Marketing Plan for Hertfordshire Business School Expansion

This report presents a comprehensive marketing plan developed for the Hertfordshire Business School, focusing on its potential global expansion, specifically into the Egyptian market. The analysis begins with an internal market assessment, evaluating the school's strengths and weaknesses, including its brand reputation and global alumni network, alongside weaknesses such as limited scholarship opportunities and a UK-centric curriculum. A VRIO analysis further evaluates the value, rarity, imitability, and organization of the school's internal resources. The report then delves into an external market analysis of Egypt using PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces frameworks, considering political instability, economic conditions, social factors, and technological advancements. Based on these analyses, an action plan is proposed, including entry strategies (franchising), positioning and segmentation, and a detailed marketing mix encompassing product, place, price, and promotion strategies tailored to the Egyptian market. The report emphasizes the importance of adapting marketing strategies to the cultural and economic nuances of Egypt to ensure the success of the expansion.

RUNNING HEAD: MARKETING PLAN
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

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Introduction:
The Hertfordshire business School is one of the most reputed institutions under the Hertfordshire
University. The college has been offering business degrees since 1965 and has an outstanding
reputation in business and management education that attracts leading academics and students all
over the world. A part of the reputed Hertfordshire University, this business school has its
campus in Hatfield.
Business and management studies allow individual in obtaining the required knowledge
and skills that is required to assume a position in wide range of businesses. Studies in business
provide students with a deft knowledge regarding organizational behaviour, human resource
management, organizational development and marketing strategies. Students across the world
thus, have interests in studying business as their discipline in order to have a flourishing career
(Gerhard and Mayr 2012,). Thus, it is beneficial for the Hertfordshire University to expand their
business and discovering a global position for themselves. Already students from various
countries can attend the school by qualifying certain exams rendering the school a global
reputation. However, it is not always possible for many students to come abroad and pursue the
education. The business school has to discover a suitable global market where they can situate
themselves as a process of global expansion. It has to discover individuals who can bear the cost
of training promoting advances for the business school and a suitable market where students are
interested in business education and have the economic stability of pursuing education in the
institution.

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Market analysis:
Internal market analysis.
The analysis of the internal market or the internal resources of the Hertfordshire Business
School will help to analyse its strengths and weakness, which in turn will be the opportunities
and threats that may be faced by them in their expansion activity. The report will look after the
condition of the internal resources of the university.
Strength
The main strength of the university is its brand reputation. The university has a strong brand
image as a leading institution offering business degrees. The extent of courses and their quality is
a matter of global renowned (Goff Patino and Jackson 2014.). Thus, it will earn the company the
desirable brand reputation that will help them in setting up an effective business in a new land.
The Hertfordshire University has global alumni over 1650 and is one of the Hertfordshire’s
largest employers. This helps the university in gaining a worldwide reputation and fame. The
connection the institution has, in this process will help the university in gaining the confidence of
the land they are expanding at and also an added competitive advantage regarding their
marketing strategies (Hemsley‐Brown and Oplatka 2016).
Weakness
The main weakness of the institution is the inability of students from different background both
economically and academically in accessing the service of this institution. Without any
scholarship, it is next to impossible for students hailing from middle economic class in pursuing
studies from this university. Another potential weakness of this university is its global strategy,

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which means their education styles well as syllabuses are concentrated only on the business
models of UK.
VRIO Analysis of the Hertfordshire Business School:
Valuable- the internal resources of the institution is valuable since it is one of the most important
and reputed University in UK. The reputation has been because of its valuable resources of
professors, Library facilities etc. The university has been ranked among the top ten universities
across UK. The employees that range from the academicians who are the professors, staffs and
other employees are also valuable because of their considerable expertise in their field.
Rare- the internal resources of the university is rare since these are the product of the researchers
and the talented educationist and they specialize in particular fields of study.
Imitability- the resources of the university, though rare are however, imitable since any one can
acquire the expertise in those fields of studies (Sedra 2011). The university is highly organised
with their different wings and organizational structure that creates a strong brand value for the
institution.
External market analysis
At present, the university is keen on expanding themselves globally and having area of
operations in Egypt. In order to know their potential opportunities and threats the company needs
to know about the external environment of the area they are aiming to set their business.
Political-
Politically Egypt is instable and turmoil has been one of the rising problems of the country since
long. The military rules are the major decision making force in the country that does not allow

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democracy to flourish in the area. However, after the 2011-12 election for the first time
democratic parties took part since recently the country has gained democratic vision as a result of
their learning from their past mistakes. Any educational institution from liberal democratic
countries thus, may find it hard in operating in this region (Ndubisi Hussein and Mourad 2014).
However, the recent democratic trend may act as a positive opportunity for Hertfordshire
university in order to setup their operation moreover, within the present political scenario of
rising trend of democracy the university can take part as a leading role in the ideology formation
of the students.
Economic-
Since 2014, the economic condition of Egypt has taken a better turn allowing various business
and co-operations to be set up. However, the inflation rate of this area is a bit high increasing the
unemployment rate. However, there are positive hopes regarding the economy and the expansion
of Suez Canal has restored the hopes of the businessmen (Lewison. and Hawes 2017.). The
business school thus have positive opportunities regarding the setting up of business in Egypt.
Social
The crime rate in Egypt has been increasing as a result of the increase of unemployment. Protest
against governments is also rising because of their corruption (Karjaluoto and Vaccaro 2019.).
Power shortage has hampered productivity and industries could not fulfil their orders at time.
However, with the growth of business opportunities there has been a rising trend of management
studies in Egypt which is beneficial for Hertfordshire business School.
Technology

