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Establishing and marketing an international branch campus: a case study of Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong

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Establishing and marketing an international branch campus: a case study of Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong

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Content Running head: ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 1
ESTABLISHING AND MARKETING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS:
A CASE STUDY OF SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN HONG KONG

by

Lauren Thomas Opgenorth

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2014

Copyright 2014 Lauren Thomas Opgenorth
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 2
Acknowledgements
This dissertation would not have been possible without the support of several individuals.
I want to thank SCAD for connecting me with the key people involved with the
developmental process of its international branch campus. Without their knowledge and insight,
I would not have been able to complete this case study.
USC Career Center colleagues – For the last eight years, you have supported my
educational pursuits and reviewed numerous drafts for which I would like to say a special word
of thanks. I will continue to remain committed to your professional development.
Dr. Mark Robison and Dr. Mike Diamond – I would like to recognize my chairs for
guiding our thematic group over the last two years. This experience has been a marathon, but
thank you for believing in me and my evolving topic. Dr. Pat Tobey, from PASA to the Division
of Student Affairs and now to my dissertation committee, you’ve been incredibly supportive and
genuine throughout my time at USC.
Team R & D – I am deeply grateful for your collaboration, friendship, and humor. I
could not think of a better group of individuals to share in this experience.
Mom and Dad – Thank you for instilling the importance of education at a young age.
Every step of the way, you always believed in my educational pursuits, and I cannot express my
gratitude for your encouragement and unconditional love.
My husband, John – I cannot thank you enough for supporting my academic and
professional aspirations. I truly appreciate your dedication and patience as I completed my
doctorate. I look forward to the next chapter of our lives, dissertation free.
Each individual had an impact on my USC Ed.D. experience and I am forever grateful. I
dedicate this dissertation to all those who touched my life during my student days at USC.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 3
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements 2

Abstract 5

Chapter One: Overview of the Study 6
Background on International Education 6
Higher education in Hong Kong 8
Savannah College of Art and Design 8
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 12
Research Questions 13
Significance of the Study 14
Limitations 15
Delimitations 16
Definitions 16
Organization of the Study 17

Chapter Two: Literature Review 18
Globalization 18
Internationalization 20
International Branch Campuses 25
Benefits and challenges associated with international branch campuses 29
Hong Kong 35
Higher Education in Hong Kong 36
Impact of the 3+3+4 Reform 38
Hong Kong branch campuses 40
Higher Education Marketing 42
Entry models 44
Higher education marketing strategies 45
Higher education recruitment procedure 48
Marketing for branch campuses 49
7P Marketing Framework 51
Conclusion 53

Chapter Three: Methodology 54
Research Questions 54
Research Design 55
Population and Sample 56
Instrumentation 58
Interview Protocol 59
Data Collection 59
Data Analysis 61
Validity and Reliability 63
Conclusion 64
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 4
Chapter Four: Results 65
SCAD Case Study Overview 66
Background on SCAD – The University of Creative Careers 67
SCAD: Involvement with Government Agencies 71
Research Questions 75
Overarching research question: What factors influenced the creation and
implementation of SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices for its
international branch campus? 75
Sub-question 1: The first sub-question asked on what basis did SCAD
Hong Kong select its 14 academic programs? 85
Sub-question 2: What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit
undergraduate and graduate students to its branch campus? 94
Sub-question 3: Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing strategies
changed since its inception and if so, what changes have been applied? 109
Table 1: 7P Marketing Framework Concepts Align with International Branch
Campus Establishment 119
Conclusion 122

Chapter Five: Discussion 124
Summary 124
Research Questions 127
Overarching research question: What factors influenced the creation and
implementation of SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices for
its international branch campus? 127
Sub-question 1: On what basis did SCAD Hong Kong select its initial 14
academic programs? 127
Sub-question 2: What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit
undergraduate and graduate students to its branch campuses? 128
Sub-question 3: Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing
strategies changed since its inception and if so, what changes have been applied? 129
Discussion and Analysis 130
Physical space 133
Evaluating the results of SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing efforts 134
Recommendations for Practice 137
Recommendations for Research 140
Conclusion 144

References 145
Appendix: Interview Protocol by 7P Marketing Framework Factors 159

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 5
Abstract
This study utilizes the 7P marketing framework (Ivy, 2008) to analyze the developmental process
and the marketing and recruitment strategies necessary to successfully develop an international
branch campus. The purpose of this study was to examine how Savannah College of Art and
