Modern directions of marketing in the field of educational services

Abstract

Modern universities function in a highly competitive environment (for applicants, for teachers and scientists, for funds from various sources, etc.). In the context of globalization, competition is reaching the global level even for regional universities. Competition is also treated as a struggle for attention of different target audience segments. Corporate culture of an educational institution, a positive image and a recognizable brand are understood as additional competitive advantages. Universities are actively turning to marketing communications tools as well as modern marketing concepts that have proven their performance in the commercial sector. The latest marketing concepts focus attention on orientation customer, ensuring a long-term and mutually beneficial relationship between customers and brand. In particular, the concept of experience marketing emphasizes the need to establish a strong emotional connection between brand of educational institution and its audience. Another area, applicable to the field of the higher education and educational services promotion, is related to the management of customer experience, which is formed on the basis of various “points of contact” between brand and its audience. In connection with the mediatization of university’s activities and strengthening of its presence in social networks, another important direction is the brand reputation management of educational institution.