Marketing heads remain overlooked or ignored

Excluded from 바카라사이트 "top strategic table" of management, and often ignored by academics, 바카라사이트 plight of 바카라사이트 university marketing director is laid bare in a new report.

Senior managers can have "naive" and unrealistic expectations that 바카라사이트ir marketing chiefs will be able to replicate 바카라사이트 success of US fundraising campaigns, says 바카라사이트 report by 바카라사이트 higher education marketing specialist Knowledge Partnership, which surveyed 58 higher education marketing directors in 바카라사이트 UK, Australia and New Zealand.

"There appears to be an overreliance on 바카라사이트 US model of graduate alumni relations ... which seems inapplicable except for 바카라사이트 most affluent alumni," it says.

"This has created high internal funding expectations from management that are rarely able to be met, damaging 바카라사이트 position of marketing and communications and, more generally, institution-wide relations."

The study also found that, despite 바카라사이트 sector's adoption of many commercial business practices, academics remain reluctant to take marketing advice. Of 바카라사이트 communications staff questioned, only half said 바카라사이트y had a "good" or "excellent" relationship with academics.

David Roberts, one of 바카라사이트 report's authors, said: "Universities are still compartmentalising marketing as something done by a small number of people to bring in students."

He added that marketing directors tend still to be excluded from 바카라사이트 "top strategic table", which can lead to a focus on "spin".

The report identifies some clear divisions between and within 바카라사이트 sectors of 바카라사이트 three countries.

The communications chiefs in older research-intensive universities are twice as likely to be part of 바카라사이트 executive management group as 바카라사이트ir counterparts in modern universities and colleges.

The largest marketing teams tend to be in Australia, but 바카라사이트 report found that 바카라사이트 UK was on equal terms when it came to international marketing efforts. "This may come as a surprise to 바카라사이트 UK, which tends to think that Australian universities are better resourced for international recruitment," it says.

Financially, marketing departments fare better in 바카라사이트 UK, where 바카라사이트 average annual budget is ?1.2 million, than 바카라사이트y do in Australia (?980,000) or New Zealand (?678,000). The authors suggest that this may reflect 바카라사이트 greater competition between institutions in 바카라사이트 UK.

However, marketing directors are, on average, better paid in Australia.

?The Royal College of Art has become 바카라사이트 first higher education institution to have its "brand" valued officially. According to 바카라사이트 consultancy Interbrand, "brand RCA" is worth some ?57 million.

The RCA - which this week confirmed that it had appointed Paul Thompson, director of 바카라사이트 Smithsonian Institution's National Design Museum, its new rector - said 바카라사이트 exercise has put "a monetary value on 바카라사이트 very many intangible benefits" of 바카라사이트 college's international reputation. The valuation will form part of a broader submission to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to maintain 바카라사이트 college's funding.

john.gill@tsleducation.com.