Contemporary Issues for Management - Doc

Running head: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FOR MANAGEMENT
Contemporary issues for management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Abstract
This report provides a complete a business solution for World University which provides
online teaching courses to the students around the world. Presently, World University wants
to expand the business with a particular business model that fits satisfy their marketing needs.
Thus, World University has been suggested to use popular social media channels such as
Facebook, LinkedIn, which provides the platform to interact with students from many regions
of the world. The essay also proposes the implementation of marking mix elements and
integrated marketing communication, which shapes purposes of using social media in
business. World University also hires agents to sell its offering; thereby, the organization has
been proposed to use personal selling approach to reach the target audiences.

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Introduction -
Internet has emerged as the platform to facilitate private education institutions to provide
authentic learning opportunities to the students around the world and digital media platforms
in this context, have turned out to be a mainstream channel for such initiative of the private
institutions. Students around the world are now embracing the change as well as started to
explore this innovative mode of learning. Based on the current growth of online teaching
practices developed by the private institutions, Boling et al., (2012) mentioned that by 2019,
almost 50% of all courses and learning programs will be delivered online. Similarly, Allen
and Seaman (2016) mentioned that between 2016 and 2017, the total number of institutions
introducing e-learning platforms has increased by 21% and online learning has slowly been
growing over the last few years. Such growth indicates that there is an increasing demand for
online learning, which facilitates the business development initiatives of private institutions
under World University. However, many private institutions often end up making digital
media blunders, as they lack knowledge about the use of social media in business. This
occurs because making an investment and providing advantageous options to students is not
the solution for the slow growth of digital mode of learning. World University needs to
consider the following aspects to expand its business online.
 Appropriate use of social media channels
 Implementation of marketing mix elements
 Integrated Marketing Communication
Many small, medium size and start-up firms often use digital media channels to penetrate in
the market and create their presence in the eye of global audiences. For example, Pearl
White –a small firm in Australia grabbed the attention of people by making their customers
aware of the benefit of natural ingredients in tooth paste (Pearly Whites, 2018). The

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knowledge sharing initiative through social media helped Pearl White to hold the top position
in the market. So, in the case of World University, it is worth mentioning that the use of
social media and integrated marketing communication approaches could serve as the base
of attracting learners from different nations. Here, social media is one of the greatest
innovations of technology which not only enhances the ability of people to communicate but
the capability to market directly to the regions or the audiences the business wants to reach.
Likewise, the terminology “Integrated marketing communication” is a simple concept,
which ensures that all sort of communication including business are appropriately linked
together (Luxton, Reid & Mavondo, 2015). The following paragraph describes how World
University can leverage social media channels and integrated marketing communication
approaches to implement the business decisions it has taken.
Body -
Point 1: Applying social media channels to the business of World University
As put forward by Fine (2017) social media has obtained credibility and popularity
over the years as a reliable sources information and platform where the business could
interact with their respective audiences. Likewise, the education institutes adapting these
developments into their systems as well as trusting the group resources and mechanisms to
enhance the student life. Thereby, Lester (2012) mentioned that the use of social media in
education could provide students with the ability to get more relevant information to interact
with the learning groups and other private institutions that make education convenient. So,
with the use of such networks, World University could adopt social media for sharing and
interaction and the students on the other hand, could also gain benefits from online tutorial as
well as resources which are shared through social media network. Following are the popular
social media channels used by businesses due to optimum benefits.

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LinkedIn: Linkedln is known as the online analogue networking channel, which is suitable
for businesses, especially for Business to Consumer (B2C) businesses (Quinton & Wilson,
2016). However, most of the businesses use LinkedIn for sharing the content of the
businesses on a regular basis. Here, Quinton & Wilson (2016) particularly mentioned that as
LinkedIn is also useful for recruiters and job seekers, visitors strongly rely on the site. The
author has specified that almost 33% of the overall users of Linkedln are the learners and they
visit the page to find new learning blogs and articles (Quinton & Wilson, 2016). On the other
side, the businesses like Coca Cola on a regular basis highlights their content such as Coca
Cola journey and the brand shared the stories over 2000 since their first launch on the site
(Florenthal, 2015). Thus, these initiatives of the business indicate that World University can
leverage this site to find new learners and to share their learning content.
What is to share: World University needs to share the type and name of the courses it
provides, associated learning programmes, imagery contents of online learning practices
Frequency of the post: Three to four times in a week
World University needs to keep its description and profile page relevant to the keyword SEO,
but the networks of learners and the contacts are the most valuable content on Linkedln;
thereby, World University should ensure the courses it provides and faculties it holds are
appropriate and different than conventional educational institutes. Nonetheless, holding only
one channels does not strengthen the trust of the users, the organization needs to leverage
other social media channels such as Facebook.
Facebook:
The large social media channel, Facebook provides personal connection but for promotion it
remains as the most relevant tool. Total number of users on Facebook may be irrelevant here
but Tess (2013) conducted a research and found that almost 59% users of are young adults

