Marketing universities in the 21st century:A customer centered approach discusses how universities can engage customers in the era of information and technology.

2. PRESENTATION
AT
UGANDA MARTYRS UNIVERSITY
15TH
JULY 2015

3. +THE PROBLEM QUESTIONS
1.What is MARKETING?
2.Who is a CUSTOMER?
3.Who is our CUSTOMER?
4.What is CUSTOMER CARE?
5.What do we KNOW UMU FOR?
6.What do we want UMU TO BE KNOWN FOR?
7.How do we want others TO KNOW ABOUT UMU?

4. A STUDENT’S EXPERIENCE?
 I had heard about the university (MARKETING)
 Its degrees were accredited (PRODUCT)
 Its entry programme was harrowing (GAT/GMAT) (PRODUCT)
 Its graduates were preferred by employees (PRODUCT)
 Its students were well behaved during and after (PRODUCT)
 Its students completed their degrees (PRODUCT)
 I searched the web (MARKETING)
 Found application forms on web (MARKETING)
 I asked five academics about Universities in Uganda three ranked UMU
highest while the other two ranked it second (MARKETING)

5. A STUDENT’S EXPERIENCE Cont’d
I finished in time (PRODUCT)
Lecture content & lecturers were serious
(PRODUCT)
I got more confident about my work (PRODUCT)
I got recommendations when I required them
(PRODUCT)
EVERYWHERE I GO, I always say my experience
at UMU was the best (REFERRALS)

6. INTRODUCTION
 Marketing UMU in 21st
Century with a customer centered approach.
 Concept of MARKETING & CUSTOMERS.
 Customer care is a marketing process.
 All marketing is a customer care process.
 MARKETING: selling benefits to customer to test, get converted, and
remain loyal to product.
 MARKETING MATRIX: producer, product, product benefits,
messaging/promotion, costumer, sales, customer care, competition.

7. THE BIG PICTURE
Universities are a business
CUSTOMER is central to all businesses. Customers have needs.
Enrollment is core objective determining everything else.
Universities challenged by how to grow/develop.
Universities faced with challenge of decline in enrollment.
Universities challenged by how to market in the 21st
Century.
21st
Century a century: New Media, New Universities, New ways
of thinking, New costumer priorities.

8. CUSTOMER CARE INITIATIVES
1.DESIGNED
2.IMPLEMENTED
3.MAINTAINED
TO ATTRACT,MAINTAIN,INCREASE
CUSTOMERS

9. WHO IS OUR CUSTOMER?
One we want to ENROLL; WORK with us; STAY
on; RECOMMEND us.
Current/Prospective STUDENTS.
Current/Prospective STAFF.
Parents/Prospective PARENTS.
ALUMNI.
General PUBLIC.
OWNERS.
DONORS.
Surrounding COMMUNITIES.

10. WHAT DOES OUR CUSTOMER NEED?
CURRENT/PROSPECTIVE STUDENT:
an education.
a change in life.
Employment.
recognized/accredited qualification.
associated with great university.
conducive atmosphere to learn.
make lasting relationship with others.

11. WHAT DOES OUR CUSTOMER NEED?
 CURRENT STAFF:
 Steady income
 Job security
 Recognition/promotion
 Association with great university
 Career.

12. WHAT DOES OUR CUSTOMERS NEED?
CURRENT/PROSPECTIVE PARENTS:
Children to get education
Children’s lives to be changed
Children to get recognized/accredited
qualification
Association with a great university.

13. WHAT DOES OUR CUSTOMER NEED?
 ALUMNI:
 Proud of where they studied
 Children to get an education
 Children’s lives to be changed
 Children to get recognized/accredited degree
 Association with a great university.

14. WHAT DOES OUR CUSTOMER NEED?
 GENERAL PUBLIC:
 Children to get an education
 Children’s lives to be changed
 Children to get recognized/accredited qualification
 Associated with great university
 Relevant university.

15. WHAT DOES OUR CUSTOMER NEED?
OWNERS:
Investment on right track
DONORS:
A university with potential/productivity
COMMUNITIES AROUND US:
We are good people
University is safe and secure

16. WHERE IS OUR CUSTOMER LOCATED?
GEOGRAPHICAL SPACE
Uganda, East Africa, Africa, the World
INSTITUTIONAL SPACE
Primary and Secondary Schools, Tertiary and
other Universities
MEDIA SPACE
Online/Social and Legacy Media

17. WHAT IS OUR CUSTOMER’S MEDIA SPACE?
ONLINE/NEW & SOCIAL MEDIA (Facebook, Twitter,
Whatsapp, SMS, Linkedin, Online News, Websites, and Blogs).
LEGACY MEDIA (Newspapers, Radio and Television).
OUTDOOR MEDIA (Billboards, Stickers, Posters, Flyers,
Banners, Mobile Advertising, Film ADS, etc).
MERCHANDISE, MEMORABILIA and BRAND
ITEMS (T-shirts, Key holders, etc).

