Establishing and marketing an international branch campus: a case study of Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong

2014-02-18This study utilizes the 7P marketing framework (Ivy, 2008) to analyze the developmental process and the marketing and recruitment strategies necessary to successfully develop an international branch campus. The purpose of this study was to examine how Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Hong Kong’s branch campus established 14 academic programs and implemented strategies to recruit both undergraduate and graduate students. Specifically, the study analyzed the factors that influenced the establishment and promotion of SCAD’s international branch campus, how SCAD Hong Kong selected academic programs, the marketing practices SCAD Hong Kong developed and how SCAD Hong Kong’s strategies changed since inception. This case study used qualitative techniques including interviews, observations, and data analysis in order to understand the SCAD administrator perspective. Findings reveal that SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices were most influenced by the culture and open environment of Hong Kong, the significant market opportunities which made it a financially sustainable location, and the selection of academic programs that aligned with Hong Kong’s educational pillars and the needs and interests of prospective students. This case study used these findings to highlight the practices and procedures used by SCAD Hong Kong that could be used by other institutions for further development of their own international branch campuses