Saint Martin University

Extended Learning Division

Marketing Plan

Cedrick J. Aquino

Bernard Aquila

BA 330 Principles of Marketing

Professor Leon Chickering

July 14, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About Extended Learning Division2Marketing Objectives2Current Marketing Issues and Strategies3Marketing Mix: The Five Ps3SWOT Analysis4Strengths4Weaknesses5Opportunities6Threats8ELD Pricing Model11JBLM Campus11Competitor Pricing Models12University of Washington12Brandman University12Pacific Lutheran University13Promotion Strategies14Advertising Methods and Social Media14Direct Marketing15Personal Promotion16Trade Promotion17Closing Remarks17Works Cited19

About Extended Learning Division

Saint Martin's University Extended Learning Division (ELD) at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM) offers undergraduate and graduate courses. ELD primarily serves the benefit of Armed Forces personnel and the military community. ELD is committed to providing life-long learning opportunities to non-traditional students in the local communities. Applications are accepted from military personnel, their dependents, veterans, Department of Defense, and non-military students. Students are admitted during any term. ELD offers accelerated academic programs, using semester hours as a basis. Terms are eight weeks long. Majority of the ELD learners are transfer students from the community colleges. Most professors are Adjuncts with the necessary job experience to meet students’ requirements to learn better. Furthermore, ELD staff provides strong customer service to its valued students.

Marketing Objectives

The following are the ELD’s marketing objectives:

· To increase the public awareness of the ELD’s existence

· To educate target markets about the ELD’s products and services

· To entice more prospective undergraduate and graduate students who are residents in the Washington state

· To increase the number of undergraduate and graduate programs in the near future

· To reach out to other untapped markets within the state and beyond

· To keep providing top quality education to non-traditional students

Current Marketing Issues and Strategies

· ELD only advertises on their website and owns a social media account on Facebook. The Facebook page is located at https://www.facebook.com/SmuEld but with limited number of viewers.

· ELD does not have a separate Marketing Department.

· ELD has no budget for marketing other than communications department of Saint Martin’s University.

· ELD’s office building is difficult to find locate on McChord.

· ELD does not have its own admissions and marketing departments. Students are expected to find them on their own.

· ELD offers no scholarship programs and has limited on internships or work studies availability.

Marketing Mix: The Five Ps

Product: ELD offers undergraduate and graduate courses, Students who enroll at JBLM are usually 25 years old or above.

Price: Compare to their other competitors, ELD products (tuition costs) is higher priced.

Promotion: ELD uses traditional media to attract potential customers at JBLM campus. The ELD does its advertising predominantly through the World Wide Web. The ELD employs the “One-to-Many” communication model where the ELD acts as the single marketer and then sends its ad messages to many potential customers online. Due to no budget predicament for marketing, ELD has no other way to advertising its products and services to the public other than connecting them through their very own website. The ELD traditional advertisement is located at http://www.stmartin.edu/ExtendedLearning/

In addition, ELD possesses new social media account on Facebook. It provides latest information and upcoming events to its subscribers.

Place: ELD campus is on Joint Base Lewis McChord. It is located at 851 Lincoln Blvd, McChord Air Force Base, Washington 98438. ELD regularly covers the following geographic location from the Everett to all the way down to Centralia area and elsewhere.

People: The primary target markets for the SMU’s Extended Learning Division (ELD) are the non-traditional students who reside around the western part of Washington State. The non-tradition students are the busy working class adults (civilians), veterans, retirees, active service members, and their dependents.

SWOT Analysis

Target Market: Non-traditional students

Strengths

1. JBLM campus offers innovative learning experience with different ways (face to face, online, and hybrid courses) to learn from.

2. Extended Learning Division (ELD) provides perfect opportunity and convenience for working class adults (civilians, active duty members, and veterans) to attain their degrees by offering night and online classes.

3. ELD employs highly qualified professors and supportive staff members.

4. Ideal classroom size for students. Students will be able to learn better without interruptions (no crowded classrooms) and have suitable time to interact with the professors in the classroom.

5. Semesters are only eight-week long. Students will only need to take 2 classes to be considered full-time which equal to 6 credits.

6. Professors’ layout the entire agenda on Moodle (online classroom) at the beginning of the semester. Students can plan ahead and/or work ahead of their classes to fit in their busy working schedule.

