Deakin University: Quality Higher Education Essay For Global Market. (70 Characters)

Discuss about the Marketing for Managers, Creating a marketing plan for an academic year depends on the demographic factors in the market as well as the past records history of the institution's demographic composition. 

Introduction to Deakin University

Deakin is a reputable Australian based university established in 1974. The university provides higher education learning to students over a wide range faculties namely science, economics, commerce, engineering, social sciences, mathematics, health and medical sciences, and humanities (Babin & Zikmund, 2015). Deakin University is proud of its student-focused culture, and the long-standing edge in technology for it offers a personalised learning experience to the students. Currently, the university has a student body capacity of over 54,000 and over 60 professors that makes it get ranked as the 7th largest university in Australia. Deakin provides its students with an opportunity to engage in globally connected studies hence enhancing intercultural understanding (Baker, 2014). Deakin has five branch campuses for research and also offers digital and distance learning to the students.

Deakin has expanded its research and educational programs to Geelong, Warrnambool, and Victoria. Scholastic excellence, top research, and educational partnerships offered by Deakin attract students from all world's corners. The brand products and services provided by the university to the students are new courses, scholastic programs, research facilities such as the postmodern library, and digital learning and this needs effective marketing for the next academic year's success, 2018 (Faugère, 2014). Deakin provides certificates, diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate programs through graduate certificate, masters, and research degrees. The long-standing competitors of Deakin University are CQ University, Monash, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, and the University of Adelaide domestically.

There is high demand for higher education learning in the world. Deakin University's main products and services brands include new courses, scholastic programs, research facilities such as the postmodern library, and digital learning. These brands require intensive marketing in the competitive education sector in the world. Thus a marketing plan is necessary for the 2018 academic year (Hollensen, 2015). The growing demand by students for graduate certificates, master's, and research degrees necessitates the creation of a marketing plan over which Deakin will market these product and services brands to the target market.

Despite the fact that most people want to study, research conducted by Deakin’s commerce students in 2016 indicates that while some people can afford the cost of education, others cannot. As a result, the 2018 marketing plan will incorporate scholastic adverts and sponsorship programs to capture the attention of wider market (Howarth, 2017). The 2018 strategic marketing plan for Deakin will get designed based on  the demographic, segmentation, and target market in the world market as below:

Deakin's Scholastic Programs, Research Facilities, and Digital Learning

Creating a marketing plan for an academic year depends on the demographic factors in the market as well as the past records history of the institution's demographic composition. Currently, Deakin has a population of over 54,000 students and over 221,000 alumni working over the world. Globally, Deakin targets students from all corners or the world and of all ages. Being a gender equitable institution, the University admits students of all sex and offers scholastic and sponsorship opportunities to students with no gender bias (Liamputtong, 2011). The fact that Deakin has over 221,000 alumni globally and over 54,000 students provide the best measure of Deakin's success that will help in designing the 2018 marketing plan. For 2018, the university will launch new engineering workshops and offer training to the students without any gender prejudice.

Deakin University admits students from different locations both locally and domestically. The university operates in different places at Australia namely: cloud campus, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Geelong warm ponds, and Warrnambool campus and this broadens its target market. The 2018 marketing plan will establish more international offices for Deakin so as to attract more worldwide students since currently, it has only 10,000 international students. The approach to marketing the new courses, e-learning, and research facilities will target both the local and global students (McGee, 2013).

Currently, Deakin provides four faculties with a comprehensive range of 13 different courses to students. However, the university does not offer all faculty programs to students, and hence there is market demand that needs to get exploited (Poucher, 2012). In 2018, the administration will incorporate more faculty programs to offer new short certificate courses thus exploiting the potential market before the 2018 academic year ends.

The PEST analysis explores the political, economic, social, and technological environmental factors, occurring outside Deakin University and whose impact affects the day to day activities of the University. The PEST Analysis of Deakin University that guides in the designing of its 2018 marketing plan are explained as below:

Political factors

Political factors refer to the impacts of government regulations and legal requirements that control the operations of different universities operating in Australia. The Deakin University is confined by the Australian laws and a legal obligation on the qualification framework and educational services it offers to the market (Marginson, 2015). For the 2018 marketing plan, the university will have to budget for costs that will cater for advertising licenses and other intellectual property rights so as to avoid violation of the law.

