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Marketing Issues of the 1990s

Marketing Issues of the 1990s UP FRONT As adult and continuing educa- I. Mission. Late last year the continuing educators were intro- ation for both learners and providers. tion moves into the still-new decade adult educator John Ohliger wrote duced to the concept of clustering 4. System. Finally, we come to of the 199Os, the world of adult me saying that he thought integr- as a way of identifying demo- the evolution of systems in our learning is shifting. As managers ty would be a major issue in the graphic profiles. This concept business and the need for systems of programs, we will be encoun- 1990s. John Hand of the Colorado possesses enormous potential. of routine procedures. This will be tering new challenges. Free University, an independent Essentially, the task before us is one of the most difficult marketing The two major themes under- and private provider of general to link learners with our programs. issues to address in the next few lying change in the 1990s for interest classes, has also recently More specifically, it is to link given years, because our field is becom- adult and continuing educators come out advocating more quality demographic groups to specific types ing ever more splintered, frag are these: (1) Our programs are programming. You know some- of programs that best serve them. mented, and diverse. In particular, more sophisticated and advanced thing’s up when the private pro- 3. Customer sm’ce. That cus- we are noticing a widening gap today than they were as few as viders start talking about quality. tomer service is an integral part of between the most advanced pro- three years ago. We have made What’s up is the question of the marketing effort is now under- grammers and the smaller or tremendous advances in brochure mission. Adult and continuing stood, sometimes painfully so, by beginning programmers. design, program design, and educators have achieved great suc- all of us. It is key to retention, key As a result, you will hear more marketing. (2) While our pro- cesses in the 1980s. That success, to learning, key to our image. The and more from your colleagues grams have advanced, the learn- plus the new social scene of this question before us is, How do we that they are unique and that their ing society we are serving has decade, has caused us to re- adjust to a new relationship of program is unique, their situation also changed. There are new evaluate integrity in our program- customer service with our audience? is unique. They aren’t unique, of demographics, new technologies, ming and ultimately to reevaluate Just a few years ago companies course, but the field is experienc- and new learner demands. our mission. What is it we are and providers, including adult and ing a process of increasingly nar- In this issue of Adult Learning, about? And what are we market- continuing education programs, row segmentation. While none of I and the other editorial board mem- ing for? The question of mission did not provide customer service. us is unique, we are, increasingly, bers for this month’s theme pre- will be answered in a variety of And our participants did not expect more a part of a specific segment sent what we believe are some of ways. But our asking the question it either. They stood in lines at in adult and continuing education, the major areas of interest in mar- is a positive sign of maturity and registration, they waited for five rather than part of a whole or keting today. First, I will note that of our historic role as being part rings before the phone was answered, larger mass. adult and continuing educators in of the solution, rather than part of and they did not even ask about a Even with this diversity, how- the last ten years have come to have the problem. refund policy-there wasn’t any. ever, we will still need a move- a much clearer and more positive 2. Clustering and demographic Today North Americans expect ment towards routinization and concept of what marketing is. We pmJles. A major move is on the customer service. They’ve been systems. Until recently, we have have come to realize that market- way to try to target and under- told they deserve it, and by golly, seen one-shot answers, single im- ing is not evil, not a gimmick, stand our learners better. Market- they’re gonna get it. In the last six provements in marketing. Credit not hype. We now know we all do ing in the 1990s will be more spe- months customers have gotten cards is a good example. We now marketing and that marketing is a cific, more narrow in focus, more downright demanding about get- recognize that taking credit cards positive, two-way, communication total in approach. Instead of using ting things exactly the way they is a positive marketing strategy. process with our learners. We also a shot-gun newspaper ad that hits want them. And they want to be We need to move on to common understand that marketing is not the general public, we will be compensated if they don’t get understandings about registration a cure-all, a one-time package we isolating various target audiences what they want. systems, about teacher training, can buy, install, or complete. In- with specific demographic profiles. Can we afford customer service? and about other systems. stead, marketing is an ongoing Understanding those demographic Can we afford to double our re- The decade ahead will be a and changing challenge that is an groups is the first step. Hal Beder and fund rate? Can we provide exactly fascinating one, a complicated one, integral part of all our jobs. Thomas Valentine, for example, what each and every one of our a diverse one for learners and for When I was asked to be the have released a pioneering study participants wants, no matter how providers of adult and continuing guest editor of this issue, I was on the lifestyles of adult basic educa- different that request is from education programs. We have asked to comment on some of the tion learners, which appeared in another person’s? achieved much, and we still hold “burning issues” in marketing Adult Education Quarterly recently. And how can we NOT afford forth the promise of marketing in today. “Burning issues’’ is not The importance of research on customer service? We can’t return helping to achieve a learning overstating it a bit, as there are this topic should not be underesti- to the old days. So the question society for all. A mated, and it should not stop with several such critical issues in -one of real dollars and cents --by WiIIiam A. Draves marketing for adult and contin- the Bederlvalentine study. as well as one of service and image Guest Editor and executive uing education today. At the last LERN national con- -is how to establish a new rela- ference, and six months later at Here are the burning issues I tionship with our participants that director of tbe Learning see a! the top of the list: the NUCEA conference, adult and provides a mutually improved situ- Resources Network (LERN)). 6 A Adult Learning http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Adult Learning SAGE