Design (SCAD) Hong Kong’s branch campus established 14 academic programs and
implemented strategies to recruit both undergraduate and graduate students. Specifically, the
study analyzed the factors that influenced the establishment and promotion of SCAD’s
international branch campus, how SCAD Hong Kong selected academic programs, the marketing
practices SCAD Hong Kong developed and how SCAD Hong Kong’s strategies changed since
inception. This case study used qualitative techniques including interviews, observations, and
data analysis in order to understand the SCAD administrator perspective. Findings reveal that
SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices were most influenced by the culture
and open environment of Hong Kong, the significant market opportunities which made it a
financially sustainable location, and the selection of academic programs that aligned with Hong
Kong’s educational pillars and the needs and interests of prospective students. This case study
used these findings to highlight the practices and procedures used by SCAD Hong Kong that
could be used by other institutions for further development of their own international branch
campuses.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 6
Chapter One: Overview of the Study
Globalization and internationalization changed the way individuals participate in higher
education. Students have myriad postsecondary options such as traditional institutions, online
educational technology, joint degree programs, and offshore campuses. These developments
provide students with the benefit of educational opportunities in countries where the higher
education system lacks sufficient internal capacity to meet local demand (Altbach & Knight,
2007). International branch campuses exemplify this internationalization and positively
contribute to the expansion of global higher education. While these offsite entities provide
numerous incentives, transnational education providers face a significant amount of risk in the
form of costly start-up expenses and mandated regulations by the host country’s government.
However, branch campuses offer institutions the opportunity to enhance their global image,
increase revenue and further develop their goals through educational development. There are
over 200 branch campuses in operation worldwide and dozens more in development (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012). Much of the existing research regarding these campuses focuses on the
quality and sustainability of these providers. This study examined the development of an
international branch campus by specifically analyzing how Savannah College of Art and Design
Hong Kong (SCAD Hong Kong) established academic programs and implemented marketing
strategies to recruit prospective students.
Background on International Education
Globalization is defined as the political, economic, and societal forces moving higher
education toward increased international involvement (Altbach & Knight, 2007). Although
governments recognize that colleges and universities play an important role in meeting the
challenges associated with globalization (Armstrong, 2007), two of the largest obstacles that
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 7
institutions face are “mass consumerism and global capitalism” (Scott, 2000, p. 4). Nevertheless,
the continuously evolving phenomenon of globalization has a positive impact on society’s access
to education in the form of an increase of knowledge that provides national economic benefits
(Altbach, 2004a). With an increasingly integrated global economy, universities may develop
additional programs to expand into new markets and improve existing higher education offerings
offshore.
The response to globalization has been a rise in internationalization, which Altbach and
Knight (2007) describe as the “commercialization of international higher education,” offering
educational and cultural opportunities to a nation (p. 291). As a result, three types of
international education initiatives have evolved. Initially, students studying at a foreign
institution traveled to another country to enroll at a local institution. This study abroad initiative
continues, yet the concept of international education has expanded further. The second initiative
depicts the movement of international programs and providers (Knight, 2011). One example of a
formal alliance is “twinning:” an institutional partnership that requires students to complete part
of their studies at an offshore foreign partner institution and part of their degree back onshore
(Armstrong, 2007, p. 132). Governments and institutions eagerly develop these partnerships
(Oleksiyenko, 2011) since the monetary and reputational benefits serve as motivation for these
international programs and providers. The third initiative involves the creation of branch
campuses, thereby allowing students to pursue a degree from an international provider in their
home country or region.
Since 2006, international branch campuses have increased in numbers by 43%, showing
their dominance of the international marketplace (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). These offshore
campuses appear to develop as quickly as other business-like industries (Mazzarol, Soutar &
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 8
Seng, 2003). As more international campuses open their doors, these universities will be forced
to distinguish themselves from the competition. Towards this effort, Lane and Kinser (2011)
indicate that opening branch campuses grants institutions greater flexibility and potential to
target their enrollment figures to a larger degree than the home campus can control. In addition,
institutions need to identify the prospective market, both domestically and internationally
(Krachenberg, 1972) because, as the number of international branch campuses increases, these
offsite programs must meet the specialized demands of each market.
