Contribution to Higher Education in Ghana: Improving Student Enrolment through Application of the 7Ps of Marketing

Abstract

Within the competition in higher education industry, academic institutions should identify and address the needs of students to attract more and to retain the existing students. The relationship between marketing strategies and efforts of higher education institutions in Ghana and their performance in terms of student enrolment is poorly understood. The aim of the study was to apply the 7Ps of marketing (product, price, place, promotion, people, physical evidence and process) to investigate the impact of education marketing on enrolment of students at a higher education institution in Ghana.This was a case study with a quantitative research approach and was carried out from November to December 2019. Random sampling was used to select 150 students of the study institution. A questionnaire was used to collect datafrom the study participants on the relevant education marketing variables based on the 7Ps of marketing. Four dominant factors accounted for student decisions to enrol at the institution, with each of the factors accounting for ³ 65%. The most important factor was quality of lecturers (people), followed by teaching practices (process), discounts and scholarships (price), and employment opportunities of the course (product).Focusing on promotion component of the marketing mix, the most common mode by which the study participants got to know the institution, was through family and relatives (80.7%), followed by friend (72.7%).There are two main conclusions arising from the study.  Firstly, higher education institutions in Ghana can increase enrolment of students by focusing on matters related to quality of teaching. Secondly, such institutions can strengthen their promotion by building a strong relationship with the community.