7. Students feel more protected due to the constant presence of security surrounding the military base.

Weaknesses

1. JBLM is not opened to the public. The ELD provides restricted access into the base.

2. Going to the JBLM campus provides hassle to students due to heavy traffic during rush hour. Military personnel perform background check on students to get on base. Civilian students may feel intimated by the presence of service members carrying guns, ammunitions, and knives while doing their job.

3. Extended Learning Division has limited capacity on how many students can enroll in a class.

4. JBLM campus offers expensive tuition costs and other mandatory fees.

5. Extended Learning Division does not advertise their services as much as other competitors.

6. Online courses offer limited feedback on corrected assignments. No actual office hours to discuss urgent matters. Students will have to make arrangements to meet with the professors in a convenient location.

7. All on campus classes are only offered at night and on the weekend.

Opportunities

1. Lack of alluring impression to set the tone of the institution. Extended Learning Division (ELD) needs to create an attractive advertisement in highly populated areas such as on the side of the freeways, movie theaters, and malls to attract prospective students.

2. Make attending to ELD affordable to military personnel. Military personnel sacrifice their limited time off during their enlistment period. In addition, they risk their lives in the war zones to allow us- valued citizens- to enjoy the reward of having a freedom. The discounted tuition costs and/or offers them scholarships are system to pay back for their courageous and hard efforts in the battlefield.

3. ELD obtains someone who is a known figure in the community or fellow serviceman to endorse Saint Martin University at JBLM campus.

4. Professors should make office hours for their students or allow students to schedule an appointment to meet up with them after class.

5. JBLM military base has an abundant tract of land that can be used and built more learning Infrastructure for the future.

6. Since the JBLM base is heavily guarded and its opened 24 hours, 7 days a week, Extended Learning Division should consider expanding curriculum during the day and afternoon hours. The added class expansion would mean more jobs and accommodate more students at JBLM campus.

7. To ease off traffic congestions on the freeway and military main roads, ELD should encourage student to carpool and in return offer them a modest discount on tuition costs and fees. This will also save students some money and expedite their entrance into JBLM campus.

8. Expand the ELD courses with high in-demand jobs in today’s market like in the medical field. As the human population continues to grow, so are the needs of medical care. Hospitals and clinics will always need to hire registered nurses, doctors, physicians, surgeons, and other medical professions.

9. The other markets that ELD can go after are as follows: high school senior students through running start program, foreign exchange students, international students, and young teenagers who are not affiliated with the military (civilians).

10. Implementing the “unit courses” on other military installations in the Washington state and possibly beyond. This venture would certainly be beneficial for courageous and busy working service members who want to continue pursuing their education at their own pace and on their own convenient time as well.

Threats

1. State of the economic market. Attending ELD is not exactly an affordable learning institution. It an expensive, but worthy investment. However, some future enrollees may feel different otherwise. They may feel the need to save most of income to address other pressing needs such as bills, mortgages, foods, and health care costs. Other factors involve are that affects spending: families level of income, inflation, and job security..

2. Political environment. Having been located and affiliated with the military services, potential students may feel hesitant to enroll at ELD. This may affect their political beliefs if they stand against war. Based on their personal views, potential students might have strong opposition on certain political representatives or party during military events on base.

3. Department of Defense ordered to downsize its military personnel in the active service. This obviously affects the profitability of the Extended Learning Division.

4. There are many other competitors in the marketplace.

· Brandman University is a non-profit regionally accredited private institution that provides educational opportunities for working adults and a virtual campus online. The university offers more than 200 degree, certificate, credential and professional programs in business, arts and sciences, health and education. Prospective students may want to take all the classes needed through online learning environment.

· The Evergreen State College is an accredited public liberal arts college and was formed to be a non-traditional college. It is located in Olympia, Washington. Evergreen faculties issue narrative evaluations of students' work rather than grades. The college is known for “naming your own degree” in the community. This may sound appealing to potential students.

· Liberty University is one of America’s top military-friendly schools and the world’s largest, private, non-profit institution. The Liberty University offers more than 150 fully-accredited program of study. In addition, Liberty offers the lowest tuition rates among top online universities. Liberty students can work on their degree anytime and from anywhere.

