Case study – how a business school blog can build stakeholder relationships and create added value in an MBA marketing program

Abstract

Innovation, market orientation, and creative collaboration allow the smartest – not necessarily the biggest – organizations to win in the marketplace. This approach to competitive strategy is applicable in a wide variety of market contexts including business, information, and professional services. In this case study, we explain how one business school delivered enhanced value for its two primary target markets – MBA students and the business community. This was accomplished by designing a strategic communication tool (a faculty blog) to gain a competitive edge in the crowded graduate business education market in South Florida. We clearly demonstrate that organizations can create and add value by activating and implementing corporate entrepreneurial processes, programs, and activities as part of their strategic and competitive marketing efforts. This can be in the form of customer relationship management-oriented blogs or other initiatives. Engaging current and prospective customers and stakeholders is extremely important to success in today’s service-driven competitive educational marketplace and marketspace.

Keywords:

• Blogs
• promotional strategy
• market orientation
• added value
• relationship marketing
• marketing education