The Strategic Role of Marketing Communications
A successful course launch depends heavily on clear, compelling marketing communications (Johne and Storey, 1998). Prospective students need to understand not only what they will study but why it matters for their personal and professional goals. This is particularly important for new or interdisciplinary courses, where students may be less familiar with potential career outcomes (Storey et al. 2016).
Integrating Launch Planning from the Start
Effective course promotion is most successful when integrated early in course development (Wind and Mahajan, 1997). Early engagement allows marketing and academic teams to co-create value propositions, design messaging around key differentiators and prepare campaign materials that speak directly to prospective students’ motivations and concerns.
Post-Launch Monitoring and Adjustment
The launch is only the beginning. Post-launch monitoring, including applicant feedback, enrolment data, competitor analysis, and graduate outcomes, provides essential information for refining course content and promotion strategies. Continuous improvement ensures courses remain attractive and aligned with evolving student and industry needs.
Universities that invest in comprehensive, strategically aligned course launches maximise their ability to attract students early on, meet institutional targets, and build sustainable programmes that deliver long-term impact.
References
Johne, A. and Storey, C. (1998) ‘New service development: a review of the literature and annotated bibliography’, European Journal of Marketing, 32(3/4), pp. 184-251.
Storey, C., Cankurtaran, P., Papastathopoulou, P. and Hultink, E.J. (2016) ‘Success Factors for Service Innovation: A Meta-Analysis’, Product Development and Management Association, 33(5), pp. 527–548.
Wind, J. and Mahajan, V. (1997) ‘Issues and Opportunities in New Product Development: An Introduction to the Special Issue’, Journal of Marketing Research, 34(1), pp. 1-12.
