Introduction - Implementing Customer Journey Maps for Higher Education
The service marketing is defined as the type of marketing which the business uses in order to attract the consumers by increasing the brand awareness of the company. The service marketing deals in promotion of the service which is an intangible good and helps increase awareness relating to the service within which the company deals. The present study is based on the Hull University Business School which is the leading UK business school accredited internationally. The present study will outline the idea of launching a new service to improve the working capability of the university. The competition is tough and the companies need to bring something new so that they can have a competitive advantage over other universities. So the new idea for improving the working efficiency of HUBS is to launch a new service which includes a 6-month apprenticeship program for the students who have graduated from the university. The current plan will outline the implementation process and all the other details relating to this new service implementation.
Main Body
Outlining the proposed idea
HUBS is an internationally recognised university which provides different types of services to students. This includes providing services in the fields of business management, marketing, finance and accounting, economics, human resource management, supply chain and logistics management and many other streams. For the university to face the intense competition appropriate changes and modifications must be brought into its working. Thus, to manage the working and the competition among the other universities it is necessary that HUBS come up with something new so that the students can find something different in comparison to other universities. The students will prefer the HUBS only when they will be getting something exceptionally good in comparison to other universities.
Thus, in the present case, of implementing some new strategy within HUBS, the university is planning to provide a 6-month internship programme, especially in the field of marketing. The marketing stream is much more focused because, in the current competitive environment, marketing is a very necessary field (Wirtz and Lovelock, 2021). Be it any kind of industry, retail, banking, hospitality, medical or any other every industry requires effective marketing. Thus, the university is providing the facility of doing internship within the university after completing the studies from the university only. Thus, it will assist the university in attracting more of the students and will help in facing the competition well. After graduation, the students have to undertake some training with the help of which they can have some practical knowledge. Thus, when the university itself provides the training then it will be assistive to the student as they will not have to go to any other place to find the apprenticeship or training opportunity.
Customer journey, customer experience and customer mapping relating to proposed activity
Customer journey
The consumer journey is referred to as the path through which the company tries to interact with the consumers. For the success of the company, it is very necessary that the appropriate working is managed so that the consumers are aware of the working practices (Kabadayi, O’Connor and Tuzovic, 2020). Along with this, the customer journey is assistive in managing the working effectively and promoting the business effectively. There are five different stages which HUBS need to follow to implement the new service of a marketing apprenticeship program which are as follows-
Elements
Description
Awareness
This is the first stage within which the awareness relating to the new service is generated. It is necessary for HUBS they create effective awareness relating to the service of a 6-month of apprenticeship program.
Consideration
In this stage, the consumer starts comparing the services of one university with another to find the best for them. Here it is necessary for HUBS they provide a variety of services so that students choose this university only.
Decision
This is the stage where the student decides which option is better. Thus, it is the responsibility of the company to that they must try to provide various type of benefits through which they can stimulate student to select their own university.
Retention
This is the stage within which the company tries to retain the student within the university for longer. Thus, for this reason they are providing the facility of new 6-month internship facility in marketing.
Advocacy
It is the last stage of the process which includes the advocacy. Advocacy is the stage within which the customer tries to advocate the value of the product to the other people. It includes the user of the product promoting the product to other people (Belanche and et.al, 2020). Many times there are situations within which the existing students to stimulate the new student so that they can join the university.
Customer experience
The customer experience is defined as the impression that is created over the customers after using the product of the service provided by the company. This customer experience outline the view point of the customers that whether they have liked the product or service or not. The great customer experience ensures that the product and services of the company are very effective and is helpful in improving the position of the company. Moreover for HUBS to be successful it is very necessary that they effectively focus on enhancing the customer experience. The reason behind the fact is that when the customer experience will be improved then automatically it will result in increasing sales for the business. In the present case of HUBS it is very necessary that they focus on enhancing the customer experience. In the present case the customers are the students who are studying within the university (Cui and et.al 2021). Thus, it is very necessary for the university that they must provide effective services to the student so that they are happy studying within the university. Installation of the new strategy of providing 6 month internship or apprentice program for the marketing field will definitely attract more of the students to attend it. Hence, ultimately it will result in improving the market position of the university and the number of students coming to the place.
