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Marketing & branding

Internationalization has turned to be one of the salient characteristics of the global higher education (HE) market. As of today Israel is merely a small player in this market, even though Israel has numerous advantages, among them its high-quality HE system, "Startup Nation" reputation of entrepreneurship and innovation, unique tourist sites, and a multicultural and vivid culture to name a few.

On the other hand we need to overcome certain barriers: an unstable geopolitical situation, expensive living costs, and above all the perception that Israel is not a natural target for international students.

Branding is a set of perceptions and values attributed to a product or service (studies in Israel in our case) that lead customers to pay a premium.

Marketing is a set of activities aimed at producing and communicating offerings that carry value for customers.

 

Develop your marketing and branding strategy and activities:

 

Branding Israel as the preferred destination for potential candidates in the crowded global HE market is a critical challenge. Branding should support the question:

WHY choose to study in Israel out of all other destinations?

Or more specifically, why choose a certain Israeli institution out of all others in the world? Branding includes a process of identifying strengths and weaknesses, analyzing your image and setting a vision for the message you want to send to potential students.  

The “Study in Israel” brand is a result of extensive research, discussions and cooperation with Israel’s higher education institution:

 

It serves as an “umbrella” brand to Israeli institutions wishing to brand themselves for an international audience. Have a look at the Study in Israel Brand book 

 

Marketing focuses on identifying potential target audiences and reaching them through various media channels. Marketing should provide answers to: 

a.) WHO is your target audience?

Deep understanding of the characteristics and profile of your potential incoming student is crucial for attracting bright students to Israel. You can think about:

• Their academic profile – level of degree, fields of interests.
• Their cultural background – country, language, religion.
• Their demographics – age, gender, family status, socio-economic condition.
• Their activity pattern – use of social media, information source

 Have a look at the: 2019 QS international students’ survey

b.) WHAT are they going to study?

• What are you offering to this audience, in terms of study programs. Identifying your program’s advantages is order to highlight them, and clarifying your message for a specific marketing campaign is another important step.

            Here are examples for campaigns from around the world

• We are international – UK     
• You are welcome here - USA
• Chosen institution level campaigns of 2018 for inspiration – 1 + 2

 

Main Marketing Channels

Website: A good English website is a must when addressing to international students.

You can use the Study in Israel website as a marketing platform. Make sure your institution’s information and study programs are updated.

For any questions regarding the Study in Israel website, contact the CHE International affairs division -studyisrael@che.org.il

Another relevant platform is the Council for Higher Education’s English website. For any issues regarding the information on this website, contact the CHE spokesman department using the "contact us" section on the website.

 

Social Media

Facebook. Instagram, LinkedIn and other social networks are a key component in marketing in general and in higher education marketing specifically.

Study in Israel Facebook page, with over 25,000 followers, is another platform you can use to publish your achievements. You may also use the brand’s #studyinisrael #engageinexcellence. For collaborations contact studyisrael@che.org.il .

Study in Israel also has an Instagram account.

 

Conferences and Fairs

International higher education conferences are a good venue to reach out for potential students and form strategic international connections. Israel is a regular participant in several international conferences, mainly:

• NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo (USA).
• EAIE Annual Conference and Exhibition (Europe).
• IGSF – The China Scholarship council (CSC) International Graduate Scholarship Fair.

 

 

Alumni Engagement

 

In order to attract highly-qualified international students, universities and governments worldwide are increasingly relying on trusted, international alumni networks to connect directly with prospective students and promote the value of their academic offerings. Alumni are poised to engage personally with prospective students, and able to communicate their unique experiences relative to common cultural values and academic experiences of other students in their country of origin, field of study, and communities of practice. By leveraging alumni as a tool for global recruitment, universities provide prospective students with an additional personal touch and strengthen their own appeal as an ideal study destination.