18. WHAT DO WE WANT OUR CUSTOMER TO KNOW?
 1.Unique Position (research, placement, religion)
 2.Courses we offer
 3.Events and extracurricular activities
 4.Achievements
 5.Customer care
 6.Fees and modes/flexibility of payment
 7.Accreditation
 8.Current students achievement outside UMU
 9.Prominent students
 10.Prominent alumni
 11.Facilities and how to apply
 12.Environment (safety, conducive for learning)
 13.Graduate placement record

19. 21ST
CENTURY MARKETING CONTEXT
 Century with unprecedented access to technology
and information
 Need to be technologically astute
 Need to be well informed
 Message should be clear and precise
 Proliferation of media channels
 Requires integrated marketing (mix of methods and
channels necessary)
 GO TO COSTUMER than COSTUMER reaching you
 MAKE EVERYTHING POSITIVE KNOWN

20. MARKETING METHODS FOR UNIVERSITIES
PRODUCT RE-ENGINEERING
MARKETING COMMUNICATION
Media (Social and Legacy and Outdoor)
Content Marketing (Faculty in Media)
EVENTS (organize or sponsor)
Public Lectures, Conferences
Sports Galas
Exhibitions
Open days
Campus visits for students from secondary etc

21. MARKETING METHODS FOR UNIVERSITIES
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
News letters
MERCHANDISE
T-shirts, Calendars, Key holders, Car Tyre
covers
PERSONALITIES,NEWSMAKERS,ENDORSEMENT
S
Prominent local and international academics
BRAND AMBASSADORS
-Appointed
-Prominent Alumni

22. MARKETING METHODS FOR UNIVERSITIES
BRAND AMBASSADORS Cont’d
Visiting professorships of powerful international
academics
Sponsor Popular celebrity social responsibility
initiatives
Honorary PhD degrees to prominent achievers
Prominent Students (e.g. if a student is a
minister and is at the university)

23. MARKETING METHODS FOR UNIVERSITIES
INTERPERSONAL MARKETING/CUSTOMER
CARE
One on one outdoor marketing
Train good public speakers
Train good looking Public Relations people
Train customer care team thoroughly
School on promotion & career guidance lectures
Customer advisory boards:
Students/Parents/Staff

24. MARKETING METHODS FOR UNIVERSITIES
ENROLLMENT CONTESTS
Secondary School with highest intake or quota
Reward Owner of School
Reward Headmaster/Principal
Reward Parents who bring at least five students
Register five friends at UMU and study for free
Pay UNEB registration for bright students who
are bonded to apply

25. MARKETING METHODS
PLACEMENT STRATEGIES:
Invite prospective employers
Locate internships and apprenticeships
Create job database for former students to
access

26. CUSTOMER CARE
How we handle the customer
What we do for the customer
What we do to the customer
What we want the customer to remember us for

27. CUSTOMER CARE 101
 WHO IS OUR CUSTOMER?
 One we want to receive our message and act on our message:
enroll, tell others about us etc.
 Customer is influenced by peers, environment, icons, service
 TYPES OF CUSTOMERS
 Loyal Customers (those who will always be with us)
 Discount/Promotion Customers (who will come if there is a
discount in fees or a promotion)
 Impulse Customers (who will come without a reason)
 Needs Customers (who will come for what we offer if it satisfies
their needs)
 Wandering Customers (may come and go away with no trace of
pattern)


28. CUSTOMER CARE 101
CHARACTERISTICS OF CUSTOMERS
Have a need (information, guidance or other)
Want to be listened to
Want solutions not excuses
Want empathy
Want you to connect/relate with them
Want you to speak in their language
Want honesty (to be told the truth)
Want to be treated like a King/Queen.

29. CUSTOMER CARE 101
Customer Care is about human behavior.
What makes people happy what makes people
sad.
All of us are customer service staff (from VC to
the cleaner to the security guard)
KAMI: -KNOW/-ATTRACT/-MAINTAIN/-INCREASE
Customer Profiles:
Age, gender, marital status, employment
status, ethnicity, religion, social group and
other details necessary to communicate.

30. CUSTOMER CARE 101
Details before query. Who/where they are?
Detail of the query. What do they want?
Respond to the query.
Sell university after addressing the query.
Needs organization, thought ,planning,
practice.
Think like a customer.

31. CUSTOMER CARE 101
Offer Special service (perfection of product and
customer care)
Be Pro-active
Be Efficient
Show Good Answering Skills (phone, direct or
mail)
Show Empathy
Track customers from secondary

32. THANK YOU