Services
Research & insight
Our education sector market research capability is unrivalled in our industry. Whether you want to identify a new market for a course or service, test the effectiveness of your advertising message, or explore perceptions of your brand identity, we’ll advise you at each stage in the process, employing the kinds of rigorous methodologies you can trust to deliver the facts and opinions you need.
We can offer a tailored research solution to meet each institution’s needs. We generally propose a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, employing the following techniques:
- Desk research using online resources
- Face to face in-depth interviews
- Focus groups
- Telephone interviews
- Postal and online questionnaires
- Street surveys
For examples of market research projects we’ve carried out, click here
Brand and reputation management
We do a great deal of work on branding for all types of colleges and universities. This can range from generic branding to something much more specific, such as employer branding.
Employer branding is concerned with what it is which makes a particular institution attractive as an employer and for this we look for unique selling points in most of its main recruitment markets. The brief is usually for academic or support staff. Different market research strategies are required for each. For example, with academic staff we might talk to academics or other staff in competitor institutions, while for support staff we might talk to large samples of the local population. Amongst the institutions we have conducted employer branding exercises for are the universities of Derby and Oxford.
When it comes to branding, we offer a wealth of experience, whether a client needs us simply to interpret its current brand and stay within corporate guidelines or develop an entire employer identity. Our approach is to work with client stakeholders to ensure that whatever we do meets with their approval, and sends the strongest, clearest and most positive messages about their institution into the market place.
For examples of recent projects, click here
Attraction
Education is facing some of its toughest HR challenges yet: recruitment problems in certain academic disciplines and administrative functions; competition from other employers for clerical and support staff; tighter recruitment budgets.
For student recruitment, the advent of top-up fees, increased competition, and future demographic changes mean there is an increasing need to explore innovative forms of media to target different audiences – whether these are professionals returning for postgraduate study, overseas students in emerging markets or local mature students for foundation degrees.
To our education clients, attraction means something much broader than mere advertising. Yes there’s still the press. But now there’s an ever-changing world of online marketing opportunities. Outdoor and broadcast campaigns can build awareness of your brand. Guerrilla marketing techniques and ambient media choices are further options to reach diverse audiences in the way they want to be reached.
Today, the choice of channels that can connect you to your talent markets is greater than ever. Supported by our award-winning creative teams and by our media arm, BZO (the UK’s leading recruitment media independent), we’re better equipped than anybody to help you make the most effective use of any or all of them.
For examples of recent projects, click here
Recruitment and HR solutions
Barkers is the UK's leading recruitment services provider. We deliver a comprehensive range of resourcing services, designed to help institutions attract, recruit and retain great people. You can find out more about our response management, candidate management, assessment and development capabilities by clicking here