The most essential strategy for enhancing the customer experience for HUBS is to have and create a clear customer experience vision. This includes outlining the vision for which the customer is coming to the place. In case the vision of the company will be clear then they will be in position to provide the required services to the customer. In the present case of HUBS the vision is to provide premium quality educational services to the students who are coming for learning (Tong, Luo and Xu, 2020). In case the environment will not be effective than it will be affecting the learning capability of the student. Thus, for enhancing the customer experience it is the responsibility of HUBS that they must provide cordial and friendly environment so that students are happy and satisfied with the courses. Moreover, another strategy for enhancing the customer experience is to take regular feedbacks from the Student. The reason underlying the fact is that the feedback will provide appropriate knowledge relating to the changes which students are requiring in the current working pattern. In addition to this, feedback will help the student in thinking that university is taking into consideration their suggestions. When the effective feedback will be taken then the students will think that all the suggestions of them is also being included within the decision making process it will help them in connecting more with the university and as a result of this overall development of the university and the students will take.
Customer mapping
The customer mapping is defined as the process which assist in creating a visual representation of the consumers over the map. It includes the placing the customers and their requirements over the map so that there is an appropriate visual impact created by the company. The customer mapping is necessary as it helps the company in evaluating the customer and their requirements and directing the strategies indirection of keeping the customers happy and satisfied. In the case of HUBS the customer mapping is very necessary as it will guide them in protecting the customers and providing the necessary things to them. Benefit of focusing on customer journey on mapping is to understand the behaviour of the customer (Rust, 2020). With help of the effective mapping the company can try to understand the requirement of the customers easily and clearly. This in turn will help them in providing the required things to the customers on their demand.
Producing the blueprint
The service blueprint is a diagram with assist in visualizing the relationship between the various types of service components present within the chain. For the effective customer mapping it is very necessary that a blueprint is being prepared so that there is clarity of work present for the company. With regards to the HUBS it is very necessary that the appropriate mapping is done and the blueprint is created so that there is clarity of working. In the present case of customer journey planning the five stages are included which includes awareness, consideration, purchase, service and loyalty expansion (Sanjarbek, 2022). There are different touch points of each of the stage and it affects the efficiency of the whole process of customer mapping. For every stage there is different kind of touch points which needs to be considered by both the university and the student so that the overall working can be improved. For the awareness the different touch points include online Display, word of mouth, radio, television and many other different ways through which the awareness relating to the new program can be created. In case there is negative word of mouth then it is a bad touch point and in case it is positive then it will be a good touch point. Further the consideration element of journey map as the touch point include the use of social media, direct email, store and many other different aspects. With regards to the Purchase include the use of website or the mobile application for login and other related aspects. Moreover the loyalty expansion includes providing different benefits to the student so that they are connected with the University for Longer and also stimulate other students to enrol within the current internship program.
Identification of ways to improve performance
Element
Description
Product
The product is the bundle of satisfaction which is provided to the customers. The product or the service is the stream with in which the company deals and provide it to the customers. In the present case of HUBS the services provided to the people dealing with the company. Thus, it is very necessary that all the product and services are effectively provided to the people so that they are satisfied with the work. In the present case of the university the service includes the providing of a 6 month internship program to the students who are completing the under graduation within the marketing (Grewal and et.al, 2020). This internship program is particularly provided to the marketing students only. Thus, the service of providing the marketing internship will definitely attract majority of the students as in the current competitive market there is requirement of effective marketing to be implemented.
Price
Pricing is defined as the monetary terms which are attached with the providing of the product or the services to the consumer. It is very necessary that the effective pricing strategies are used in order to decide the price for the product or the service being available to the student. In the present case of HUBS the pricing strategy used is price skimming method. This is a kind of strategy with in which the prices are set at low and as and when the customer gets used to the product, the prices are increased slightly. The reason behind using the method is that it will attract majority of the customers which is student in the present case. Thus, it will be helping the University in attracting majority of the students by providing better services at lower prices (Dash, Kiefer and Paul, 2021). It will also provide a competitive advantage to the university as other universities is not providing such kind of facility and that to add such a lower rate.
