Assessing the Marketing Communication Plan for student recruitment at the North-West University HJ Degenaar orcid.org/0000-0001-7569-2660 Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Communication Studies at the North-West University Supervisor: Dr L Holtzhausen Graduation May 2018 Student number: 10069038 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To all the people who, through their support and encouragement, helped to ensure the completion of this study, thank you. In particular, I would like to mention the following people who proved to be invaluable to me throughout the study: My supervisor, Dr Lida Holtzhausen, for the time spent with me, offering insights, guidance and most of all encouragement and motivation throughout the research process. Thank you for understanding my situation. My family, especially my wife Anette and two children, Anja and Phillip, who supported and believed in me and encouraged me to complete the study. Prof Suria Ellis from Statistical Consultation Services at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus for her guidance and assistance in analysing the results from the quantitative questionnaire. Mrs Cecilia van der Walt for language editing my dissertation and for the advice given. Mrs Elsa Esterhuizen for the quality control of the bibliography. My Heavenly Father who gave me strength. i ABSTRACT The competition for quality students has become a marketing challenge for universities which has led to the implementation of different student recruitment practices. Fierce competition between Higher Education Institutions in South Africa, increased government pressure to transform and declining government subsidies have forced Universities to increase the number of students as a means of increasing their income. The merger of the University of the North West and the Potchefstroom University into the NWU in 2004 resulted in the systematic growth into a diverse multi-campus university which may have an effect on how the Marketing and Recruitment Departments at the three campuses of the NWU approach student recruitment. Some research has been conducted in the fields of student recruitment marketing (Drori et al., 2013; Maringe, 2006), relationship marketing (Beneke & Human, 2010; Mowery & Sampat, 2005), branding of universities and reputation management (Beneke, 2011; Ivy, 2001; Waeraas & Solbakk, 2008). Similarities may occur regarding the content of the literature in the above- mentioned studies, but the study is unique in its focus on the North-West University’s marketing communication plan for prospective students, especially in the context of a multi-campus institution of higher education. The primary purpose of this study is to assess what the marketing communication plan for student recruitment at NWU should entail. This was instituted through a mixed-method research approach, namely qualitative research and quantitative research. Firstly, semi-structured interviews were conducted to establish which marketing communication plan was applied by the Directors at the three campuses of NWU with regard to student recruitment. Secondly, an electronic questionnaire was completed by prospective students at all three campuses of NWU to establish what their perceptions are of the marketing communication plan applied by the three campuses of NWU. This research attempts to provide guidelines towards a marketing communication plan for NWU for prospective student recruitment. The findings indicated that a marketing communication plan is being utilized by NWU which includes the marketing communication mix and elements in the recruitment of students. Although present to a certain degree at all three campuses, it is the most visible and measurable on the Potchefstroom campus. The new strategy of a unitary approach that was implemented on 1 July 2017 by NWU resulted in the establishment of one Marketing and Student Recruitment department which will largely address recruitment for all three campuses. It is increasingly evident that new technological innovations and advances, especially in the field of digital media marketing which mostly includes websites and social media and direct contact ii and database marketing, will be a critical component in any marketing communication plan. The research clearly illustrated that direct contact and database marketing is very much preferred by the campus directors and prospective students as a marketing communication tool. It will thus be to the benefit of NWU to develop and implement a database and data-driven computerised marketing system by using artificial intelligence to curate and create marketing content and personalize messages to connect with and understand the target audience. KEY