Peter Reader, Director of Marketing and Communications

University of Bath

Marketing Man takes his tie off: Customers, Communities and

Communication

Customers, Communities and Communication

What are we trying to address?

What do our customers actually want?

What are the problems and tensions?

What options are available?

So how can we meet this challenge?

Questions and answers, maybe

Customers, Communities and Communication

Marketing is human activity directed at

satisfying needs and wants through the

exchange process’

Kotler

Customers, Communities and Communication

Public relations is the planned and

sustained development of mutual

understanding between an organisation

and its publics.

Institute of Public Relations

Customers, Communities and Communication

What are we trying to address?

Positioning of universities

Developing our markets

Communicating our messages

Providing market intelligence

and much more…..

Customers, Communities and Communication

Who are our customers ?

Students

Prospective students

Staff

Government and funding bodies

and a million other stakeholders…...

Customers, Communities and Communication

What are the problems and tensions?

So whose web is it?

Who agrees priorities?

Which audience takes priority?

How do we measure success?

and what about social media…..

Customers, Communities and Communication

Most academics use language for which they should be hanged.

But journalists have to use cheap, crass, simple language of the people.’

Tim Radford, former Science Editor,

The Guardian

Customers, Communities and Communication

What are the options and challenges?

Word of mouth is still the holy grail

Rapid growth of social media

User generated content and citizen journalism

Huge challenges to institutional risk

and what is coming next……

Customers, Communities and Communication

Comment is free, but facts are sacred.

C.P.Scott

Peter Reader, Director of Marketing and Communications

University of Bath

Marketing Man takes his tie off: Customers, Communities and

Communication