Strategy Development Services

Benefits for clients

We identify strategies which aim to retain market share in particular subjects or postcodes. Other strategies aim to increase market share in growth markets or in situations where competitors are relatively weak.

Other benefits provided are:

  • Successful market entry
  • Increased ability to resist competitor threats
  • Better targeting of promotional support
  • Better organisation

Case Studies

University’s Strategy

EMP produced a part time undergraduate strategy for each of the seven faculties of a major UK university: market size, market shares, key competitors, demographics, postcodes, student age and gender analysis, assessment of competitiveness and strategies to implement. This led to an improved marketing strategy.

Changing University Management Attitudes & Processes

A division of a top university was faced with increasing competition but lacked a competitive focus in its senior management. EMP improved decision making by introducing regular competitive analysis into management reporting which was also incorporated into the division’s annual business plan.

for Universities & Colleges

Services we provide for clients

The ultimate benefit of all strategies is to improve the financial performance of the client HE provider by increasing its competitiveness. We do this by developing a number of competitive strategies. HE providers such as universities need competitive strategies which will maintain and increase their competitiveness, measured by FTEs, market shares and financial criteria. We highlight areas of opportunity as well as weak areas which need to be strengthened and defended. Situations are identified where new courses need to be developed.

From competitive analysis we develop for clients a coherent set of strategic options aiming to hold, recover or improve their competitive position. We make recommendations about where promotion should be targetted to take advantage of opportunities, or where it needs to be focused to defend the HE organisation against competitive threats. For clients we have:

  • Created strategic action plans for increasing income in UK undergraduate & postgraduate markets
  • Produced strategies to gain & retain competitiveness in the market
  • Made recommendations for organisational change that improved management decision making

Our understanding of the HE competitive environment comes from university course production and consultancy experience over a combined period of nearly 20 years.

What our clients say about us

“EMP’s strategy recommendations got us focusing on competitors most of us had ignored”
Marketing Manager, UK university
“Before EMP’s report new courses were decided without considering competitors.”
Academic, UK University