Marketing Plans

Successful marketing planning relies on a variety of factors, such as measurement and accuracy of various analyses, customer feedback, outlined goals, clearly defined actions that are assigned and coordinated among a reliable and cohesive team, market trends, the customers’ perceived value of the brand.

While this strategic plan does not dig deep into the research needed to execute an entire marketing plan, it contains the basic elements of any standard plan, and outlines the approach, challenges and marketing activities necessary to meet company goals.

Performance Benchmarking and Public Organizations

Public organizations can better themselves and provide better public services when they allow themselves to be examined as if they were for-profit. Private institutions are often successful because they have managed to find a niche in the market where there is little competition. A company rarely does very well while competing with many similar companies without differentiating themselves.

Public organizations, on the other hand, are rarely subject to normal market forces, but rather to public policy. When the public institution shifts its focus from public policy to building customers’ value perceptions, it will also satisfy the governing organizations investing efforts and resources to achieve quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the services provided by the public organization.

Feedback Mechanism

In addition to standard KPIs, your marketing campaigns should utilize a feedback mechanism that collects information regarding campaign activity success. We recommend that you seriously consider the feedback approach as you move forward. Feedback from campaign activity will allow you to adjust your marketing plan moving forward.

Market and Data Analysis

Market elements that we have reviewed include:

Aggregate customer composition | Market intensity type | Market leadership position | Perceived value | Marketing systems maturity

These analyses assist us to evaluate a business’s overall competitive profile (how much competition you have in your market) and if the maturity of your marketing systems are adequate to grow in your market place.

Some businesses that have unique products or services and  very few competitors need little marketing prowess to be successful. The only limitation is the size of the market. On the other end of the spectrum are businesses that have many competitors. This is also true in a sense for ABC Adult School, because funding is based on a diverse set of public policy and changing decision makers. This could mean ABC Adult School needs highly mature and efficient marketing systems just to maintain funding.

Brand Positioning

This is normally a task that we do with direct client input. As a starting point, we will provide you an example on how to position ABC Adult School.

“The ABC Adult School seeks to completely fill the void for local high school completion by residents in and around ABC City.”

This may seem restrictive; however, based on the high school completion statistics in the surrounding area, this is not only a noble reason to exist, it is a huge community and society service that other local institutions are not clearly providing for.

Market Territory

Because ABC School  is primarily an ABC Unified School District extension, and most students are from ABC City, we suggest that ABC Adult School focuses on this geographic area and avoid treading on other territories, as other districts will likely have their own similar institutions already set in place.

In those few areas where a specialty service already exists, work carefully to not overlap. We believe that the best results always occur when focus is maintained. Use care not to wander into areas that are “hot” rather than using real data, outside of GED and ESL programs. Most would agree that much is to be done in high school education by experts in high school. From a marketing perspective, moving into new services, such as job training, will place you in a market with very capable players with which you are not yet prepared to compete.

Marketing Recommendations

The ABC Adult School and other adult schools we researched practically ignore brand voice in common communication channels. Most school districts’ outward face to students and stake holders is matter-of-fact, dry and misplaced. We recommend you develop your brand identity with a consistent tone that reflects the personality of your brand.

1. UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE COPY

In a review of the market (other adult schools), it is common to not even tell a website visitor why the organization exists. Rather, the first communication is information on classes offered, or registration details. The exceptions were “Competitor A” Adult School, which attempts to explain what they do, and “Competitor B” Adult School, which provides its mission statement, although it is on the bottom right column where it can be missed. We recommend that you clearly communicate your mission statement on your homepage.

Current website copy focuses only on the point-of-view of the prospective student who has already decided to start school again. You should also create marketing campaigns that drive potential students in the consideration stage and build website messaging that focuses on the “undecided” visitor. We suggest you also include a FAQ section, provide clear registration links, and links to supportive services.

2. DESIGN WEBSITE FOR USER EXPERIENCE

Re-build the primary communication pages of the website, focusing on user friendly design that encourages visitors to navigate to key pages. See the example from Khan Academy.

3. FOCUS ON IMPROVING PERCEIVED IMAGE

Our Value Analysis focuses on four elements that create customer perception: Image, Quality, Service and Price. Our opinion is that most school districts are actually creating hurtles instead of attracting qualified students. This is reflected by your low Image score in the results of our analysis on ABC Adult School’s perceived value. Overall perceived value will increase when ABC Adult School focuses on improving your Perceived Image of the brand.

4. OPTIMIZE FOR MOBILE

Optimize your site for mobile search. The primary tool for young adults is the smart phone. Even low income adults have a high probability of having a smart phone. When this is the case, the smart phones become a hand-held computer and communication devise. What ABC Adult School communicates on its website becomes the same communication on the smart phone.

5. USE SOCIAL PROOF TO PROMOTE YOUR BRAND VALUE

Social proof can be a very powerful tool for marketers when used correctly. Using testimonials to showcase the success of your brand, products and services can make people more confident that you’re the right choice for them. Showcase your success stories on your website. You have some good testimonials, but you also need good photos to supplement them. Consider adding a testimonials section on your website, and email stakeholders and decision makers for funding with new stories to keep them informed of successes.

6. LEVERAGE BLOG POSTS TO COMMUNICATE BRAND VALUE

Blogs should answer “why ” the organization is valuable, with in-depth and relevant topics. Other topics should address common problems and frequently asked questions provided by students. These posts should be shared on your social media accounts as well.

Use consistent logos and images. The ABC Unified School District (ABCUSD) uses a different design than the ABC Adult school, even in the same website. What do each of these branding images uniquely stand for? What does it have to do with ABC City? A design with a separate look and feel from ABCUSD may be appropriate; however, it needs to tie into the overall message in some fashion. If you intend to have a separate image, have a logo designed that is meaningful and use it throughout the full range of communications. Don’t let another organization’s image overpower your own, even if it is your parent company or governing entity.

8. CREATE APPROPRIATE MARKETING COLLATERAL

Build a presentation for your donor/grantor stakeholders that uses professionally designed logos and design elements, with your case for funding. Re-build this case online for all to see. Realize that this is really a selling brochure, with why ABC Adult School exists, how it accomplishes the why and how funding will help change people lives. Even standard grantors want to know they are funding the best programs.

Design a small brochure for walk-ins and other events.

9. INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL CREATIVE DESIGN

Professional designers should be used to assist in developing logos, layouts and the website design. Do not rely on inexperienced students for this very important Image initiative. We strongly believe that the investment will provide a good return in value perception alone.

EXAMPLE #2:

Annual Marketing Plan