not required necessary for the student to attend class at university campus (Stone & Desmond, 2007). Technology resolves the location barrier that faced by student in the past time and also reduces cost of education that beneficial for both the student and university.

CQUniversity faced competitions form Australian and international universities, so that is applied the competitive strategy to easily face market competition. CQUniversity applies differentiation strategy through provide more than 300 education and training courses, certificates and degrees as well as introduce new professional courses on the basis of industry current demand that help it to differentiate self from the other competitors universities in the Australian market. CQUniversity established their campuses in major Australian cities to target rural and urban areas students in the market. Moreover, through offers different types of education and training courses, certificates and degrees programs for the students, the university’s would able to maintain their position and reputation in the Australian and international market (Kelley & Jugenheimer, 2008). CQUniversity is considered business-to-consumer (B2C) strategy due to the main target consumer is students not the other institutes or business client.

CQUniversity target the different age group students those belong to 15-50 age group through provides more than 300 education and training courses, certificates and degrees programs at different time duration, different eligibility need and different cost. CQUniversity mainly consider the global students before introduce new professional course, diploma, degree and training program (The Department of Education and Training, 2016). CQUniversity changes in its existing old or out of date training program, diploma and degree course and related them with industry employment demand, so that student able easily get placement in the corporate world after finished its study. In addition to this, it is also suggested that, the university must also focus on the pricing strategies of their competitors before launching any new products in the market. This would help the university to attain core objectives in a more innovative and dynamic manner. 

The below table and graph explained the media and budget allocation for each of the marketing channel while considered the schedule and estimated costs of marketing or advertising activities. The below table showed that CQUniversity wants to spend more on television advertising approx 30% of overall media budget allocation, due to TV is the most expensive way of media advertising comparison to other selected media options. CQUniversity wants to display their advertisement related to educational courses and training programs on popular media channels in the peak timeslots, so it is required paying media channels in behalf of displayed their ads that raised the overall media budget allocation cost (Farris, Bendle, Pfeifer & Reibstein, 2010).

In addition, CQUniversity should mostly focused on the utilization of different social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others to target the national and international students that improved their budget allocation spending on these media channels. CQUniversity spend their budget to make advertisement, promotional message, pamphlets, images, videos and audios, so they promote their different educational courses and programs effectively on use of digital media.

Media Budget Allocation
Media Vehicles	Spend (in $)
Digital (Banners)	1000
Digital (Social Media)	1200
Digital (Mobile)	800
Digital (Newspapers)	500
Online (Search)	800
Direct mails	500
TV	2500
Radio	1000
Total	$8300

Moreover, CQUniversity also send direct emails of the potential national and international student regarding the course details, course fees, time duration, payments options of education fees, and industry demand related to course to create awareness among the global students (Aaker, Kumar & Day, 2008). Moreover, advertisement through message, online newspapers, online sides, and ads on mobile that would also appropriate way to target the adult and young age group students at today’s.

Conclusion

The marketing plan indicates through effectively define the marketing mix (4P’s) and use of different media channels to promotion and advertising would be helped CQUniversity to achieve aim, objective and vision of the business. The effective marketing and promotion strategies would be helped CQUniversity to achieve outcome of reach at 40000 students (35000 national and 5000 international students) enrolled in the financial year 2008 that is more than 30000 students enrolled in 2017 for different courses.

The University and Other Higher Education industry has strong potential growth rate and PEST environment factors would be supported the operation of CQUniversity. Product differentiation competition strategy through offers more than 300 courses, certifications and training programs would be helped CQUniversity to enhance their brand value, reputation and image in the competitive business environment. CQUniversity considers the SWOT analysis, competition analysis, PEST analysis, value & brand positioning analyses that justified the proposed marketing aim and promotional objectives for 2018.

References

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