The advancement of international education continues to transform the industry, and
educational providers must meet their customer’s needs. One important method of meeting
demand is the development of branch campuses to provide both degree and non-degree options
in foreign locations. This study investigated how one such offshore campus developed its
academic programs and implemented marketing strategies to recruit students at the newest
location.
Higher education in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a densely populated, cosmopolitan city
with over seven million residents. Ninety-five percent of the inhabitants are Chinese. English
and Cantonese, the Chinese dialect, are the official languages. For more than 150 years, Hong
Kong was ruled by Britain and had a two-university system until China gained sovereignty on
July 1, 1997 (Postiglione, 2004). On that date, Hong Kong became a Special Administrative
Region of the People’s Republic of China, governed under the one country, two systems
principle (Law, 2004). With the exception of its military and foreign affairs, which it shares with
China, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy (The Basic Law, 2012).
In comparison to mainland China, Hong Kong experiences a relatively free market
(McBurnie & Ziguras, 2001). However, while a laissez-faire approach influences the
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 9
development of its economy, greater government guidelines manage the educational system.
Foreign colleges and universities operating in Hong Kong are required to register academic
courses with the government in one of two ways: institutions can either obtain approval for
individual courses or garner recognition as a local establishment. While this policy limits the
number of foreign universities, the requirement serves as an important gatekeeper on quality
assurance and as a mechanism to protect consumers (Chan & Ng, 2008). Additional details
regarding these regulations are discussed in the literature review in Chapter Two.
The Hong Kong Development Bureau focuses on the growth of the economy. In some
cases, this agency’s work closely relates to the work of the Hong Kong Educational Bureau,
which establishes the policies, reform, and direction for the entire education system. Higher
education in Hong Kong consists of eight public universities – three research universities, two
polytechnic universities, two general studies universities, and a self-financed open university
(Postiglione, 2004). The Education Commission (2000) was created to address community
needs and developed an objective to assemble a diverse, global community to provide Hong
Kong with a competitive advantage in several areas of expertise: Chinese, English, Mathematics,
Personal, Social and Humanities Education, Science, Technology, Art, and Physical Education
(Law, 2004). As a means of enhancing the educational offerings in these subjects, the city
looked for ways to diversify its programs and increase the number of foreign providers
(Oleksiyenko, Cheng & Yip, 2012). Under British rule, Hong Kong was once known for its
elitism, but the modern government focused its efforts on improving diversity in enrollment and
international partnerships. Hong Kong is now recognized as “one of the busiest higher education
centres” in Asia due, in part, to its numerous educational partnerships with foreign institutions
(Willis, 2001, p. 40).
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 10
With the opening of branch campuses, Hong Kong’s determination to become an
educational hub reached new heights in the offering of discounted real estate and the relaxation
of student visa requirements (Hennock, 2010). In the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region, four branch campuses have been established, enhancing local university opportunities.
Students can enroll at the following institutions (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012): Baruch College,
City University of New York (USA), Manchester Business School (United Kingdom), Savannah
College of Art and Design (USA), and University of Western Ontario (Canada).
Savannah College of Art and Design. In September 2010, SCAD Hong Kong opened
its first Asian branch campus in a former magistracy building in North Kowloon. Students from
20 different countries have enrolled in 14 degree programs across eight academic areas:
Advertising, Animation, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interactive Design and Game
Development, Motion Media Design, Photography and Visual Arts (Savannah College of Art
and Design: SCAD FAQ, 2012). The popularity of SCAD’s courses allowed its graduates to
secure internships and full-time positions at a number of Hong Kong organizations.
