Marketing Plan: Recruiting Chinese Students to Australia HEI

This report details an international marketing strategy for an Australian higher education institution aiming to recruit 1000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from China. It identifies China as an attractive market due to its large outbound student population and emphasis on university rankings. The report includes a PEST analysis, discusses various market entry modes, and selects online marketing as the preferred approach. It also proposes a framework for recruitment networks using private agencies and school referrals. The promotional mix strategies focus on product (alumni network and student achievements), price (program differential), and place (program offerings in February), all designed to enhance the institution's appeal to Chinese students. Desklib is your go-to resource for solved assignments and study aids.

Running head: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
International Marketing
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Executive Summary
This report has been elaborated on providing a brief discussion about the international
marketing strategy that would be used by the Australian higher education institution for
attracting about 1000 international students in recent years. The chosen international market
for this purpose is that of China. The paper has highlighted the strategies that would be used
by this institution in attracting this population. It has also discussed about the key concepts of
international marketing as well as their importance to the businesses and the world economy
along with various environmental factors that influence the international marketing.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Discussion..............................................................................................................................3
2.1. Identification of the International market.......................................................................3
2.2. Why China is an attractive market..................................................................................4
2.3. Choices of market entry mode........................................................................................5
2.4. Chosen entry mode..........................................................................................................6
2.5. Framework of recruitment networks and channels.........................................................7
2.6. Promotional mix strategies for the channel members and international market.............7
3. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................8
References:...............................................................................................................................10

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1. Introduction
Australia has been making bounds and leaps in its capability for attracting the
international students from a long time. However, at the same time, it is also facing a very
stiff competition from an increasing list of nations that are interested in boosting the
international enrolments (Bason, 2018). All these increased competition have resulted in
increased mobility of the global students as well as internationalisation. This paper shall
elaborate discussing about the key concepts of international marketing as well as their
importance to the businesses and the world economy. It shall further shed light on the various
environmental factors that influence the international marketing context. With the same, this
paper would also evaluate the international marketing opportunities within the conceptual
frameworks that are provided by the current literature. Firstly, the paper would identify the
international market and would explain why it would be an attractive one. Secondly, a PEST
analysis of the international market would be assessed. Thirdly, the paper shall continue to
elaborate on describing the different choices of market entry mode and would justify the one
that would be chosen from them for better entering into the chosen international market.
Lastly, it shall present a framework of recruitment networks and channels and discuss about
the promotional mix strategies for the channel members and the international market.
2. Discussion
2.1. Identification of the International market
There are several students who travel overseas for their education in recent years. The
total number of these students have risen than ever before in the past 15 years. In Australia,
about 153,000 students from international borders were enrolled in the year 2000 and it grew
to 631,000 in the year 2009 (Hertzke & Shah, 2016). However, notwithstanding this fact, the
Australian higher education institution is seeking for attracting international undergraduate

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and postgraduate students. The chosen international market for recruiting 1000 international
undergraduate students and post graduate students for the Australian higher education
institution is China.
2.2. Why China is an attractive market
China is considered to the top most nation for the international students. In the year
2013, about 236,000 Chinese outbound students who comprised of about 29% of the total
international students globally (Xiang, 2015). With the same, it is also to mention that the
Chinese student assign a high value of university rankings as compared to the other different
factors. As per the recent report, the higher education sector of Australia is associated with
positive effect on the university rankings. Moreover, scholarships for the university fees as
well as for the living expenses also have a significant impact on the demands for the Chinese
students (Kamal Basha, Sweeney & Soutar, 2016). China has always been regarded as the
leading and a rapidly developing nation that has very strong economy and have large number
of industries in every segments. There is a political stability in China and this is what helping
this nation in boosting its economy. However, it is to note that the education in this nation is a
state-run system of the public education that is run by the Ministry of Education. In the year
1985, the Chinese government have abolished the tax-funded higher education and made it
mandatory for the university students to compete for their scholarships on the basis of their
academic ability.
China at present is also one of the top countries in Asia for the international students
and it ranks 3rd among all the nations. As per 2018, it has the second highest number of top
universities in the world. However, safety in China is very uncertain. Also, the level of
corruption in this country is very high. This is why, students do not feel safe in completing
their education here. It is to note that the Chinese students are highly concerned about their
safety over anything else. They not only limit themselves to the nations that have high safety

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ranking, but at the same time, also are unlikely to opt for a nation that have low safety
ranking. Hence, it is very important to seek to attract the undergraduate and post graduate
students from China for maintaining and enhancing the perceived level of safety for the
nation as well as for promoting itself as a safer place for the Chinese students for studying.
The government of China provides scholarships for high-achieving domestic students in
order to pursue PhD degrees in abroad by means of CSC (China Scholarship Council) (Li,
2016). Hence, fostering and retaining the connections with the CSC for increasing the total
number of available scholarships would be helping in providing an alternative to the
potentially dwindling Australian university-level or country-level scholarship. The education
system in China is the largest state-run system of education in the whole world. The
Compulsory Education Law of China stipulates nine years of government funded compulsory
school attendance, which includes six years of primary school and three years of junior high
school.
2.3. Choices of market entry mode
2.3.1. Online marketing and websites- Making use of e-books would be very helpful. It
reminds the readers of the advertisement about the vitality of the accessing websites, in terms
of geography, devices and languages. The online portals such as the College Confidential and
the College Prowler are very popular among the Australian students as they are considered to
be the great platforms for sharing their candid thoughts regarding their own colleges as well
as the ones that they have visited. In the Chinese countries, the students turn to the
Chasedream.com. On the other hand, the VietAbroader is also geared towards helping the
Chinese students in finding opportunities for studying abroad. The Australian higher
education Institution could also consider the advertisement on these sites as well as for
monitoring their brand presence. One of the other website to take the best advantage is that of
the Wikipedia. It is to note that the pages of Wikipedia have broad reach and they are highly

