How not to promote a University

Brand communication is everything for a Uni, it's how they speak to potential new students. Drake University's ad campaign featued a D+, which was meant to symbolise it would be Drake plus a student and what happens when they get together. Instead...comes across like the university is barely above a failure.

"Drake University's Ad Campaign Gets Big D." AdFreak. Accessed on Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/2010/09/drake-universitys-ad-campaign-gets-big-d.html

Fees

With tuition fees set to rise starting 2012, going up to £6000 and above, part time courses offered at the Open University will be a lot more appealing to the price conscious. With that said, the Open University will be effected by the tuition fee rise but it is unclear at the moment at just how much that will be. For now at least, the tuiton fees for 2011/2012 are:

Full-time study
	Qualifications	Fees (£)
Home and EU	MRes/MPhil/PhD	3,493
Overseas (Arts)	MRes/MPhil/PhD	9,279
Overseas (Science)	MRes/MPhil/PhD	12,054

Part-time study
	Qualifications	Fees (£)
Home and EU	MPhil/PhD	1,700
	EdD	2,643
Overseas	MPhil/PhD	4,430
	EdD	3,386

PhD by Published Work and Higher Doctorates (see the Phd pages for more information)
		Fees (£)
Home and EU	PhD by published work/DSC/DLitt	1,700
Overseas	PhD by published work/DSC/DLitt	4,430
Examination Fee	PhD by published work/DSC/DLitt	1,082

A possible angle for the marketting campaign could have been based on price point but if the Open University hasn't yet outlined how much it expects to be effected, a campaign centred around that could be confusing and/or damaging.

"Fees - Research Degrees - Open University." Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education - The Open University. Accessed on Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/explained/fees_and_funding/fees_what_you_need_to_pay.htm

"Government Confirms Details of Loans for Part Timers | Platform | Open University." Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education - The Open University. Accessed on Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at http://www8.open.ac.uk/platform/news-and-features/government-confirms-details-loans-part-timers-0?page=1

Uni Stats

Unistats is a website that helps students decide which UK university or college to apply to. It includes the results of the latest National Student Survey. You can use Unistats to compare and review universities and subjects in order to help you choose the best UK university and subject student satisfaction ratings.

The Value of a OE qualification

Here is an excerpt from their website

"

What do employers think?

Highly valued qualifications

Employers really appreciate the value of an Open University qualification - indeed, over two thirds of FTSE 100 companies have sponsored students on our courses.

Why employers value The Open University

It's not just the fact that the academic excellence of our teaching is officially recognised - they understand the commitment, self-discipline and ambition it takes to complete an Open University degree, and value the skills you develop as a result."

"What Do Employers Think? | 18 to 24 | Open University." Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education - The Open University. Accessed on Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at http://www8.open.ac.uk/choose/18to24/what-do-employers-think

Open University Adverts

Open University Courses

The Open University has about 600 courses ranging from undergraduate, postgraduate, research and proffesional skills.

Arts and Humanities

• Classical Studies
• English Language
• History
• History of Art
• History of Science, Technology and Medicine
• Literature and Creative Writing
• Music
• Philosophy
• Religious Studies

Business and Management

• Accounting and Finance
• Business Management Studies
• Global Development Management
• Systems

Childhood and Youth

• Childhood and Youth Studies
• Early Years
• Working with Young People

Computing and ICT

• Computing
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Systems

Education

• Educational Technology and Practice
• Mathematics Education
• PGCE
• Professional Development in Education

Engineering and Technology

• Design and Innovation
• Engineering
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Systems
• Technology

Environment, Development and International Studies

• Environmental Decision Making
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Studies
• Global Development Management
• International Studies

Health and Social Care

• Children and Young People
• Health Sciences
• Health Studies
• History of Science, Technology and Medicine
• Nursing
• Public Health
• Social Care
• Social Work
• Sport and Fitness

Languages

• English Language
• French
• German
• More Languages
• Spanish

Law

• Law

Mathematics and Statistics

• Mathematics
• Mathematics Education
• Statistics

Psychology

• Psychology

Science

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Geology
• Health Sciences
• History of Science, Technology and Medicine
• Physics and Astronomy
• Public Health

Social Sciences

• Criminology
• Economics
• Geography
• Politics
• Psychological Studies
• Social Policy
• Sociology

"Undergraduate Courses and Degrees - Distance Learning - Open University." Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education - The Open University. Accessed on Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/index.htm

Facts and Figures about the Open University

I thought I should get down some of the fact and figures about the OU as this will help me to identify the established target market.

Since the OU's launch in 1969 more than 1.6 million people worldwide have achieved their learning goals by studying with them

The OU is the biggest university in the UK with:
more than 250,000 students
more than 7,000 tutors
more than 1,200 full-time academic staff
more than 3,500 support and administrative staff

The Open University doesn't just have students in the UK, they also have students worldwide.
around 3,500 students in the Republic of Ireland
around 9,000 students elsewhere in Europe
around 7,500 outside the European Union
around 46,000 students on OU-validated programmes

Their students come from the widest possible range of backgrounds

• We have students who are in their teens, including some Year 12 and 13 school students who are studying OU courses alongside A-levels. We have students in their 90s - and all ages in between.
• The average age of new undergraduate OU students is 32.

We are the largest provider of higher education for people with disabilities

• More than 12,000 people with disabilities study with us each year.

We are opening up opportunities for lower-income groups

• In 2009/10 around 47,500 students received some kind of financial support.

Our open admissions policy helps thousands of people who failed to achieve their potential earlier in life

• Up to 44 per cent of our UK student population starts undergraduate study without the entry qualifications they would need at a conventional university.

Thousands of people, who might not have been able to study because of work or family commitments, are able to study part-time with us

• Around 70 per cent of our students remain in work while studying.

"Facts and Figures | About the OU | Open University." Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education - The Open University. Accessed on  Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at http://www8.open.ac.uk/about/main/the-ou-explained/facts-and-figures

About The Open University

The Open University is not a residential University, I.E, it isn't set up like most Universitys whereby there is a community of students.

"We promote educational opportunity and social justice by providing high-quality university education to all who wish to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.

Through academic research, pedagogic innovation and collaborative partnership we seek to be a world leader in the design, content and delivery of supported open learning."

Nearly all of their undergraduate courses have no grade requirements whatsoever. They believe that it's the qualitifaction you leave with, not what you enter with should count. The Open University also supports the disabled, support can be a range of things from special computer software to sitting exams in their own home, having a personal assistant at day or residential school, and advice on available funding support.

Opening courses are introductory level courses designed to help students learn about what it's like to learn at the OU.

The Open University has published teaching and learning resources free of charge to anyone with access to the internet, no matter where in the world they live.

The OU ranks high on the National Student Survey http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11001891



"The OU Explained | About the OU | Open University." Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education - The Open University. Accessed on Web. 06 Mar. 2011. Available at  http://www8.open.ac.uk/about/main/the-ou-explained

Initial Action Plan

Here is my intitial action plan for the Open University Brief.

Research Open University
The courses on offer
How they Advertise they're courses
Who value OE qualifications
The ability to fit study around work
Flexibility
Research competing courses from full time courses such as foundation, HND, Degree
Research student opinion on education
Brainstorm first ideas
Research how universities compete
Potential medium/formats such as online, print (posters, billboards)
SWOT analysis
Concepts
Refinement
Customer profiles

Open University Brief - YCN