Deakin's 2018 Strategic Marketing Plan

Economic factors

The financial stability of Deakin University has contributed to the institution's prospect in the market for its new courses, research facilities, and other product brands and services to the students. The university's cash flow is stable; this means that its financial position is profitable. Further, Deakin University obtains foreign grants and thus able to fund its curricular and co-curricular activities (Roger, 2015). The university has an excellent relationship with the largest Australian banks such as the Bank of Australia where they obtain loans to further educational prospects. This would act as an edge to Deakin in the 2018 marketing plan for sufficient funds will be available when organizing promotional market campaigns for its brands.

Social factors

The university’s decision to engage in corporate social responsibility has given the school a competitive edge over the rivals. Currently, the university provides scholastic and sponsorship to the poor students within the university. The 2018 marketing plan will emphasize on this service offered to the students so as to win more markets in the country and overseas (Ruby & Linda, 2014). The administration of Deakin understands that there are intelligent students in the society who cannot afford meeting the cost of education. As a result, the provision of scholarship and sponsorship brand services will be critical in the 2018 academic year. The marketing strategies would also emphasize on students safety and health consciousness for the students while undertaking their studies.

Technological factors

The main driver behind Deakin University’s innovation and research success is technology. Currently, Deakin University has a cloud online research university whereby students study online. The school offers both digital and e-learning facilities to the students who are either working or located in the remote areas making it difficult for them to attend regular classes. In 2018 marketing plan for its cloud online studies, Deakin University will establish over ten research centers that offer e-learning and digital studies to the students (Sharma, Garg, & Sharma, 2013). This is estimated to increase the student’s population by at least 12 percent. Further, the university will introduce fast free WiFi services for all students to access internet and conduct research at their desired time.

The education sector has been very competitive in the world and especially in Australia where Deakin University operates. The key competitors of Deakin University are the CQ University, Monash, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, University of Western Australia, and the University of Adelaide among many others both locally and globally. The main aim of Deakin University is providing high quality higher education learning and remain competitive in the industry (Rajagopal & Sanchez, 2004). The university aims at building student's acumen, enhancing decision making and excellent communication skills, and ultimately furthering students careers.

Deakin's Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats

The competitors of Deakin seeks to engage all stakeholders (students, professors, government, and parents), the worldwide universities, vocational and training institutions, and other research colleges in the provision of quality education. Deakin, therefore, has been very keen on the market demand changes and thus invests a lot in new technologies to encourage creativity and innovation hence remaining competitive in the market (Slavin, 2015).

To enhance competitiveness and sustainability in the Australian market, Deakin adopts advertising, public relations, and direct marketing to promote its products and services brands. In 2018, the administration will use digital media, the university website, billboards, and roadshows to advertise its new brands such as research facilities and new courses.

Deakin University's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified to get incorporated when designing the 2018 marketing plan is as shown below:

Strengths	Weaknesses
i. Positive reputation in the community ii. High valuation of Deakin university’s degree worldwide iii. Provision of scholarship and sponsorship facilities to less privileged students iv. Provision of industrial attachments and interface to students	i. Stiff competition from local universities ii. Distance learning considered fake and of less value iii. Online studies ineffective when teaching health sciences iv. Language barrier since students have different cultural diversity
Opportunities	Threats
i. The world’s university ranking of Deakin as a top ten attracts students globally ii. Global recognition of Deakin University degree iii. Global exposure to students creates an opportunity for research iv. Regional diversity	i. Decrease in the enrollment numbers due to the split out of new colleges ii. Provision of limited courses to students iii. State budget crisis iv. Negative public perception on some of the courses