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credible with the search engines. Creation of the Wikipedia pages in the local languages is
very inexpensive and they are also very easy for maintaining as one can limit it to an annual
review and update.
2.3.2. Printing-The Australian higher education Institution can also make use of print media
to cater the international students from China. Print media is not dead in China. In fact,
majority if the Chinese population still listen to radio and read newspaper on a daily basis. By
means of advertising in the local periodicals and that too in local language, the educational
providers of the Australian higher education Institution would be able to reach wider number
of audience as compared to the ones that are allowed by the online advertisement and the e-
mails. Making use of local print media, does not need any budget as well.
2.3.3. Webinars- Conducting webinars would also help to a great extent. The webinars for the
parents as well as the prospective undergraduate and postgraduate students along with the
faculties, both current and former ones in different languages, especially Chinese one could
be a great tactics for attracting these students to Australian higher education Institution.
Although at present, this strategy is under-utilised but this can actually foster and promote
direct communication and at the same time, make the Australian higher education institution
stand out from the rest.
2.3.5. Creating focus groups- Creation of focus groups about the current international
students would help the Australian higher education Institution in increasing its recognition
abroad and also for enhancing its understanding about the future recruiting and marketing
efforts. With the same, roundtable discussions are also one of the very valuable and efficient
means for gaining a deep understanding about the foreign students in order to first learn about
the school, whether they worked with agent or counsellor.

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2.4. Chosen entry mode
The chosen market entry mode is of the online marketing and using websites for
advertising and promoting the cause. This is due to the fact that it is one of the most notable
means of attracting Chinese students or any students in the contemporary world of improved
science and technology and overuse of internet. The Australia higher education Institutions
would make some really effective use of online space by focusing on huge range of new
platforms for the external communication and management. It would also make use of digital
platforms and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and for publishing
articles and blogs regarding the achievements of the current students studying here.
2.5. Framework of recruitment networks and channels
The chosen recruitment networks for the same would be of the various private
agencies and the school referrals. The private agencies would be paid for providing the
Chinese students with the data and information about the Australian higher education
Institution and catering more and more students. At the same time, Chinese schools would be
offered with money to make student referrals.
2.6. Promotional mix strategies for the channel members and international market
Product- For expanding our program offerings to attract new students from China, making
use of the alumna network would be great. With the same, we would also share the alumna
success stories. Also, for attracting students, we would also make use of writing blogs and
articles regarding the achievements of the present students from the Australian higher
education Institution. Moreover, the specific target audiences that this institution would
attract are the high school passed students who are seeking for completing their higher
education or attaining their undergraduate and post graduate degrees from some really
reputable organisations. Furthermore, about 1000 of international students from China are
likely to be enrolled in the Australian higher education Institution.

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Price- The tuition pricing strategy for the undergraduate programs in Australian higher
education Institution is that of ‘Program differential” (Pei & Friedel, 2017). It is to note that
the demand differs among the wide range of programs that are offered by any university or
institution. Australian higher education Institution would see which programs the
international students and their parents are perceiving as strong or otherwise the most
desirable ones as well as the ones that are comparatively less in demand. Australian higher
education Institution would also like to know the prestigious programs that are invariably
attracting the high-quality students in order to ensure that they can also offer them the same.
It is the market perception that positions the universities to charge more for programs that are
widely viewed as prestigious and popular, just as businesses charge consumers more for
sought-after products and services. With the same, it is also to mention for the graduate
programs, Australian higher education Institution would offer all the students at the same
price.
Place- The undergraduate and the post graduate programs would be offered to the
international students from the month of February (February end). The course length for the
undergraduate program would be of three years and that of the post graduate one would be
two years. We would also provide the students with online or distance courses as well.
3. Conclusion
Hence, from the above analysis it is to state that though China is having some of the
best institutions and universities in the world, still the educational quality of Chinese
education system is not up to the mark and this is making the domestic or local Chinese
students to look for foreign institutions in order to complete their higher education. This is
why China would be the best international market for recruiting students in the Australian
higher education Institution. To enter into the Chinese market, online advertising and
promotional modes would be used due to the fact that it would cater greater number of young

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students towards the fact. The Australia higher education Institutions would make some
really effective use of online space by focusing on huge range of new platforms for the
external communication and management. It would attract a total of 1000 international
students and would make use of Program differential strategies as its pricing strategy for the
undergraduate and post graduate programs.

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References:
Bason, C. (2018). Leading public sector innovation: Co-creating for a better society. Policy
Press.
Hertzke, A. D., & Shah, T. S. (Eds.). (2016). Christianity and Freedom: Volume 2,
Contemporary Perspectives. Cambridge University Press.
Kamal Basha, N., Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2016). International students’ university
preferences: how different are Malaysian and Chinese students?. International
Journal of Educational Management, 30(2), 197-210.
Li, F. (2016). The Internationalization of Higher Education in China: The Role of
Government. Journal of International Education Research, 12(1), 47-52.
Pei, S., & Friedel, J. N. (2017). The rising cost of being foreign: The impact of differential
tuition on International students. The Journal of Comparative and International
Higher Education, 9, 56-57.
Xiang, B. (2015). 13. The rise of China, changing patterns of out-migration and identity
implications. Handbook of Chinese Migration: Identity and Wellbeing, 278.