Research and Its Role in Marketing Educational Products
There are times when a company needs education market research, as they wish to improve their marketing efforts. To obtain the best results with education marketing, the provider they work with must have certain skills. In addition, they must offer various types of research to meet the needs of all clients. If either area is neglected, the client may not obtain the information they need. Exactly what skills are required and what type of research should be offered to obtain the optimal results?
First and foremost, the market research provider needs to understand schools. Each school comes with their own strengths and weaknesses, and the provider must be able to identify these to determine areas of opportunity. The school district can be very complex, and this company needs to be able to navigate through it, working with numerous individuals in the process. This can be very frustrating for a company offering educational materials, as they don't know who they need to talk to. Finally, the company must understand the realities of the current school system to know what will be effective and what will not.
To gather this information, the provider may use a variety of research techniques. Primary research comes in both the quantitative and qualitative form. This process needs to begin with an audit of the client's company and their products. In addition, the research provider needs to sit down and talk with key individuals in the organization to get a picture of where the company is at and where they wish to go with their products. At this time, the research provider may also speak with market experts to learn more about the competition and with customers who can provide feedback.
To supplement this primary research, the provider may also do field analysis and research, making use of information already available and industry connections, in an effort to accumulate more information. Scientifically based research may likewise be used at this time, to further add to the knowledge base. The more information the provider has, the easier it becomes to assist the client in forming actionable decisions they can make use of to grow their company. This needs to be the primary goal at all times.