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such as the students and they are regularly active on Facebook. So, Facebook will also be an
appropriate channel for World University because Facebook acts as sponsor here; World
University just needs to provide the content of its learning programs, so that Facebook further
design the given content of the page and then publish the item. So when the users tap on the
link the URL appears “Bitly.,” which does enough to shrink down the given links. According
to the survey conducted by Kuo et al., (2014), sponsored page has the highest visitors because
people rely on the content; for example, 71% of users of Amazon comes from the sponsored
page on Facebook.
Figure 1: A online learning post on Facebook
(Source: Kuo et al., 2014)

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What to share: All sort of online learning content
Frequency of the posts: Twice a day.
Point 2: Techniques of applying marketing mix elements to World University’s business
Product: As entire business is run through online medium and social media, the users
should know the details of the learning programs which means, World University needs to
publish registered coursers such as BBA, MBA, M.Sc, Health Science and others in bold
letters with associated links. Thus, tapping on the link will lead the user to another page for
revealing the details.
Price: As this is a new mode of learning and the entire process is done through social
media channels, the pricing of the learning programs should not exceed the price charged in
the traditional media. However, as this is a new initiative of learning, World University can
use skimming pricing because Chikweche and Fletcher (2012) mentioned skimming pricing
strategy remains effective when the competitors in the market are less in number.

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Figure 2: Marketing mix elements
(Source: Chikweche & Fletcher, 2012)
Promotion: In order to promote the products and services, organization can use the
social media tools. For example, on the profile page of Facebook and LinkedIn, World
University needs to reveal its customer loyalty scheme such as “StudyTogether”, which
provides rewards to the learners who introduces another students. To attract students, the
organization also needs to reveal that payment for non-refundable fees are transitioned in less
than five minutes.
Place: All learning programmes, courses and promotional items such as loyalty
scheme and other relevant details should be given on the official website of World
University; however, the organization can use the mentioned social media tools to place the
products. Nonetheless the organization needs to ensure that payment details and course fees
are given only on the official website.
Point 3: Applying the technique of Integrated Marketing Communication
Advertising: As put forward by Kitchen and Burgmann (2015), when a business is
using a paid form of introducing ideas or products, it should be an identified sponsor. Thus,
by using Facebook and LinkedIn advertising message such as “create the base of your career
at World University with innovative learning opportunities under world class faculties”
should be tailored to the target audiences. Hence, Valos et al., (2016) mentioned that the
advertising could also target the individuals based on their profile characteristics. For
example, the online banners ads are targeted to the audiences on the basis of the sites they
visited.
Personal selling: According to Luxton, Reid and Mavondo (2015), personal selling
leverage people to form relationship with the target audience with the purpose of selling

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products and services. In the case of World University, the organization can sell its products
and services to the private institutions through the hired agents.
Summary
Use of social media channels in marketing communication is the most significant
business approach because due to development of technology, the implementation of
marketing mix elements and communication approaches have become easier than previously
thought.
Point 1: Social media is time and cost effective as well as provides marketers the
platform to interact with audience in the remote areas. Use of social media cannot be
considered as “irrelevant medium” because only social media channels provide bossiness the
scope for knowing the target customers well.
Point 2: Marketing mix elements guide marketers to keep each aspect rightly in place.
Thus, the use of marketing mix elements certainly increase the business exposure.
Point 3: Integrated marketing communication approaches are effective for World
University because it does the job of interacting with the target audience and communicate
what the business offers the audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be ascertained that “World University” can gain the highest
exposure because online learns is still a new trend in many nations. Due to poor presentation
of such new ideas, people are not aware of such learning. However, emphasis on the social
media tools and design of marketing mix elements can certain help World University to meet
its business goals. However, the budget could be major barrier for World University because
hiring a sponsored media requires large investment. Nonetheless, this challenge can be
overcome when other business aspects discussed above are implemented properly.

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References
Allen, I. E., & Seaman, J. (2016). Online Report Card: Tracking Online Education in the
United States. Babson Survey Research Group.
Boling, E. C., Hough, M., Krinsky, H., Saleem, H., & Stevens, M. (2012). Cutting the
distance in distance education: Perspectives on what promotes positive, online
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Chikweche, T., & Fletcher, R. (2012). Revisiting the marketing mix at the bottom of pyramid
(BOP): from theoretical considerations to practical realities. Journal of Consumer
Marketing, 29(7), 507-520.
Fine, S. H. (2017). Introduction to social marketing. In Marketing the Public Sector (pp. 1-
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Florenthal, B. (2015). Applying uses and gratifications theory to students’ LinkedIn
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Kitchen, P. J., & Burgmann, I. (2015). Integrated marketing communication: Making it work
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Kuo, Y. C., Walker, A. E., Schroder, K. E., & Belland, B. R. (2014). Interaction, Internet
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Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2015). Integrated marketing communication capability
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Pearly Whites (2018) - Home Teeth Whitening Kits & Products. Retrieved from
https://au.pearlywhites.com/
Quinton, S., & Wilson, D. (2016). Tensions and ties in social media networks: Towards a
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