When one takes a look at reputation for UoP, it is much better. Many major Norwegian shipping companies prefers student from UoP because of the good reputation it has gain over the years and the fact that many of the seniors in the Norwegian shipping industry are former students from UoP.
Despite all this UCS has managed to capture the Norwegian students more or less from UoP by extensive marketing towards potential Norwegian students in different cities in Norway. And they have been most successful doing so. The last two years not a single student has entered Maritime Business from MI at UoP. The figurers for UCS are between twenty and twenty five each year. That leaves a potential loss for UoP at approximately £ 279 800. - included the ten percent that UCS pays back to MI. This shows that this is just not a loss of knowledge but also a significant economical loss. The same amount of EU students (twenty five) would have paid £ 57 500.-
This shows that there is just not a potential loss of contact with the Norwegian maritime industry, there is also a significant economical loss.
How to change the trend
In the first place there are not that many students that are aware of this course, therefore it is vital with information both about the course: What are the opportunities for the student after he or she has graduated, what is the cost, how is the ranking for UoP comparing to other universities with the same course, how much support will the student get from the Norwegian student support bank. At present; new potential student have to find out of all this on their own.
By using the “four P”; Price, Place, Promotion and Product one should be able to change this trend.
As aforementioned the Norwegian shipping industry is significant, and many of the Norwegians who will graduate from this university will go into the Norwegian shipping industry. In say; ten years time many of those former student will sit in key positions in their company.
Product
One example is Geir Ydstabo; he took his master at in Maritime business at UoP. Now he work as senior broker for the Norwegian state owned oil company, Statoil in New York. He graduated from UoP 2001; in September 2003 he was promoted to senior broker and took over the overall responsibility at Statoils broking office in New York. This shows that the course has a high standard when a person after only a few years can go into a position with severe responsibility. Another example is Mr Geir Lovrak who will graduate this spring. He just got a good job offer from All-Ocean Limited in London. Most of the student which has graduated sits in fairly good jobs within three to six months. As all other branches there are trainee periods, the length of these periods varies from six to eight months. So the product should not be too hard to sell for future students, which are planning a career within the shipping industry.
Promotion
In a promotion campaign a person in such position would have been of a great value both when it comes to evaluating both the course and the university overall. If UoP could get some sort of statement from Mr Ydstabo; where he says a few words about his course and the position he now has.
There are several students that now are in key positions around the world and most of them have a really good income. If the UoP contacted some of the former students and persuaded them into give a statement about the UoP, with a picture of them self, name of their present position, the name of their company and location. This could again be used at posters that would be distributed around to all of the Norwegian high schools. In the mid nineties the Norwegian ship owner association had a major campaign where they used a picture of the largest bulk carrier in world making its way in a loaded condition, below the picture it was written; “Do you want to take the driving licence on this one?” The picture was quite spectacular and the results from the campaign were very successful. Young people which applied into Maritime Colleges around in Norway almost exploded. They were promised a safe job and a good income in an international environment with long traditions. If one takes a closer look at the Maritime Business course, one could promote it in the same way. In Norway the shipping industry have long traditions indeed, it is a highly international business and most of people which work there have a good income.
This is a method that does not require a lot of economical resources. By doing so the UoP would have got the student into UoP at stage one, and then taken the students from UCS that all starts at stage two. In addition the UoP would get one more year with tuition fee from them.
However the UoP should in addition send at least one of the present student and one former student to talk to meet the potentially future students face to face in Norway.
The present student would then explain the different modules, the social life, what possibilities there are around Plymouth when it comes to sports etc. Also that in Plymouth the Norwegians have their own Shipping Society, something which the Norwegian student at the UCS do not have.
Then the former student will tell about the great reputation of UoP, and what kind of job he was doing now.
If these to persons had a £ 5000 to £ 7000 budget, they only needed to recruit one Norwegian student for one year to justify the recourses spent on this promotion campaign. This campaign will be repeated for three years, and then both the schools and the students will be aware of both Plymouth as a town and the Maritime Business Bsc.
However there should be an audit after two years to have a closer look at the results.
Price
When it comes to the price it will be most important to inform the student that all expenses concerning tuition fees will be covered by the Norwegian educational found since this course is approved by them. The tuition fee at MI is about £ 5000 each year, but since living costs are significant higher in Norway, the total costs will bee more or less the same. And that no students are learning fluent English in Norway, and then explain the importance of mastering English in the shipping industry.
Conclusion
This is a promotion plan that does not require a lot of recourses, it is basically a low cost promotion plan that has a good potential of being successful. The aim is to make potential students in Norway aware of the reputation and the quality of the UoP. When one meets the potential students face to face and explains the possibilities that lay within this course, the author believes that it would be a successful way promotes the UoP.
Reference list
Notes from interview with the president of NSSP Beatrice L. Mortensen 10.03.2005
Notes from interview with MI and Go Study which conveys Norwegian student
abroad. The persons interviewed preferred to anonymous.09.03.2005
Notes from interview with Mr Geir Lovrak former student at MI and now student at UoP doing Maritime Business with Law. 12.03.2005
Notes from interview with Geir Magnusen which is a third year student at UoS; doing Maritime Business. He is also representing Association for Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA) at UoS
Notes from interview with Geir Ydstabo, Senior broker for Statoil in New York.
F. Brassinton, S Pettitt Principles of Marketing
Notes from Interview with Geir Ydstabo 08.03.2005
The Norwegian ship owner association at: . Date accessed 10.03.2005
Norwegian Educational Found at: , date accessed: 10.03.2005
Notes from interview with the president of NSSP Beatrice L. Mortensen 10.03.2005
Notes from interview with MI and Go Study which conveys Norwegian student abroad. The persons interviewed preferred to anonymous.09.03.2005
Notes from interview with Mr Geir Lovrak former student at MI and now student at UoP doing Maritime Business with Law. 12.03.2005
Notes from interview with Geir Magnusen which is a third year student at UoS; doing Maritime Business. He is also representing Association for Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA) at UoS
Notes from interview with Geir Ydstabo, Senior broker for Statoil in New York.
F. Brassinton, S Pettitt Principles of Marketing
Notes from Interview with Geir Ydstabo 08.03.2005
The Norwegian ship owner association at: . Date accessed 10.03.2005
Norwegian Educational Found at: , date accessed: 10.03.2005