· Park University is a non-profit, independent, fully accredited and private post-secondary educational institution that recognizes the enormous contribution military personnel make to society. They have a long history of serving those who have dedicated much of their lives to serving our country. Park offers three choices for our diverse and culturally rich student base, so you can choose whichever option is best for you. Park students can select between online programs, accelerated 8-week programs and a traditional 16-week (semester-based) university experience. Some Park students choose to blend online and face-to-face courses to accommodate their lifestyle needs. In addition, the Park University possesses a Success for Veterans Program that is designed to provide a smooth and comprehensive transition to college for veteran students.

· South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) is typically a two-year college. SPSCC offers similar services (classroom, online, and hybrid courses) as the ELD. In addition, in the near future SPSCC will soon be turning its institution into four-year learning establishment. This could lessen the number of future enrollees at SMU. Furthermore, SPSCC offers a much affordable tuition costs and fees than ELD.

5. ELD possesses insufficient funding for expansion to finance growth and cost related in marketing. Consequently, the efforts of marketing ELD further are limited.

6. The occurrence of crimes against people and property (gang-related incidents burglary cases), linked to JBLM personnel tarnish the image of the ELD. People may feel discourage of enrolling at JBLM campus.

7. U.S. military newspaper known as the Stars and Stripes labeled JBLM as the "most troubled base in the military." Multiple popular news companies produced their own version concerning about the four Lewis-McChord soldiers who have been convicted in connection with the deliberate thrill killings in 2010 of three Afghan civilians. This troubling news deteriorates the reputation of JBLM campus in the society. Students might think JBLM is not a safe learning institution.

ELD Pricing ModelJBLM Campus

Extended Learning Division

Tuition rates

Course level

Student classification

Per Credit

3 Credits

6 Credits

100 - 400

Active duty, eArmy U and family members

$235

$705

$1,410

100 - 400

National Guard/Reservists, spouses, disabled veterans (not voc. rehab)

$235

$705

$1,410

100 - 400

Civilians, retirees, DOD, and all others (see note)

$380

$1,140

$2,280

Note: Two undergraduate courses per eight week term are considered full-time

for veterans' benefits.

Fees: Online and hybrid course registration fee: $30 per course.

Professional fee surcharge (BA, ACC and ECN courses): $40 per credit hour.

(Note: active duty service members are exempt)

Based on the pricing model table (above), the ELD charges their students at a higher tuition rate to students who are civilians, retirees, DOD employees and all others if they don’t meet the one of the first two classifications. If students are affiliated with the military directly (active duty and family members) and indirectly (reservists and disabled veterans), students get a friendlier tuition rate. ELD offers a slight incentive toward active duty service members who do not have to pay the professional fee surcharge when they are taking business, accounting, and economic classes. This minor incentive allows ELD to entice active military members (customers) as a method to build goodwill and create a strong bond among service members. ELD needs to offer more discount deals to those who have honorably served this country (active members, reservists, wounded/disabled veterans, retirees).

Competitor Pricing Models University of Washington

Annual Student Budget for Washington Residents 2013-14Tuition for 2013-14 has not been established; thus, the student budget is presented as an estimate. The final student budget will be available in July, once the UW Board of Regents sets tuition.

 

Lives Away from Home

Lives With Parents

Non- Traditional

Tuition & Fees estimated

$12,950

$12,950

$12,950

Room & Board

$10,752

$3,402

$14,076

Books & Supplies

$1,206

$1,206

$1,206

Personal Expenses

$2,265

$2,265

$2,265

Transportation

$414

$414

$1,296

Total estimated

$27,587

$20,237

$31,793

Annual Student Budget for Nonresidents 2013-14Tuition for 2013-14 has not been established; thus, the student budget is presented as an estimate. The final student budget will be available in July, once the UW Board of Regents sets tuition.

 

Lives Away from Home

Lives With Parents

Non- Traditional

Tuition & Fees estimated

$31,960

$31,960

$31,960

Room & Board

$10,752

$3,402

$14,076

Books & Supplies

$1,206

$1,206

$1,206

Personal Expenses

$2,265

$2,265

$2,265

Transportation

$414

$414

$1,296

Total estimated

$46,597

$39,247

$50,803

Notes: Figures presented here are for full-time enrollment, that is, 10-18 credits per quarter. For financial aid eligibility, full-time is defined as 12 or more credits.