The government’s current policy provides access and opportunity to local students by
luring foreign institutions with inexpensive land. The Hong Kong Development Bureau selected
SCAD from more than 100 educational partners to preserve and rejuvenate its existing court
building, and, after significant research, this prestigious American institution created a campus in
Hong Kong upon determining this location ideal because of student popularity and well-
established connections among alumni, donors, and employers (Savannah College of Art and
Design: SCAD FAQ, 2012). The institution paid a symbolic fee, about US$0.13 or HK$1 (Hong
Kong dollar), for a 10-year lease (Hennock, 2010). Hong Kong expects this concept to
strengthen the city’s image as a global competitor in comparison to other Chinese cities such as
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 11
Shanghai (Hennock, 2010). While the initial costs seemed inconsequential, the institution later
invested US$32.1 million in the Hong Kong site (Hennock, 2010). In addition to restoration
costs, the government required the building to retain specific features of the historic venue,
including the jail cells, the witness stand, and rows of public benches (Hennock, 2010). In light
of the administrative demands, SCAD maintained the exterior while carefully converting the
interior into a high-tech media center.
SCAD Hong Kong served as the location for this case study. Specifically, this study
analyzed how SCAD Hong Kong selected its academic programs and created marketing
strategies to recruit students because the development of these practices in branch campuses is an
area that has not received much attention in the literature.
Statement of the Problem
In response to globalization and internationalization, hundreds of institutions have
established offshore campuses. In a study of these institutions, Singh (2012) indicated that
administrators need to be deliberate when establishing international branch campuses. Given the
unpredictability associated with the development of a branch campus, new research is needed to
understand how an institution identifies and enters a new location and how it implements
recruiting tactics specific to that market. Although the unfamiliarity of a new environment can
pose a challenge for administrators, branch campuses offer crucial educational opportunities to
students in the region (Armstrong, 2007), and administrators can highlight the value of such
opportunities through their marketing and recruitment stratagems. These techniques are vital to
the long-term success of branch campuses and need to be carefully examined. Furthermore, the
development of effective approaches, as a growing concern in the education sector, requires
further research.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 12
The closure of a number of branch campuses demonstrates the challenge associated with
these ventures. Branch campuses associated with University of New South Wales (Singapore)
and George Mason University (United Arab Emirates) withdrew their programs in 2007 and
2009, respectively (Becker, 2009). Lane (2011) suggests that these campuses failed due to their
inability to acclimate to the local environment, errors in their business plans, or limitations on the
number of qualified students. Lawton and Katsomitros (2012) explain that some higher
education institutions need to inspect the market trends for their academic programs in the host
country. In establishing potential branch campuses, universities need to research such potential
challenges beforehand and create effective plans for overcoming these obstacles.
In response to globalization, universities expanded their academic offerings by opening
branch campus locations around the world. These programs provide opportunities to students
who are otherwise unable to travel to the home campuses. While these developments offer
additional educational options in world-class locations such as Dubai and Singapore, careful
planning and execution must go into the launch of such campuses. An institution must research
the prospective location and familiarize itself with the possible market in order to determine the
appropriate academic institution and programs. After this initial consideration, suitable outreach
and recruitment efforts are critical to the success of the branch campuses. University
stakeholders must recognize the local implications of their efforts and build regional partnerships
to ensure academic programs meet a particular need within an available niche in the new
environment. This outreach and cooperation is imperative to the success of international branch
campuses.
Purpose of the Study
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 13
SCAD Hong Kong enrolled its first cohort of students in September 2010, so it served as
an ideal case study location to analyze the successes and failures of a recent branch campus
launch through the framework of the 7Ps marketing model (Ivy, 2008). This framework is
comprised of seven factors: product, price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical (Ivy,
2008). Each aspect influences the service offered by an educational institution. The structure of
this model is discussed in more detail in Chapter Two.
To better understand the developmental process for creating an international branch
campus, this study examined how SCAD Hong Kong’s branch campus established its academic
programs and implemented marketing and recruitment practices. Specifically, this case study
analyzed how SCAD Hong Kong selected academic programs and created marketing strategies
to recruit prospective students. Given the relative lack of data regarding the development and
marketing of offshore campuses, this study may provide valuable research and insight into the
process of generating an offshore campus and administering practices to attract both
undergraduate and graduate students. Through proper identification of the market and tailored
student recruitment practices, administrators can better understand the experience and decision-
making process involved in the development of a branch campus.