One of the most famous universities in Australia is Deakin. Deakin is ranked as Australia's 7th biggest university. The 2016 statistics rank Deakin in the top 2 percent of the world's largest and most growing university. Among the world's newer universities, Deakin ranks 39 in the QS world ranking. Having five campuses located in Australia, the University is strongly positioned in the market and has won a broader range of market in the 21st century. Deakin is ranked the 5th prestigious educational institution in the world and provides high-quality degrees to the students all over. The university is a corruption free and nongender discriminative, this ensures equal treatment of both the domestic and the international students (Suakanto, 2012). Due to diverse cultures and language differences, the University offers English, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and German language classes to the students. Further, the university offers e-learning and digital learning programs which are highly valued by the students located in the rural and remote areas. In 2018 marketing plan, the administration of Deakin will offer cloud computing courses, enroll seat and take classes, and provide scholarship to the bright poor students.

This part sets the launching of the 2018 marketing plan for Deakin University. The marketing aims and promotional objectives designed in 2018 will be guided by SMART goals as below:

Specific

The marketing plan goals for 2018 will be specific. The 2018 goal is launching e-learning studies, valuable digital learning programs, new courses, and new research facilities including the post-modern library (Walker, 2014). The administration will ensure that once the students get enrolled in the university, the services brands advertised to the students get ultimately provision to secure public reputation.

PEST Analysis of Deakin University

Measurable

The use of questionnaires and social media platforms will be used to measure the success of the 2018 marketing plan immediately when the academic year ends. The online questionnaires will get administered to the staff, students, and professors of the university based on the number of students enrolled (Walker, 2014). The feedback obtained will get used in designing performance management systems for the success of the 2018 plan in the next academic years.

Achievable

The marketing plan goals for Deakin must be achievable in 2018. In 2018, the marketing team of Deakin University will get selected on the ground of skills, abilities, and knowledge they possess in the marketing field (Marginson, 2015). This is because the set goal of winning more students cannot get achieved when the university’s staff is not talented and skilled enough to convince and persuade the target market.

Reliable

To enhance the reliability of the set marketing plan, all approaches, techniques, and tools of marketing should be results focussed. The achieved results need to be measurable regarding numbers and value to the university. To enhance reliability, the 2018 marketing plan will get guided by time schedules that allocate sufficient budget in every activity undertaken by the University (Marginson, 2015).

Timely

Communication of goals should be timely. The timely communication of the marketing plan to the concerned stakeholders within the university by the administration would lead to its ultimate success (West Ford & Ibrahim, 2015). By this doing, the optimization of student numbers enrolled in the university to undertake the new courses, access research facilities and digital learning would get achieved before 2018.

 Marketing mix strategies help organizations in providings its brand products and services to the existing and potential students in the market. Deakin University’s marketing plan for 2018 will adopt the 4Ps of marketing namely product, price, place, and promotion to market its academic year offers. The marketing mix of Deakin for 2018 will be designed as below:

Product

The 2018 marketing plan will emphasize on new courses, research facilities, improved quality of distance learning, and e-learning advancements in the fields of sciences and technology, management, fitness, nursing, and sports (Baker, 2014). To market these products effectively in the target market, the administration will use the past research by students on the quality of services the market needs. The marketing will operate on the 2018's budget plan.

Price

Deakin University charges high amounts of fees to the students studying in its branches across Australia as well as those studying through online cloud-based computing programs. As a result, the expected capacity of students is not met (McGee, 2013). Regarding this, the 2018 marketing plan will include subsidized amount of fees to the students so as to compete out the mushrooming colleges in Australia.

Academic Programs for Domestic and International Students

Place

Deakin University operates in five different locations in Australia where it offers high-quality education to both the local and global students. The 2018 marketing plan seeks to inform worldwide students that the institution would teach them from all corners of the world through Skype (Marginson, 2015).

Promotion

Currently, Deakin University is highly aggressive when it comes to promoting its educational services to the students. In 2018 marketing plan, the promotional strategies to get used will include banners, pamphlets, newspaper advertisement, billboards, the university website, and hoardings (McGee, 2013). Further, the school's students will be encouraged to use word of mouth in reaching their colleagues.

