| This is a case study which examines the uses and origins of marketing practices within the Harvard College Admissions Office. Harvard is the nation's oldest and arguably most selective undergraduate institution. It receives more than eight times in applications the number of students it can actually enroll. By this surface standard alone, the institution would appear to present no reason to employ marketing strategies. But Harvard does appear to have engaged in certain forms of marketing since the turn of the twentieth century. In recent years, increased competition and demographic imbalances have heightened awareness and use of marketing tools among college and university officials. This inquiry focuses on the following questions: What marketing tactics has Harvard employed, if any? How were they implemented and why? How closely do such practices conform to several widely acknowledged theories of market behavior, namely, market research, marketing mix, and enrollment management?;The study is qualitative in nature. It attempts to capture the marketing phenomenon from within the institution's history and by learning about it from those most responsible for defining its operational dimensions. It relies on interpretation of data drawn from participant observation, in-depth interviews with key administrative personnel, and extensive document analysis. By exploring these matters within an elite institution, the study contributes to the rather limited base of knowledge surrounding marketing within higher education. Previous studies have tended to consider the marketing process only in institutions facing obvious exigency and decline. |
