The educational establishment under consideration is the University of South Whales. This is a world-class institution that is committed to delivering quality globally. It has been embracing inclusivity, implying that it is targeting students from the entire world. Despite the fact that the university is appealing to the global market, it still faces a risk due to the lack of double coincidence of wants. Consequently, some students from the various parts of the world may not be able to obtain what they require from the institution. Therefore, it is necessary to provide market segmentation strategy in order to reach more precisely the consumer with specific needs and wants. Despite the fact that the university has campuses in Pontypridd, Newport, and Cardiff, there is a gap in the sense that there are no flexible programs that can be pursued at the convenience of the students from the entire world while upholding quality and leisure. This requires a market segmentation strategy that prioritizes convenience for all the students. The selected segments are distance learners, traditional-age college students with jobs, single working parents and the adults with families and careers.
Distance Learners
Any student that does not live within 25 miles from the university will be considered as a distant learner. In most cases, these learners prefer to pursue their education without necessarily being in regular face-to-face contact with a teacher in a lecture hall. It is evident that about 270,000 students pursuing their first degrees prefer distance learning. Consequently, another characteristic of this segment is their willingness to engage with the learning materials at work or home (Armstrong & Kotler, 2015).
The need of this segment is the availability of courses. This will provide the students with the flexibility to study from any geographical location but within a supportive and structured framework that will enable them to combine achievement of a qualification with other commitments. Another need for the segment is tutorial support, which one can avail through a virtual learning environment, such as email, telephone and other electronic platforms. There may only be occasional face-to-face encounters with the lecturers to reinforce the learning process.
The Traditional-Age University Students with Jobs
The afore-mentioned group includes both those students that are off-campus and those that are on-campus. It comprises students who are likely to work for at least 20 hours to 40 hours in a week. Irrespective of whether these students are on-campus or off-campus, they require corresponding courses. Moreover, it is important that these courses give them much convenience and help them to save time in order they can be gainfully employed to meet their costs as well as be able to successfully pursue their degrees.
According to the afore-mentioned information, the major need of this segment is time and convenience to be able to successfully balance between work and schooling as well as some leisure activities (Armstrong & Kotler, 2015). Jobs are equally important to these students and therefore they cannot refuse from them. In addition, it is necessary to organize the courses in such a way that they are availed when these students need them, at the time of the day which is suitable for both parties. Another possibility is the attempt to partner with some of the major organizations, with which these students work. Consequently, the organizations can also consider the fact that these employees require attention, hence the need to provide them necessary support. This can also serve as a marketing strategy aimed at involving more students from these organizations. They may also be leisure-learners whose motive for seeking higher education is recreational value or entertainment provided due to those services.
Single Working Parents
It is worth noting that these are the parents who have lost or divorced from their spouses. The demands of single parenting create the necessity for them to seek more convenient, but quality programs to pursue. In addition, they may be required to balance work, parenting, and schooling. Despite all these demands, this segment consists of people whose aim is to get the best education from a world-class university. Therefore, they seek the institutions, which ensure such provisions. Considering the obligations of the customers within the segments, there is a possibility that they will prefer those programs that will not make them susceptible to burnout. Therefore, their courses should be handled in a liberal manner (Armstrong & Kotler, 2015).
The fundamental needs of this market segment are not only convenience but also the access to programs, which empower them. They are career learners in the sense that they seek specific preparation and skills that will enhance their chances for successful mobility, advancement, and security. These individuals also need to boost their chances for career satisfaction, improved compensation and advancement in the social class.
Adults with Families and Careers
Ideally, the presence of children as well as the number of hours dedicated to work is a significant predictor of the demand for courses offered by South Whales University. This segment consists of people who have children as well as demanding careers, which require equal care. Moreover, combination of all these variables results into a market segment that comprises people who are more likely to be older than those within the traditional college age bracket. They have additional responsibility for their family and career, which they greatly appreciate. Therefore, it is necessary to consider these requirements when choosing the kinds of the tertiary institution that will assist them to achieve academic goals (Armstrong & Kotler, 2015).
Despite the fact that the customers in this segment need convenience, their primary motive is to access the educational services, which can assist them to improve their state of mind, expand their general knowledge, engage in their personal activities, realize their potential, and also be able to achieve their goals. They are also motivated by the need for self-actualization.
Core Pitches to Be Delivered
Evidently, the core pitches to be delivered to these segments are convenience or flexibility, quality, and leisure. Convenience becomes the most important aspect because the customers come from different parts of the world, whereas most of them engaged in other activities other than just learning. Quality of the education services is also important because these students intend to use education in order to propel them to the next level. This is more relevant to the single working parents and adults with families and careers. Distant learners and the traditional-age university students with jobs may be inclined towards higher preferences for leisure (Armstrong & Kotler, 2015).
Conclusion
In conclusion, distant learners majorly require the flexibility to study from any geographical location. They will be available at different time of the day, implying that the services should be at their disposal according to their schedules. The traditional-age university students with jobs may be both on campus or off-campus. Therefore, they seek convenience as well as some leisure and quality courses that will assist them to achieve their goals. Single working parents will be more aggressive about self-actualization and need corresponding flexibility due to parenting and the work obligations. Adults with families and careers also need self-actualization. However, they have a lot of obligations regarding their work and family requirements. The four segments mentioned above tend to have characteristics that make them unique. Convenient offered online courses prove to be the best options for these segments. However, the demands may differ in different places regarding quality expectations and flexibility.
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