Marketing Issues of the 1990s

Adult Learning , Volume 2 (1): 1 – Sep 1, 1990
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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1990 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
ISSN
1045-1595
eISSN
2162-4070
DOI
10.1177/104515959000200103
Publisher site
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Abstract

UP FRONT As adult and continuing educa- I. Mission. Late last year the continuing educators were intro- ation for both learners and providers. tion moves into the still-new decade adult educator John Ohliger wrote duced to the concept of clustering 4. System. Finally, we come to of the 199Os, the world of adult me saying that he thought integr- as a way of identifying demo- the evolution of systems in our learning is shifting. As managers ty would be a major issue in the graphic profiles. This concept business and the need for systems of programs, we will be encoun- 1990s. John Hand of the Colorado possesses enormous potential. of routine procedures. This will be tering new challenges. Free University, an independent Essentially, the task before us is one of the most difficult marketing The two major themes under- and private provider of general to link learners with our programs. issues to address in the next few lying change in the 1990s for interest classes, has also recently More specifically, it is to link given years, because our field is becom- adult and continuing educators come out advocating more quality demographic groups to specific types ing ever more splintered, frag are these: (1) Our programs are programming. You know some- of programs that best serve them. mented, and diverse. In particular, more sophisticated and advanced thing’s up when the private pro- 3. Customer sm’ce. That cus- we are noticing a widening gap today than they were as few as viders start talking about quality. tomer service is an integral part of between the most advanced pro- three years ago. We have made What’s up is the question of the marketing effort is now under- grammers and the smaller or tremendous advances in brochure mission. Adult and continuing stood, sometimes painfully so, by beginning programmers. design, program design, and educators have achieved great suc- all of us. It is key to retention, key As a result, you will hear more marketing. (2) While our pro- cesses in the 1980s. That success, to learning, key to our image. The and more from your colleagues grams have advanced, the learn- plus the new social scene of this question before us is, How do we that they are unique and that their ing society we are serving has decade, has caused us to re- adjust to a new relationship of program is unique, their situation also changed. There are new evaluate integrity in our program- customer service with our audience? is unique. They aren’t unique, of demographics, new technologies, ming and ultimately to reevaluate Just a few years ago companies course, but the field is experienc- and new learner demands. our mission. What is it we are and providers, including adult and ing a process of increasingly nar- In this issue of Adult Learning, about? And what are we market- continuing education programs, row segmentation. While none of I and the other editorial board mem- ing for? The question of mission did not provide customer service. us is unique, we are, increasingly, bers for this month’s theme pre- will be answered in a variety of And our participants did not expect more a part of a specific segment sent what we believe are some of ways. But our asking the question it either. They stood in lines at in adult and continuing education, the major areas of interest in mar- is a positive sign of maturity and registration, they waited for five rather than part of a whole or keting today. First, I will note that of our historic role as being part rings before the phone was answered, larger mass. adult and continuing educators in of the solution, rather than part of and they did not even ask about a Even with this diversity, how- the last ten years have come to have the problem. refund policy-there wasn’t any. ever, we will still need a move- a much clearer and more positive 2. Clustering and demographic Today North Americans expect ment towards routinization and concept of what marketing is. We pmJles. A major move is on the customer service. They’ve been systems. Until recently, we have have come to realize that market- way to try to target and under- told they deserve it, and by golly, seen one-shot answers, single im- ing is not evil, not a gimmick, stand our learners better. Market- they’re gonna get it. In the last six provements in marketing. Credit not hype. We now know we all do ing in the 1990s will be more spe- months customers have gotten cards is a good example. We now marketing and that marketing is a cific, more narrow in focus, more downright demanding about get- recognize that taking credit cards positive, two-way, communication total in approach. Instead of using ting things exactly the way they is a positive marketing strategy. process with our learners. We also a shot-gun newspaper ad that hits want them. And they want to be We need to move on to common understand that marketing is not the general public, we will be compensated if they don’t get understandings about registration a cure-all, a one-time package we isolating various target audiences what they want. systems, about teacher training, can buy, install, or complete. In- with specific demographic profiles. Can we afford customer service? and about other systems. stead, marketing is an ongoing Understanding those demographic Can we afford to double our re- The decade ahead will be a and changing challenge that is an groups is the first step. Hal Beder and fund rate? Can we provide exactly fascinating one, a complicated one, integral part of all our jobs. Thomas Valentine, for example, what each and every one of our a diverse one for learners and for When I was asked to be the have released a pioneering study participants wants, no matter how providers of adult and continuing guest editor of this issue, I was on the lifestyles of adult basic educa- different that request is from education programs. We have asked to comment on some of the tion learners, which appeared in another person’s? achieved much, and we still hold “burning issues” in marketing Adult Education Quarterly recently. And how can we NOT afford forth the promise of marketing in today. “Burning issues’’ is not The importance of research on customer service? We can’t return helping to achieve a learning overstating it a bit, as there are this topic should not be underesti- to the old days. So the question society for all. A mated, and it should not stop with several such critical issues in -one of real dollars and cents --by WiIIiam A. Draves marketing for adult and contin- the Bederlvalentine study. as well as one of service and image Guest Editor and executive uing education today. At the last LERN national con- -is how to establish a new rela- ference, and six months later at Here are the burning issues I tionship with our participants that director of tbe Learning see a! the top of the list: the NUCEA conference, adult and provides a mutually improved situ- Resources Network (LERN)). 6 A Adult Learning

Journal

Adult Learning – SAGE

Published: Sep 1, 1990

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