Hong Kong survey: Two key marketing takeaways

In Hong Kong we’ve just completed a survey of 1,200 students and parents regarding study abroad decision-making. Today we’ll look at two key messages underlined in the findings.

Takeaway #1: Alumni engagement is essential. 70 per cent of our respondents reported having family or close friends who have previously studied in their overseas study destination of choice. Many universities currently leave alumni activity to local associations, yet this finding suggests that interweaving these activities with the overall marketing strategy could pay dividends.

Q: Do you have extended family or close personal friends who have studied in your 1st choice of study destination?

Takeaway #2: Academic quality is still important, but decision factors might also be subtly shifting. In earlier Hong Kong research academic quality was clearly more important than anything else – with students being pushed by ‘tiger mums’ to work until they drop. Yet in our survey, “quality of life” has now popped up as the second-most important factor in higher education decisions, just ahead of safety and security.

Top responses: What are the most important factors to you when selecting a non-local education destination? (select all that apply)

The full findings of this survey will be presented at the SIEM conference in December. Please join us there for the session, “A Fresh Look at Mature Markets: Emerging Opportunities and Challenges in Hong Kong and Japan” to find out more.