Research Questions
This qualitative case study focused on the following overarching question and three sub-
questions:
Overarching research question:
 What factors influenced SCAD Hong Kong’s creation and implementation of marketing
and recruitment practices for its international branch campus?
Sub-question 1:
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 14
 On what basis did SCAD Hong Kong select its 14 academic programs?
Sub-question 2:
 What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit undergraduate and
graduate students to its branch campuses?
Sub-question 3:
 Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing strategies changed since its
inception and, if so, what changes have been applied?
Significance of the Study
With numerous branch campuses continuing to open each year, it is essential that
administrators understand the importance of market identification, entry, and development.
Although this concept is more commonly associated with the business world, marketing is a
feasible approach for expanding higher education to an international audience (Maringe, 2006).
Institutional leaders must acknowledge local influences on the target audience and implement
student recruitment policies accordingly. In doing so, universities can better understand ways to
enter an overseas location and develop innovative approaches to attract foreign undergraduate
and graduate students. This study contributes to the existing data on international branch
campuses and serves as a basis for future research on entering foreign markets. As additional
institutions continue to expand, domestic and international institutions looking to develop
offshore campuses can benefit from this information. Current research does not adequately
identify challenges to site entry by location although this information is critical for the
sustainability of branch campuses and their success in a consumer-driven environment.
Administrators can use these data to target and reach their customers more effectively than their
competition. With more information regarding entry models and practices, branch campuses and
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 15
home institutions can learn about their intended location and build programs that influence the
target society.
Limitations
This case study presented a number of limitations related to the constraints of the
methodology. A single case study site was used to conduct interviews, document analysis, and
observations to address the perceived market and student recruitment practices of one institution.
Specifically, this case identified the reasoning behind the choice of academic programs and the
marketing strategies necessary to recruit students at an art and design branch campus in Hong
Kong. Patton (2002) mentions that researchers cannot generalize from limited samples, and, as a
result, the findings from this study may not be generalizable to all international branch campuses
or to those institutions in the region. Aside from the single site, this institution features fourteen
different academic programs, leading to both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, from creative
fields such as Design, Photography, and Advertising. These tailored fields of interest might not
translate across areas of study such as business, engineering, and information technology.
Beyond the site and type of institution for this case study, the researcher also confronted
limitations related to data collection. Interview bias between the researcher and the participant
represented a challenge addressed by creating descriptive questions to ensure the neutral wording
accurately formatted the participants’ authentic experience (Patton, 2002). Another limitation
relates to document analysis in that the challenge of gaining access, understanding the data and
reporting the findings can restrict the depth of research.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 16
Delimitations
This study focused on the establishment of a Hong Kong branch campus and the student
marketing and recruitment practices from an administrator’s perspective. Due to the limited
sample and length of time, concerns over sustainability and quality assurance of academic
programs were not examined. While Hong Kong’s government has significant authority over
regulation ordinances, government officials were not contacted for interviews or additional
insight into the development process in establishing a branch campus. This case study did not
determine the challenges or successes of SCAD’s branch campus in Hong Kong. Instead, the
data identified the establishment in Hong Kong and the marketing practices to recruit students at
SCAD’s newest international branch campus.
Definitions
The following definitions were used throughout this study:
Cross-border – the movement of people, knowledge, programs, providers, and curriculum across
national or regional jurisdictional borders (Knight, 2006)
Globalization – economic, political, and societal forces pushing 21
st
century higher education
toward greater international involvement (Altbach & Knight, 2007)
International Branch Campus – an offshore entity of a higher education institution operated by
the institutions or through a joint venture in which the institution is a partner in the name of the
foreign institution (Altbach, 2010)
Internationalization – response to the impact of globalization, such as international cooperation
(Chan, 2004)
Massification – the movement to mass participation, rather than elitism in higher education
(Maringe & Gibbs, 2009)
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 17
Transnational Education – any teaching or learning activities in which students are in a different
country (the host country) from that in which the institution providing the education is based (the
home country) (Heffernan & Poole, 2005)
Organization of the Study
This dissertation is comprised of five chapters. Chapter One introduced the background,
problem, purpose, research questions, and significance involving marketing strategies at an
established international branch campus. Chapter Two analyzes the existing literature on
globalization, internationalization, branch campuses, higher education in Hong Kong, marketing
within higher education and for branch campuses, and the analytical framework of this study.
