The impact of COVID-19 on marketing for higher education institutions in developing countries: the case of Lebanon

New marketing strategies, new perspectives, and new trends have emerged significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many higher education institutions are challenged to adapt to these rapid changes as well as to choose the right marketing approaches. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to explore the COVID-19 impact on marketing for Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in Lebanon and to discover the marketing practices applied by institutions amid the pandemic. Empirical data were gathered through 24 in-depth interviews for the aim of this study. Findings revealed that Lebanese institutions are expected to make substantial changes to their marketing in the COVID-19 business environment; these include new post-pandemic plans for a return to normalcy and shifts in marketing strategies toward digital reinforcement. This paper will help build a more robust theoretical body of knowledge regarding Higher Education Marketing (HEM) in the context of developing countries.