TERMS Higher education, integrated marketing communication, marketing, marketing communication, positioning, recruitment strategy, relationship marketing, segmentation, social media, student recruitment iii OPSOMMING Die werwing van studente in die hoëronderwyssektor het toenemend mededingend geword en hedendaagse universiteite het verskillende bemarkingstrategieë geïmplementeer in hul werwingsveldtogte ten opsigte van die kommunikasie met en bestuur van verhoudings met belanghebbendes. Hierdie verhoogde kompetisie vir aansoeke is 'n bemarkingsuitdaging vir universiteite wat gelei het tot die implementering van verskillende studentewerwingspraktyke. Die samesmelting van die Universiteit van Noordwes en die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys tot die Noordwes-Universiteit in 2004 het gelei tot die sistematiese groei in 'n diverse multikampusuniversiteit wat 'n effek kan hê op die benadering van die Bemarking- en Studentewerwingsdepartemente op die drie kampusse van die NWU met betrekking tot studentewerwing. Navorsing is gedoen op die gebied van studentewerwing (Drori et al., 2013; Maringe, 2006), verhoudingsbemarking (Beneke & Human, 2010; Mowery & Sampat, 2005); handelsmerkvestiging van universiteite en reputasiebestuur (Beneke, 2011; Ivy, 2001; Waeraas & Solbakk, 2008). Ooreenkomste kan met betrekking tot die inhoud van die literatuur in bogenoemde studies voorkom, maar die studie is uniek deurdat dit fokus op die Noordwes- Universiteit se bemarkingskommunikasie-plan vir voornemende studente, veral in die konteks van 'n multikampusuniversiteit. Die primêre doel van hierdie studie is om te bepaal wat die bemarkingskommunikasie-plan vir studentewerwing by die Noordwes-Universiteit moet behels. Dit is uitgevoer deur ’n gemengde navorsingsbenadering te volg naamlik kwalitatiewe navorsing en kwantitatiewe navorsing. Eerstens is semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gevoer om vas te stel watter bemarkingskommunikasie-plan deur die Direkteure op die drie kampusse van NWU toegepas is vir studente-werwing. Tweedens is 'n elektroniese vraelys deur voornemende studente op al drie die kampusse van die NWU voltooi om vas te stel wat hulle persepsies van die bemarkingskommunikasie-plan is wat deur die drie kampusse van die NWU toegepas word. Hierdie navorsing poog om riglyne te verskaf vir 'n bemarkingskommunikasie-plan vir die NWU met die oog op die werwing van voornemende studente. Die bevindings het aangedui dat 'n bemarkingskommunikasie-plan deur die NWU aangewend word, wat die bemarkingskommunikasie-mengsel en elemente in die werwing van studente insluit. Alhoewel dit op al drie kampusse in 'n sekere mate teenwoordig is, is dit meer sigbaar en meetbaar op die Potchefstroomkampus. Die nuwe unitêre benadering wat op 1 Julie 2017 deur die NWU geïmplementeer is, het gelei tot die oprigting van een Bemarking- en Studentewerwingsdepartement wat studentewerwing op al drie kampusse sal ondervang. iv Dit word toenemend duidelik dat die ontwikkeling van nuwe tegnologiese innovasies, veral op die gebied van digitalemedia-bemarking, wat webwerwe en sosiale media en direkte kontak en databasisbemarking insluit, 'n kritieke komponent in enige bemarkingskommunikasie-plan sal uitmaak. Die navorsing het duidelik geïllustreer dat direkte kontak- en databasisbemarking voorkeur geniet by die kampusdirekteure en voornemende studente as 'n bemarkingskommunikasie-instrument. Dit sal dus tot voordeel van NWU strek om 'n databasis en datagedrewe gerekenariseerde bemarkingstelsel te ontwikkel en te implementeer deur kunsmatige intelligensie te gebruik om die boodskap meer persoonlik te maak en die teikengehoor te verstaan. SLEUTELTERME Bemarking, bemarkingskommunikasie, geïntegreerde bemarkingskommunikasie, hoër onderwys, posisionering, segmentering, sosiale media, studentewerwing, verhoudingsbemarking, werwingstrategie v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... I ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................. II OPSOMMING .......................................................................................................................... IV CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION, CONTEXT AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................ 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.2 INSTITUTIONAL CONTEXT OF NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY.......................... 4 1.3 ORIENTATION AND PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................. 7 1.4 SPECIFIC RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................ 8 1.5 SPECIFIC RESEARCH AIMS ...........................................................................