Brandman University

2013-2014 Tuition and Fees

Degree

Student

Active Military & Spouses

Audit Only

Associates Degree

$360

$250

$180

Bachelor’s Degree

$500

$250

$250

Graduate Degree

$600

$350 - $440

$300

Ed.D Doctorate

$875

$875

$440

Nursing Doctorate

$1,000

$1,000

$500

Note: All fees are per credit hour.

Other Mandatory Fees

Education Live Text Fee

$100

One-Time

English 103 Writing Assessment Fee

$25

Per Course

English 104 Writing Assessment Fee

$25

Per Course

Lab and Materials Fees

Varies

Per Course

Nursing Clearance Fee (non-refundable)

$120

One-Time

Nursing Live Text Fee

$100

One-Time

Nursing Specialization Clinical Fee

$1,800

One-Time

Nursing Specialization Clinical Fee (Post-Doctoral)

$800

One-Time

Technology Fee

$40

Per Session

Pacific Lutheran University

Semester/Term

Semester Hours

Full Time Status

Cost

Summer 2012

1 or more

-

$570 per semester hour, unless otherwise noted

Fall or Spring

1 to 11

No

$1,030 per semester hour

Fall or Spring

12 to 17

Yes

$16,400 per semester

Fall or Spring

More than 17

Yes

$16,400 per semester, plus $1,030 per semester hour for each semester hour over 17

J-Term

1 to 5

-

If registered as a full time student for Fall or Spring, one to five semester hours are at no additional charge. Semester hours over five are charged at $1,030 per extra semester hour.

Credit by Examination Fee and Tuition

Credit by Examination Fee and Tuition: Students are charged tuition (at the per semester hour tuition rate) for any credit by exam registration in addition to the fees listed below. Contact the Student Services office for information on registration and charges.

1

-

$300

2

-

$500

3

-

$700

4

-

$900

To be considered competitive pricing, the tuition costs among other colleges including ELD must be relatively close to each other. Compared to other competitors (colleges), the ELD does offer competitive pricing. Overall the ELD has beaten all three of these competitors. Clearly the ELD is the direct threat in the competition. This might be why the ELD does not promote as much as the other schools, because they are priced below their competition and that is an incentive/discount within itself.

Promotion Strategies

The ELD needs to establish its own identity. It must separate itself from the shadow of the Main Campus and focus more on the Extended Learning Division as its own entity. For example, the ELD formulates with its own core values: Honor, Courage, and Commitment along with a nifty slogan: “Chance to Finish” or “Chance to Achieve” to summarize what the university’s philosophies. This would be done by adding a marketing team within the ELD. This team would work on all aspects of making the ELD stands out on its own. This would then entail things like: advertising methods, social media, direct marketing, personal promotion, and trade promotion.

The following are our proposed solutions to the ongoing marketing issue:

1. Advertising Methods and Social Media: Extended Learning Division will play its own innovative commercial during the prime time hours on popular television channels. Utilizing TV network is most effective method to reach through a massive audience. Since the target markets are the non-traditional students who are at least 25 years old, it would be better to play the ELD’s ad late afternoon to night hours. Majority of the target markets will be busy working throughout the day. It would be the ideal time to play ELD’s ad when the working-class adults are at home while there are relaxing and watching their favorite TV shows or sports. This will certainly bring a much needed public attention to the ELD’s program. According to TV guide source, the America’s top five most watched TV channels are: CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and AMC. These popular networks are the most efficient method of getting through to the prospective students (adults). In addition to television ad, ELD would also be implementing the out-of-home media strategy. This is decent method of supplementing the television ad method. Placing an attractive billboard and posters on heavy traffic areas would certainly help the ELD’s cause for public exposure and awareness. These busy areas are places like the malls, freeways, and movie theatres.

Adding social media as the other portal for advertising would get consumers talking about the ELD. Having someone dedicated (qualified employee) to maintain ELD’s own websites to keep things connected within the community other than Facebook and Twitter. There are other popular social sites like LinkedIn and Instagram. Having an Instagram displaying pictures of realistic people attending classes would connect to the consumers on a personal level. Instagram has also become a large place to shop, like Amazon. Advertising school rates with hash tags with discount codes of school merchandise or books, contests with prizes like t-shirts that only can be won by people who is following the ELD.

