Marketing higher education: the MBA experience

Given the increasing competition in higher education, including that on MBA degrees, it is surprising that more attention has not been paid to marketing issues, such as are educational institutions really “customer‐oriented”?; do they choose the most appropriate market segments?; the complexities of the decision processes of the “buyers”. Looks first at general issues facing educational marketers, and then examines the marketing of MBA degrees in the light of theory, of previous survey data and of evidence arising from their collective experience. Concludes that, whether the “customer” is an individual student or a company, a greater understanding of buyer behaviour is needed; business schools should improve their marketing or stand accused of not practising what they preach.