Chapter Three identifies the methodology for this qualitative dissertation and the manner in
which the study aligns with the research questions and framework. Chapter Four presents the
data collected from the study. Finally, Chapter Five provides suggestions for implementation
and recommendations for future studies.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 18
Chapter Two: Literature Review
As higher education institutions develop international branch campuses, there is a lack of
information about how universities established and identified their marketing and recruiting
techniques to reach prospective students. The existing research focused on quality control,
sustainability, and cultural differences. As education expands and becomes more
commercialized, administrators must exhibit a stronger understanding of the prospective student
audience and of their intended practices. This study analyzes how administrators at SCAD Hong
Kong created an institution and developed marketing and student recruitment approaches. To
better contextualize this study, this chapter offers a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the
relevant literature as well as the framework utilized in the study.
Globalization
Globalization, defined by Altbach and Knight (2007) as economic factors promoting
more international involvement, changed the way the world operates, and each country
responded differently. With advancements in communication, science, and technology,
education expanded across multiple borders and cultures. Initially, the massification of higher
education provided a number of possibilities for college-bound students. Access was extended to
students who would not be afforded these opportunities otherwise (Shin & Harman, 2009). This
transformation altered postsecondary education, yet not all change has been supported. Altbach
suggested that, although massification decreased the quality of education, a more diverse system
was established as a result (2004a). Globalization and massification increased the number of
scholars and changed the educational landscape around the world.
In a knowledge-based society, education enhanced the expertise of the population.
Universities contended for the top students to further develop their understanding and increase
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 19
the nation’s development. As many countries’ domestic universities failed to keep pace with the
growing demand for education, numerous postsecondary institutions expanded internationally to
fill the void (Singh, 2012). One form of international higher education, the branch campus, was
viewed as “less commercially motivated and more likely to enhance the educational
infrastructure of the country” (Mazzarol et al., 2003, p. 94). Heffernan and Poole (2005)
believed that international education transformed the view of national higher education and saw
the impact as more closely related to a business or profit. The economic gains of globalization
not only provided educational opportunities for students, but also offered monetary backing for
the host country.
In addition to mass education and a knowledge-based society, discussions surfaced in
regards to higher education’s becoming a service rather than a product. Governments wanted to
transform their education systems and offer a number of first-class institutions to their local
students (Altbach, 2004b). This initiative ignited fierce competition around the world, and the
demand for higher education commanded a positive response which further developed the global
community (Postiglione, 2004). Globalization established the groundwork for worldwide
involvement, and internationalization enhanced the variety of international higher education
providers.
Much of the literature surrounding globalization focused on the massification of higher
education and the development of a knowledge-based society. Each of these factors sparked
additional economic improvements and provided significant access to educational opportunities.
While this transition was important to global education, additional research is needed to
understand how globalization influenced the advance of international higher education.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 20
Internationalization
The effects of globalization and market forces have dictated the role of higher education
around the world. Since the 1990s, economic factors in a global environment have driven
internationalization (Huang, 2007). Initially, the lack of educational access in developing
countries forced students to relocate, resulting in what became known as the push-pull model (Li
& Bray, 2007). Students appraised the available academic programs in their home country
before assessing alternatives in different markets. These alternatives are otherwise known as
push factors. Additional motivating factors include the home country’s contribution to the local
and global economies, the prioritization of education by the government, and the accessibility of
educational opportunities (Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002). Also contributing to students’ decisions
were pull factors such as study destination, common language, academic program, and proximity
to the home country (Mazzarol & Soutar, 2002). Research facilities, diverse student populations,
stability, and the economic and political environments attracted students to these other locations
and institutions (Li & Bray, 2007). The “push of institutional goals” and the pull of emerging
opportunities led to the expansion of higher education (Green, Eckel, Calderon & Luu, 2007, p.
5).
