MAXIMIZE – University Student Journey Review

MAXIMIZE (Market Excellence in Education) is the most widely used tool for evaluating and benchmarking marketing orientation, culture, processes and systems in universities.

Originally developed in 2003, it is based on research into best practices in university student marketing in six countries from the UK, Northern Europe, North America, Australia and Asia. We have completed almost 50 evaluations across multiple continents with universities.

MAXIMIZE has been designed specifically for the university sector, and reflects the important role that people, culture, reputation and referral, courses, vision, the student experience and engagement play in the success of an institution.

It includes 95 best practice statements in 18 modules, against which your university can be evaluated using one or a combination of two methods outlined below.

How does MAXIMIZE work?

There are two methods that we can use to evaluate marketing performance:

1. MAXIMIZE Campus

This uses an online self-assessment questionnaire that has been derived from the statements of best practice. The questionnaire is completed by a defined stratified sample of university staff, including the senior management, marketers and academics with admissions, program leader or management roles.

FEATURES:

  • Generates a report containing benchmarking against the framework and other universities.
  • Highlights your strengths and weaknesses at a detailed and more strategic level.
  • Provides recommendations for action based on responses to the questions.

BENEFITS:

  • A great way to set a baseline against which to set targets and subsequently evaluate improvements.
  • Ensures that the review of marketing is strategic and captures perceptions from a range of academic, managerial and marketing perspectives.
  • A sound basis for setting priorities and for identifying specific areas where consultants might be able to add value through review and development.
  • An educative process that stimulates a more holistic way of thinking about what delivers success in student markets.
  • Allows internal perceptions of the university’s market orientation to be reality checked against the objective conclusions of an experienced education marketing consultant.

2. MAXIMIZE Review

An expert independent evaluation of your university that also incorporates the Campus component, this typically involves three stages:

  1. MAXIMIZE Campus self assessment and reporting is carried out.
  2. The lead consultant spends several days on campus interviewing staff and gathering evidence of current policy and practice, paying special attention to those areas that Campus has identified as being priority areas.
  3. Reports and presentations are prepared focussing on recommendations for action and advice on how improvements can be implemented.

BENEFITS:

  • A review and development tool to support modernisation of the whole university toward a market orientation
  • Enhancement of the student experience, referral and word of mouth recommendation.
  • Alignment of the institutions processes, culture and systems with expectations and preferences of today’s students and other stakeholders
  • Deeper and objective market based analysis of institutional and faculty strengths and weaknesses.
  • Face-to-face engagement with expert education consultants, creating greater buy in to subsequent change and allowing for real time advice to be offered.
  • A robust, independent assessment process that allows a University to be benchmarked over time.

Download more information
BACK