Marketing strategies of United Kingdom universities during clearing and adjustment

Abstract

2016),"Socio-economic, environmental and personal factors in the choice of country and higher education institution for studying abroad among international students If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services. AbstractPurpose -The clearing system in the UK enables students without a university place after exam results have been announced to find suitable vacancies, as it is important for universities to fill their vacancies as any shortfall loses them a lot of money. The purpose of this paper is to examine marketing strategies adopted by UK universities on their websites during clearing. Design/methodology/approach -In total, the content of 134 university websites were analysed a few weeks before clearing and the day before clearing starts. The categories for the analysis included membership of the three main university groups as well as clearing advertisement strategies and advertising theme presented. Findings -In total, 110 universities indicated interest in admitting students through clearing on their websites including 18 of the 24 Russell University Group although more emphasis was laid on adjustment to attract students with better grades. The majority of websites were redesigned to reflect clearing with slides highlighting student satisfaction, guaranteed accommodation and graduate employability. Research limitations/implications -This exploratory study examines advertising strategies adopted during clearing, it would be interesting to also seek a broader view on advertisement strategies adopted by the universities throughout the year and extended to a comparative study of higher education marketing across different countries. Originality/value -As websites have become an integral part of the marketing tools of universities, they should present information relevant to different stakeholders creatively, along with images reflecting their diverse student body and extra-curricular environment. This study will be relevant to university staff dealing with marketing, recruitment and information technology, advertising practitioners and academic researchers.

Striving for relevance in a competitive market: The case of Leeds Becket University’s brand identity

“…It should not just be about the change of logo but total rebranding which affects teaching quality and students 'experience among other things. Theoretically, this study extends previous works on corporate visual identities ( (Melewar & Saunders , 1998;Melewar, et al, 2006) and higher education marketing and branding (Chapleo, 2010;Mogaji, 2018;Mogaji, 2016). Practical implications for Managers are also presented.…”

Higher education marketing communications in the digital era

“…At the same time, the marketisation of higher education has become less dependent on state control and government intervention. In response to these challenges, HEIs are resorting to contemporary marketing strategies and tactics to garner a larger share of the international market (Mogaji, 2016). Many universities are increasingly crunching big data and analytics to tap into new market segments in different contexts; as well laid-out integrated marketing communications plans are providing the right pathways for growth.…”

“…These studies suggested that students' decisions when selecting courses were based on the reputation and experience of the universities' faculty staff (Mogaji, 2016;Beneke, 2011;Van Heerden, Wiese, North & Jordaan, 2009). The university's service quality relies on "human actors" who are entrusted to deliver individualised, student-centred experiences (De Jager & Gbadamosi, 2010).…”

Importance of Webpage Content and Design for Higher Education Export

“…Australia is among the best exporters of higher education (Tian, Martin, 2014: 942) and there among researchers several approaches for higher education export are discussed. The use of webpage as a marketing tool for higher education export is on research agenda among many researchers (Milian, Gurrisi, 2017;Mogaji, 2016).…”