In response to the push-pull model, internationalization generated different ways for
students and institutions to move across international borders (Altbach & Knight, 2007). Huang
(2007) suggested three transnational models for international higher education: 1) import-
oriented, 2) import and export, and 3) transitional. Import-oriented institutions accepted Western
traditions and standards into their curriculum. Import and export institutions incorporated
English products to enhance the quality of the national coursework and exported programs with
diverse characteristics. Transitional institutions accepted more than they exported in an attempt
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 21
to increase the sale of additional products and services around the world. These cross-border
exchanges were driven by the push-pull model, which then influenced student selection
regarding particular institutions or locations for postsecondary education (Wilkins & Huisman,
2011).
As the number of academic programs expanded, internationalization had an impact on
both nations and universities. Countries extended their educational options to meet the diverse
needs of their specific local student populations (Coleman, 2003). Institutions focused on the
commercialization of higher education and improved research options to reflect different cultural
values (Altbach & Knight, 2007). To assist with the diverse backgrounds, legislative influence
led to the creation of extra academic programs. In some nations, governments suggested
international partnerships (Altbach & Knight, 2007) focused on development to advance local
economies (Lane & Kinser, 2013). With a shift from expansion to quality, accreditation and
multinational agencies received more emphasis. As a result, these ventures instigated a more
formal progression of policies.
While these educational opportunities materialized, a regulatory agency was not created,
and trade policies remained unmonitored. The initial push to administer new guidelines came
from the World Trade Organization (Lane & Kinser, 2011). In 1995, the General Agreement on
Trade in Services (GATS) became the first legal trade agreement to focus on trade in services
(Knight, 2002). Education was one of 12 sectors covered by the GATS (Knight, 2002), and this
agreement removed existing trade barriers and increased transparency of trade regulations
(Knight, 2006). Under the GATS framework, four modes of academic mobility were traded.
These models were cross-border supply, consumption abroad, commercial presence, and
presence of natural persons (Altbach & Knight, 2007; Knight, 2006). Commercial presence
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 22
referred to the local branch, satellite campuses, and partnerships. This mode was more
influential in locations where educational leaders were market-driven and expected to promote
their presence in Southeast China (Oleksiyenko et al., 2012). Hong Kong was one such location.
Over the last two decades and through these regulations, GATS reduced barriers to promote free
trade (Knight, 2006). The resulting significant growth in program mobility offered multiple
modes of delivery.
Starting with the push-pull model, internationalization has evolved for more than two
decades. Additional programs and providers, along with a regulatory system, entered the
marketplace, but little research has identified the initial process that leads to these educational
opportunities. By examining an institution that established an offshore entity, this study provides
information regarding the experience and decision-making process involved in the establishment
and implementation of host institutions.
Cross-border education. This section further explains the expansion of higher
education in response to globalization and internationalization. Cross-border education is
defined as “the movement of people, knowledge, programs, providers and curriculum across
national or regional jurisdictional borders” (Knight, 2006, p. 18). Knight (2006) interpreted
cross-border as borderless, offshore, or transnational education. The evolution of international
ventures, type of delivery and method of curriculum improved educational opportunities
globally. Knight (2006) revealed two significant trends: the shift from student mobility to
program and provider mobility and the transfer between development cooperation to competitive
commerce. Each development presented greater flexibility to meet individual needs, and the
trends were broken into four main categories: people, programs, providers, and projects (Knight,
2006). People included students, professors, scholars, researchers, experts, and consultants.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 23
Course, program sub-degree, degree, and post-graduate were considered types of programs.
Providers were institutions, organizations, and companies, and projects consisted of academic
plans and services. Cross-border education paired each category with a specific example. The
first category, people, included semester/year abroad programs in addition to internships and
consulting opportunities. Programs referred to twinning, franchising, joint/double degrees, and
online/distance education, while providers were comprised of branch campus, virtual
universities, and independent institutions. Projects consisted of research and other educational
services. Both programs and providers demonstrated a mobility shift and a rise in the cross-
border education options.
While most of the recent data focused on the last two decades, transnational education
has an extensive history. This impact of internationalization can be divided into three stages of
cross-border education (Knight, 2011). In the 1960’s, over 238,000 international students
enrolled in foreign academic programs compared to 3.3 million enrolled in 2008 (Organization
for Economic Co-operation, 2010). The initial period served as a first cross-border concept, and
the diversification of programs evolved with time.
