All I want for Christmas is segmentation

Hello Uni chums. Everyone ok?


Looking forward to the break? Looking forward to consigning the Christmas jumper to the back of the cupboard and returning to more sensible work clothes.

AK relaxin' in civvies

As some of you may know, MARC's Market Research team is 'deep in' segmentation at the moment. Or what, at least, we're calling segmentation. Others will call it 'profiling with a bit of fancy analysis on the side'.

For some, segmentation is a process which takes years and involve a 20 minute attitudinal survey which a large proportion (and certainly the majority of the Uni's students) need to answer. It's the right way; the bells and whistles way. The way we could consider, and other unis could consider, if only people didn't have so many other things to do, and students not quite so many damned surveys to fill in.

Someone may recently have written a recent post all about how it's so hard to engage students in the recent past. It's not easy.

So, before we can run off into the sunset with the Rolls Royce 20 min, 600 response attitudinal survey which will generate a stack of data others can consider and use as the starting point of "proper segmentation", we'll take whatever we can from wherever we can. Good old geo-demographic data. Like instant noodles; quick, dirty and nourishing.


What's going on then?

Essentially, we're working to be more smart in the way we target visits - both from Recruitment and faculties - and communications to potential students. Targetting. You don't, after all, go into a caff and expect the owner to throw several plates of food at you at once, without thinking or asking what you as the customer might want to eat. Do you?

If you want more info on segmentation, let me know. The process we're looking at is "cheap and cheerful" and - relatively speaking - "speedy". Though of course, these things are all relative.

Segmentation is my number one priority. Definitely. Still, in the last two weeks, it's been unseated by urgent requests for data looking at PG fees and the market potential in the Middle East. The applicant survey's also been brought up and I'm now knee deep in that, while trying to fight a rearguard action against looking at the market potential from the former Soviet Republics and the End of Cycle report, which in typical UCAS fashion, is EXTENSIVELY reported.

Yeh, I know right? If someone made a film of my professional life, I'd be played by Lee Majors, no problem.

Lee - if you're reading this, you've got my number. Seriously; let's chat.

In other news, we had our Christmas dinner yesterday. It was great. You should have come. It was in Harpenden. We lowered the tone. Here are some of things which happened.

Party mode

Loading the Powerpoint UoB 'review of the year

Candy Man

I think the beer's off

David Fryer

"Class"

Twin Peaks/weird pudding (to left of phone)