Michael, (2014) on Porter's five forces of competition, the management of Deakin University would design competitive strategies for the success of 2018 marketing plan in the market as shown below:

Competition level in the industry

Deakin University operates in the education sector. The fact that there are many competitors in Australia, the 2018 market plan for Deakin will be SMART and provide subsidy fees to the students to withstand the competitive pressures posed by the rivals (Hörnle, 2002). There is no monopoly power in the education sector, and this competitor marketing strategy must be considered within the course of 2018 to make the right adjustments.

Potential of new entrants

There are mushrooming universities in the Australian education sector. The increased potential of new entrants to win more market poses a competitive pressure to Deakin’s marketing techniques (Dominici, 2009. The 2018 marketing plan would indicate that the institution will offer valuable distance learning at an affordable cost.

Power of suppliers

To deliver quality education services, new courses, and research facilities to the students in 2018, the university will depend on three reliable suppliers for the requires tools and equipment necessary for the marketing plan success (David Strang, 2012). As a result, the supplier with the lowest bidding price will always be chosen for budget matters.

Power of customers

The targeted market for students is the ultimate determinant of the university’s marketing plan success. This necessitates the recruitment of skilled, knowledgeable, and talented marketers who would convince and persuade the target market to a great numbers (Brandi & William, 2013). The larger the market size, the greater the power an institution has over the targeted students.

Threat of substitute products

The existence of numerous universities in Australia offering the same products brands and services has been a threat to Deakin’s progress. Therefore, the 2018 marketing plan would allocate sufficient resources in its academic year budget to fund a variety of new courses offered by other firms and not provided for by the University (Adam & Alison, 2016).

Date	Activity	Description of media and budget allocation
March 2018	Creation of strategic marketing planning team	The 2018 marketing plan team will be composed of 50 faculty, staff, and students. Their mandate will be an innovation of excellent marketing and promotional designs for the university's brands. Budget allocated is $ 40, 000
May 2018	Environmental scanning	Based on the SWOT, PEST, and competitor analysis of Deakin, the 50 group team will analyze the market factors adequately. The allocated media budget is $30,000
July 2018	Intensive promotional market campaign programs	The marketing plan team will get subdivided into five groups, ten members each and each respective group allocated a role. The budget allocated is $1,145,500
September 2018	Admission and enrollment processes	The actual admission and enrollment of the students will get undertaken. Records will get stored with respect to the number of students registered from the promotional campaign impact. Budget allocated is $430,000
November 2018	Completion and review of the marketing planning outcomes	The use of online questionnaires will get administered by the university to the enrolled students in September. Student’s responses will assist in the final review of the 2018 marketing plan at the year end for future planning. Media budget allocated is $18,000

Expected Outcomes and Conclusion

The encouragement of practical teaching for the engineering students other than theoretical lessons is expected to increase the number of international students enrolling in the university. Further, the adjustment of the currently undervalued distance learning through Skype, e-learning, and digital learning would make the targeted market value the online cloud studies offered by the University. The decision to teach all lessons using English, French and German languages would make worldwide students consider the University as the best in valuing cultural diversity and hence raise the number of international students. The provision of research facilities in the form of post-modern libraries is expected to improve the current university's ranking from 7th domestically to top three by the end of 2018. The provision of 100 percent placement and quick responses to student’s needs would is projected to raise the career path of Deakin. Fees reduction initiative as a marketing strategy for 2018 would is expected to reduce competitive pressures the university is currently experiencing from the mushrooming universities in the country.

In conclusion, marketing planning plays a significant role to the success of institutional goals. Universities operate in a competitive education industry environment. An excellent marketing plan must be designed in close reference to modern technology where creativity and innovativeness are necessitated. The provision of quality online cloud studies, e-learning, digital learning, and strategic alliances organizations creates about product and service differentiation for a university. Therefore, Deakin University should design a marketing plan to guide its academic year's operations, encourage research activities, and meet the budget allocations in the most appropriate manner. 

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