AusTop Marketing Strategy for Education Providers
1. Planning for success
New emerging middle classes and education globalization have been stimulating a continuing high demand for students in China to study overseas, According to the latest statistics published by the World Economic Outlook in Oct 2008, China is one of most significant contributors among this over 15 million overseas education industry. However, the competitions among the international education providers are dramatically increased at the same time. The huge demands from Chinese market have been attracting more and more education providers from countries such as the USA, Australia, Canada, UK and Ireland. Further competition has been accelerated by a growing number of international programs based on non-English-speaking countries, which can often offer attractive alternatives to the traditional overseas study plans.
Australian higher education institutions that are willing to recruit overseas students, particularly those from Chinese market, are encountered the same challenges as any other exporting companies: How could we bring what we are offering to the attention of those potential buyers?
This is the market that AusTop Education is targeting.
As one of the emerging market player and within three years establishment, AusTop Education has helped over 300 international students accessed the tailored education pathways that meet their needs effectively. We are actively working on the solutions for the recruitment of Australia education providers. In addition, our consistent interaction and strong relationships with many Chinese education providers are critical marketing channels, which we believe can help the institutions we are representing to implement their marketing strategy directly and achieve their recruitment goals effectively.
We are focusing on the development of integrated services package for students including immigration advice and services, career skill training and international project services for education institutions in both China and Australia.
Responsible services
We believe professional services not just stands for competency but also means honesty. AusTop Education applies the professional services standards to our partners for the way we deliver the information.?
Sustainable development
Our mission is not only providing the most effective marketing and promotion for the institutions we are representing, but also focusing on every steps the students will experience during their study period and providing effective feedbacks to our partners for better cooperation and more mutual development.
AusTop Career Solutions focuses on organizing relevant skills training and work opportunities to our students through internship or vocational work placement programs that we will jointly deliver with other organizations who are sharing our values to empower individuals and build supportive environments for students stepping into their career paths.
2. Market Segmentations
AusTop Education was established in Sydney and targeted Australian on-shore international students from high school, VET to higher education systems. Accompanied with the ever increased onshore market shares, we are continuously making strategic investment into offshore Chinese market and have been establishing strategic partnerships with Chinese education providers.?
Figure 8.1: segmentation of AusTop client base (2006-2009)
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Segmentations
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On-shore
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Off-shore
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total
|
|
Junior English Programmes
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3%
|
1.50%
|
4.5%
|
|
ELICOS
|
20%
|
7%
|
27%
|
|
Senior High Schools
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15%
|
2%
|
17%
|
|
VET
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25%
|
11.50%
|
36.5%
|
|
Higher Education ( Bachelor)
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5%
|
5%
|
10%
|
|
Higher Education ( Postgraduate)
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2%
|
3%
|
5%
|
|
Total
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70%
|
30%
|
100%
|
3. Marketing campaigns
AusTop Education provides innovative marketing channels for the institutions we are representing to deliver the latest courses information to the target clients directly.
1. Publications
We have been producing Austop Education Magazine with the most attractive courses and programs delivered by our partners to the current and prospective students who have subscribed with us. This is one of the most popular promotion activities according to our online survey conducted in July 2009 among over 700 international students.
2. Events Marketing
AusTop Education has organized series of seminars, workshops, drop-in consultations as well as entertaining activities for the current and prospective students in order to provide the most effective communication platform for our institutional partners and prospective students.
2008: AusTop Education organized Students to support Olympic Game Beijing 2008 in Canberra
2009: AusTop Education hosted future career development seminar for international students in Sydney Wesley Conference Centre on 21/04/2009 that attracted over 400 international students to participate in.
Up-coming workshops/seminars:
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Activities
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Locations
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Dates
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Seminar ( For Year 11 & 12 students )
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CBD, Sydney (TBA)
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Sep, 2009 ( TBA)
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Free consultation Workshop
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AusTop Sydney Office
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1pm-6pm, Every Friday
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China main Cities Road shows
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Bei Jing, Shang Dong, Chang Sha,
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Nov 2009- Feb 2010
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Seminar ( For onshore High school& VET international students)
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CBD, Sydney ( TBA)
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Feb- Mar 2010 (TBA)
Aug-Sep 2010 (TBA)
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3. E-marketing
Besides the information provided on the AusTop Education website, we also frequently use online consultation forum, E-magazine, newsletters and direct advertisements on other local websites and newspaper, to enhance our promotion channels for our partners.
We have established long-term business relationship with local media companies such as Australia New Express, 6park.com, Ozchinese.com and Australian Chinese Newsweekly. AusTop Education is increasing the access to the target customers with focused information delivery.
4. Relationship management
We realised that relationship management is the key element that lead to satisfactory education consultation services for students, as well as the promotion services for our partners. Education is a life-long journey, keeping the current clients satisfied is also adding value to our future businesses. By using our student database management system and online discussion forum, we are continuously communicating with previous students who have been serviced by AusTop, and keep them updated with further development opportunities and any upcoming events organised by our education partners.
To create high quality of service and build an image of being credible and honest, AusTop Education has developed client’s feedback management system (CFMS) for both our students and partners. We believe, CFMS can direct us to provide the right services expected by our partners and students and help us adjust our future plan and management effectively.