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Egypt has been a technologically advanced country since the ancient times. However, at present
due to lack of proper leadership technological advancement has become stagnant. However,
Egypt being one of the oldest civilization and a seat of foreign trade because of the river Nile, it
has opportunities in technological advancements.
Action Plan and Adaptive strategies:
In the creation of an effective marketing strategy, the Hertfordshire school of Business
must consider the fact that Egypt is altogether a different place both culturally and economically.
Thus, not only in their academic pattern, changes should also be brought in marketing strategies,
promotion and pricing strategies. While the hometown of the school is a democratic liberalist,
Egypt on the other hand is still cascaded with the fumes of coupe de atat. An effective marketing
plan in the situation can be as follows;
1. Entry Plan:
Knight (2006) examined that the cross border activities of the educational institution can be
viewed through a lens of mobility in the programs and the provider mobility. While the mobility
of program refers to the movement of the total courses from one country to another, the provider
mobility refers to the movement of the educational institution to the target market. Such
typologies include Joint venture or double degree, twinning, Franchise, distance learning or
Articulation. The Hertfordshire University can take into account the Franchise mode of Entry
plan where the home institution will be offering the degree but the host institution will be entitled
to carry away with the teaching course. This will enable the business school to reduce the cost if
having the provider mobility where in they needed to set up a total physical structure or even
atleast a total online setting. Moreover, keeping in mind, the cultural diversity within the host

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nation, Franchising will give the host nation the required flexibility in teaching style and learning
methods. While digital classes are more prominent in UK, the Egypt schools and universities still
follow the traditional classroom style. In case of franchising such tensions can be avoided.
2. Positioning and Segmentation:
The Hertfordshire Business School needs to position themselves as the Supreme
institution for the business studies. With the growing trend of business development in Egypt
because of their expansion of Suez Canal and development of the democratic governance in
recent times, the Hertfordshire business school must promote themselves as the school that offers
the new direction in learning business and management and shaping the youth to become a
successful entrepreneur. Owing to the inflation rate and a comparatively emerging economy, the
positioning of the school as moderately priced because of the franchise conception will
encourage a diverse section of students.
Segmentation:
Geographic Segmentation- Basing their new expansion in Egypt, the school will primarily target
the Egyptian citizen, particularly the urban. The learning of business is more frequent among the
urban people. This geographic segmentation will be done keeping in mind those students who do
not want to leave the home country mainly for the economic purpose (Hyde 2013.).
Demographic Segmentation- the university will be targeting the school passed out student who
are entering the college level education or the fresh Graduates who are looking to have a post
graduate degree in business. Also, it can target a senior segment in terms of age who are
presently working and are willing to have a vocational course in correspondence. It targets all
sort of genders.

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Behavioural Segmentation- the Business school will be primarily targeting the new school and
college passed out students who are willing to take up the full time university programs. Students
seeking part time courses will also be targeted at a secondary basis (Naude, P. and Ivy, J., 2019.).
Psychographic segmentation- the school will be targeting students and universities that are
dynamic, having a vision of change, students aspiring to get admitted in a prestigious institution
etc.
Marketing Mix:
Product- Hertfordshire School of Business is projected as a leading education facility with a
large number of students and academic staffs. However, while franchising with the Egyptian
University and to have a market in Egypt, the institution must focus at presenting themselves as a
supreme seat for business education and as a prestige institution. It will also project themselves
as the provider of business degrees that are valued and coveted across the globe and that they
will pick the brightest and the best students. The main product mixes to be included are the
essence of a unique learning opportunities that are memorable and that includes wide facilities of
weekly tutorials, classes and lectures and often the visit of the guest faculties from the home
nation.
Place- the place of the business will be in the heart of Egypt, particularly Cairo so that it is
convenient for the students. It must offer franchise to the central university of Egypt. In the home
country, the business school is a part of the Hertfordshire University. In case of Egypt, however,
this will be the supreme governing body.
Price- the pricing strategy of the university will largely be the premium pricing strategy and also
to some extent the psychological pricing. Bring a premiere source of education; the company can

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make it a premium pricing strategy where the best will be allowed who will be eligible or certain
scholarship programs. Other students must obviously have to meet the academic criteria fixed by
the University and has to pay the total fees. The psychological pricing to some extent will be
done keeping in mind the repute and prestige of the institution (Bunzel 2017.).
Promotion- the scholarship programs as well are the important sources of promotion for ay
university. The institution, in order to promote themselves can also set up their own press in
Egypt and a vast library facility. The promotional mix of the institution can also be done by
promoting some of the notable alumni of the School. Owing to economic condition of Egypt, the
institution can hold promotional programs that is directed towards raising funds and
philanthropic activities. With the emerging issues of the pollution of Nile, the institution can also
indulge themselves in missions directed towards the preservation of Nile.
Conclusion:
From the above discussion, it has been pointed out that culturally as well as financially,
Egypt is totally different from UK and thus this will certainly affect the business strategy of the
said institution. Expanding the markets of higher education at a global level is necessary since it
renders optimum repute and scope. However, without considering the cultural factors, the
institutions will have chances of not having sufficient profit. In case of the Hertfordshire
University, the institution has to take into considerations, primarily the cultural aspects of Egypt
for deciding their education strategies.

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Appendix:
SWOT analysis of Hertfordshire University:
Strength
1. premiere seat for education.
2. high brand value.
3. efficient and knowledgeable staffs.
4. Proper economic backup.
5. Technological facilities.
Weakness
1. Costly.
2. Stress on Global integration, and thus does not
have experiences in flexible syllabus pattern to
meet the need of other countries.
3. No previous experience in global exppansion
Opportunity:
1. Global expansion.
2. having a steady growth in foreign market
because of the brand image.
Can offer facilities with their advanced technical
operations and valuable staffs. (Toyoshima 2017)
Threat:
1. existing universities will be more trusted by
students of host country.
2. the economic condition of host country may
affect business negatively.

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