Strategic Marketing Plan

Purpose

• The purpose of the strategic marketing plan (and planning process) is to develop a coordinated and effective approach for marketing IST for our five “product” areas:– Resident undergraduate instruction/degrees– On-line undergraduate degrees– Resident graduate degrees– On-line professional degrees and certificates– Research

Marketing Plan Outline1. Executive Summary2. Background and Related Activities3. Challenges and Issues4. Service Portfolio5. Situation Analysis

5.1 SWOT Analysis5.2 Customer Analysis5.3 Competitor Analysis5.4 SEO Analysis5.5 Branding Analysis5.6 Collaborators and Partners

 6. Market Segmentation7. Alternative Marketing Strategies8. Selected Marketing Strategies9. Conclusion

Related Activities

• University marketing research– Conducted by PSU Dept. of University Marketing– Conduct of surveys, focus groups and analysis (especially related to impact of

Sandusky scandal and aftermath)– Branding and positioning utilizing PulsePoint Group – Web redesign (the Polaris Project) supported by Phase2 Technologies

• IST Branding and positioning– Effort supported and led by Jordan Rednor to investigate the IST brand and

develop concepts for improving the IST brand

• IST On-going marketing efforts– Focus on undergraduate recruiting– Utilization of social media, new web presence for perspective students, etc.

Challenge

Service Portfolio & Customers

Service Portfolio– B.S. in Information

Sciences & Technology– B.S. in Security and

Risk Analysis– B.A. in Information

Sciences & Technology– Minor in IST

Potential Customers– High school students within

PA and North East– Existing Penn Sate students

with undeclared major (DUS)– Penn State students at other

campuses seeking relocation to UP

– Foreign national students

SWOT Analysis

• Strengths– Penn State Brand and Alumni Association– Placement rates, starting salaries – Student experiences (clubs, in-class projects, internships, problem-based learning)– On-line program– Faculty experiences and research

• Weaknesses– Cost (high tuition, lack of scholarships)– Confusion of “core identity”– Lack of national rankings– Discoverability– “Shotgun” recruiting– Penn State rigidity in acceptance of credit/life skills

SWOT Analysis continued

• Opportunities– Employers seeking our products (adaptable, people, skills, scope)– Emerging applications: big data, bio informatics, crowd sourcing, EA– Underserved Information Science options in Northeast– Adult learners and returning Veterans– Collaboration with other Colleges (especially Smeal)

• Threats– Competition within Penn State– Entry of other i-Schools in undergraduate programs– Decreasing demographics in Northeast– On-line MOOCs and for-profit universities– Continued erosion of state support– Devaluing of traditional college education

Customer Analysis

Where IST students come from

Factors Affecting Choice of IST

Based on Survey results our recruiting emphasis should focus on career opportunities, placement and showcasing of successful graduates

Competitor Analysis• Primary competition to IST are members of

the iSchools, especially in the North East– Carnegie Mellon University: School of Information Systems and Management– Drexel University: College of Information Science and Technology– Rutgers, School of Communications and Information– Syracuse University: School of Information Studies– University of Maryland: College of Information Studies– University of Pittsburgh: School of Information Sciences

• Comments– Penn State has competitive costs (but very limited discounts/scholarships)– Penn State IST unranked due to lack of library science curriculum– Penn State IST is unique in SRA offering

SEO Optimization

• Wikipedia• College Search Tools• Rankings• General web search

Market segmentation• High School Students in PA

– 900 K HS students

• High School Students in surrounding states

– 1.3 M in New York– 800 K in Ohio– 600 K in New Jersey– 400 K in Maryland

• Division of Undergraduate Studies (DUS) students

– 3000 UP students

• Change of major students– Engineering/Smeal students

• OCONUS students– 6000 Undergrad PSU students

Alternate Marketing Strategies

Emerging Actions

• Organizational changes– Revamp Undergrad Office– Add full-time support for recruiting– Improve DUS relations and knowledge– Increased attention/monitoring

• Procedural changes– Review/revised admission filters– Ease transition to change of majors– Remove fee for IST minor– CRS system

• New Curriculum– New web design & development

course– New “mini-MOOC” service courses– Entrepreneurship minor

• Marketing and Outreach– General IST strategic marketing plan– Enhanced and new marketing

components– New events– Startup Week 2.0– New Social Media Activities

• 2017 Facebook group• Dean’s blog• Enhanced presence in social media• Wikipedia enhancement

Continued Analysis and Actions

• Define the product• Characterize the audience• Define and refine the

message• Develop and test new

materials and media• Evaluate and refine

Potential IST students

Questions?