2. Direct Marketing: One of the reasons South Puget Sound is so successful might be because they advertise at the movies theaters. The ELD would tap into that huge market, but advertising during the opening previews in the movies. Then tying that into consumer sales and even setting up a stand outside the movies to ask for opinions and ideas on the commercial. Get consumers talking; even have a wheel they can spin where they can win a key chain, a water bottle with the ELD’s website and/or contact information that they would keep. This would solve the direct marketing as well. The best direct marketing strategies today that will positively attract prospective consumers to respond are the direct-response advertising and M-commerce. Utilizing the direct-response advertising using the internet can quite successful in attaining valuable feedbacks from the consumers. In addition, it would less invasive to them as well. M-commerce refers to the promotional and other e-commerce activities transmitted over mobile phones and other mobile devices such as smartphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) (426). Consumers today are heavily reliant on mobile technology to perform important duties. By making it convenient for the consumers to respond through a short survey would increase the likelihood of having a valuable response. ELD would accumulate the much needed data easier than before.

3. Personal Promotion: The way personal selling would be implemented is having a section on the website where you can anonymously chat with a student or customer service representative where they can ask questions. When people think they are anonymous they tend to ask all the little questions that they wouldn’t normally ask. Personal selling strategy is an effective way to convince consumers to enroll at JBLM. I envision personal selling as income generator if the salespersons are trained well. However, the sales personnel must fully understand the target markets (audience) desired appeals to get their undivided attention. The ELD must utilize the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as guidance to achieve success. CRM is a program that involves systematically tracking customers’ preference and behavior over time in order to tailor the value proposition as closely as possible to each individual’s unique wants and needs (204). CRM is a communication tool that allows businesses to connect with customers or consumers. It specifically targets the essentials of what people are looking for in a business environment. CRM program pinpoints what the potentials customers are yearning to learn from (particular courses and services). This CRM program will help build a bond between the seller (ELD’s sales person) and the consumer.

4. Trade Promotion: Trade promotions are designed as discounts and deals. It is also designed to increase industry visibility (420). ELD needs to offer more discount deals (modest tuition discount) to those who have honorably served this country (active members, reservists, wounded/disabled veterans, retirees). Another idea of expanding the target market on civilians’ enrollees at ELD is putting a special multi-family member’s discount. To ease the hassle of high tuition payments, I think the ELD should offer flexible and affordable monthly payments. Let’s face it! Not many people in the market today have the financial resources to pay off the expensive tuition in a lump-sum amount. This will certainly appeal to the potential customers who do not possess the financial resources to finance their education. In addition, this idea makes the ELD’s much more competitive in the marketplace and attractive learning institution.

Closing Remarks

ELD’s public image can be enhanced by implementing these given promotional strategies. These important plans serve as the stepping stones to break through the tough economic market and be able to meet the marketing objectives. They are proven and effective tools of achieving overall success of the university. The ELD has the potential to be an even greater learning environment to the Saint Martin’s University if given the much needed attention.

Before going through with the tactical strategies, ELD needs to possess a substantial marketing budget.

Works Cited

Brandman University. "Brandman University | Non-profit Accredited University Degree Programs in California & Washington." Brandman University | Non-profit Accredited University Degree Programs in California & Washington. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.

The Evergreen State College. The Evergreen State College - a public, liberal arts & sciences college in the Pacific Northwest. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2013.

Extended Learning Division. "Online degree programs - Washington State - Extended Learning campuses - Saint Martin's University." Saint Martin's University. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 June 2013.

Facebook. "SMU ELD." Extended Learning Division, Web. 22 June 2013.

Liberty Online Military. "Liberty Online Military." Liberty Online Military. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2013.

Park University. "Future Students." Park University. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 June 2013.

Pierce College. Pierce College. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 June 2013.

Seattle Times. "Local News | Q&A: Is JBLM really military's 'most troubled' post? | Seattle Times Newspaper." The Seattle Times. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2013.

Solomon, Michael R, Greg W. Marshall, and Elnora W. Stuart. Marketing: Real People, Real Choices. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.

South Puget Sound Community College. "Tuition Costs." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 June 2013.

Washington Post. "Afghanistan shooting suspect came from Lewis-McChord, ‘most troubled base in the military’ - WorldViews - The Washington Post." Washington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2013.

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