The role of marketing communications in student enrolment in private universities in Ghana

Bylon Abeeku Bamfo* and Bede Akorige Atara

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Business

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: babamfo.ksb@knust.edu.gh

Accepted  15  May  2013

Abstract

The provision of information to prospective customers by business organizations is very important in attracting and retaining them. Thus, marketing communications are very vital to the survival and/or success of every business organisation. This study seeks to investigate the role of marketing communications in attracting students to enrol in private universities in Ghana.  The study employed questionnaire and interviews in collecting data form current students and officials of selected private universities in Ghana.  A sample of 126 respondents was selected for the study; comprising students and admission/marketing officers from the selected private universities. Convenience sampling technique was adopted. The statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used for the analysis. The study among other things revealed that advertising was the most important tool in attracting students to enrol in private universities in Ghana. It is thus recommended that private universities rely heavily on advertising as a marketing communication tool in attracting prospective students into their institutions. However, considering the importance of the other elements of marketing communications, there is the need for integration. It can therefore be concluded that, for effective positioning and/or sustainable competitive advantage, private universities in Ghana will be better off if they invest more in advertising.

Keywords: Marketing communications, tertiary, education, advertising, personal selling, public relations, enrolment.