Place
Place within the marketing mix is defined as the area through which the service will be provided to the customers. It is particularly necessary to provide affective place so that the user can use the product of the service effectively. In accordance to the present scenario of HUBS, the place will be the university premises (Özkan and et.al, 2020). This is particularly because of the reason that the training provided is on the job and it will be provided with in the University Campus only. Along with this access will also be provided through online portal so that the student can go through the weekly lectures and other related documents effectively from the places as well. Thus, the online and offline access to the different types of program relating to marketing will be provided to the student so that they can easily access the learning as and when they require.
Promotion
The most important element of the marketing mix is the promotion. The promotion is defined as the advertising of the product and services of the company among the customers. When the promotional activities of the company will be effective than automatically it will attractive majority of the customers. With regards to hubs the promotional activity includes both traditional and modern marketing technology. The traditional marketing strategies include promotion through pamphlets, TV advertisement and other related methods (Ghiani and et.al, 2020). Further the online marketing tools include the use of social media marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, email marketing and all other digital marketing Technology. The combination of traditional and modern marketing tools is used by the university for promoting 6-month internship program. This different type of program within the marketing field is used because it will help in attracting every type of student who is having access to internet and who are not having access.
Process
The process is the steps which need to be followed in order to gain the product or the service. For the successful implementation of the new facility of a 6-month internship programme is that standardised process will be followed. Here the students will register for the course and will enrol for the university apprenticeship programme (Martínez-López and et.al, 2020). Along with this, the students will be provided with the related knowledge of the course which the student is requiring.
People
It involves all the people and stakeholders being attached to the work of the company. In the present case of HUBS, the people include the students, teachers, professors and others who are working within the university. HUBS must ensure clarity of working and this will result in successful working of the university. Thus, the university focuses on the effective division of work and as a result of this there is more clarity of work and this results in effective attainment of the work in better and effective manner.
Physical evidence
The physical evidence within the marketing mix is defined as the evidence which ensures that the working of the company is good. In the current case of HUBS, the physical evidence includes the university campus, the classroom setting, equipment and technology implanted and other related aspects (Rather and Hollebeek, 2021). In addition to this, the online website of the university and the related websites are also included within the physical evidence.
Recommendation for improvement
With the above analysis it is evident that there is requirement of improvement for the university in order to implement the new 6 month internship program. Thus, some of the recommendations provided to HUBS includes the following-
The first and foremost recommendation to the company is to continuously research within the external environment. This is particularly because of the reason that there are many different up gradations and Technology advancement coming place within the external environment relating to marketing (Mustak and et.al, 2021). Thus, it is the responsibility of the university that they must effectively adapt all the related changes so that the modern working can be implemented.
Further, it is also recommended to the university that they must take 360 degree feedback from the students and all the stakeholders of the university. This is necessary because when the feedback will be taken then it will outline the changes which are necessary in accordance to the latest working pattern. Thus the implementation of these changes will be easily maintained within the university and new trends will be followed effectively.
In addition to this it is also advisable to HUBS that they must effectively work over the social media and other related activities. It is particularly because of the reason that when the appropriate social media will be used then it will be attracting more of the students. Thus, ultimately it will result in enhancing the sales or enrolment of the students more as compared to the competitors. Hence, it will provide a competitive advantage to the university over the other universities which is good.
Area where the activity will be handled
The current activity that is the implementation of the 6 month internship programme within the field of marketing will be undertaken within the university premises only. A particular separate batch will be scheduled which will be focusing on providing the internship and training to the student interested within the marketing field (Ostrom and et.al, 2021). This training will be provided after they have completed the graduation and it will be provided on the job only.
Conclusion
In the end it is concluded that service marketing is being defined as the marketing strategy with the companies providing the different services. The above study highlighted that the university is planning to start the new 6 month internship programme for the students relating to marketing field. The study outlined the fact that customer journey mapping is necessary for implementing this new strategy. Thus, it included the five different stages which include awareness, consideration, decision, retention and advocacy. Further it highlighted that the customer mapping is necessary as it outlines all the good and bad touch points of the customer journey. Moreover it also evaluated the 7 Ps of marketing mix along with the recommendations of researching and taking 360 degree feedback was provided.
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References
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