By the 1990s, the second stage of cross-border programs emerged. Branch campuses,
distance education, and other nontraditional programs became standard (Coleman, 2003). For
these entities, Mazzarol et al. (2003) suggested institutions invest significant amounts in financial
and human resources. Beyond the monetary requisites, strong relationships and a sense of
collaboration among all key stakeholders remained critical for successful institutional
partnerships. The key executives in these joint ventures came from governments, agencies, non-
profit organizations, foundations, institutions, and universities (Tubbeh & Williams, 2010). As
partnerships were established, institutions anticipated the monetary revenue and quickly
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 24
developed offshore campuses. In 2012, over 200 branch campuses were established,
representing a 23% increase since 2009 (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). These figures illustrate
the growth achieved in the internationalization of higher education. Over 24 different countries,
with the U.S., France, and the United Kingdom as the leading three, developed branch campuses
in 67 different host countries located primarily in Asia and the Middle East (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012). Branch campuses continued to expand throughout the region, and cities
established niches for these educational providers.
As more and more institutions created branch campuses around the world, the emergence
of educational hubs became significant. While this third stage of cross-border education built on
the first two stages, the expansion consisted of a larger, more strategic arrangement of activities
(Knight, 2011). Knight referred to education hubs as a “concerted and planned effort by a
country (or zone, city) to build a critical mass of education/knowledge actors and strengthen its
efforts to exert more influence in the new marketplace of education” (2011, p. 225). Jaschik
(2013) believes that a completely sustainable hub would have strong host country institutions,
and the majority of branch campuses were located in educational hubs where student competition
was intense (Wilkins & Huisman, 2011). In some cases, locations tried to develop new
educational marketplaces comparable to Boston in the U.S. (Shive, 2010). To date, the Middle
East—particularly Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Qatar—earned a spot as prime destinations for foreign
institutions (Lane & Kinser, 2013). At certain educational hubs, at least ten institutions have
been established to showcase academic programs in business, technology, engineering,
hospitality, and the arts, among others. The latest stage enhanced the branch campus concept
and expanded as a result of two leading factors. The advance of a knowledge-based society
increased student enrollment (Postiglione, 2004), and local governments subsequently drove up
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 25
the demand for regional centers for international higher education (Smith, 2009). For instance,
Hong Kong presented land to entice foreign institutions to their region since the governing body
was determined to build a world city (Hennock, 2010). These cross-border stages resulted from
the growth in the global economy and the internationalization of higher education.
The literature implied the progression of cross-border education including branch
campuses and educational hubs. However, the formation and advancement of individual branch
campuses has not been addressed. While Singapore and Hong Kong are labeled as educational
hubs, the research has not specifically identified why and how these cities earned such a title.
Additional research could distinguish the market and elucidate the educational sector for other
higher education providers. The next section discusses the definition, purpose, and background
of branch campuses.
International Branch Campuses
One approach to internationalization is an international branch campus. This offshore
institution was defined:
An entity that is owned, at least in part, by a foreign education provider; operated in the
name of the foreign education provider; engages in at least some face-to-face teaching;
and provides access to an entire academic program that leads to a credential awarded by
the foreign education provider. (Lane, 2011, p. 5)
Altbach and Knight (2011) expressed this transnational enterprise as any institution whose main
location was in one country while an alternative location was in another and which offered the
same degree in that offsite location. The main location refers to the home country, whereas the
alternative location refers to the host country. A recent definition depicted a branch campus as:
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 26
A higher education institution that is located in another country from the institution
which either originated it or operates it, with some physical presence in the host country,
and which awards at least one degree in the host country that is accredited in the country
of the originating institution. (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012, p.2)
However, the definition of an international branch campus continued to change and evolve over
time as universities expanded into new countries and markets.
The presence of international branch campuses is not a new phenomenon in higher
education. Harvard School of Medicine in China dated back to 1911 through 1916 (Reilly,
2008). In addition, branch campuses were established in the mid-1950’s to serve U.S. citizens or
military personnel (Verbik & Merkley, 2006). According to the 2006 Observatory on Borderless
Higher Education Report, Johns Hopkins University opened a branch campus in 1955 in Italy
and offered certificates and master’s degrees in International Relations and Affairs and Public
Policy (Verbik & Merkley). This educational innovation marked the beginning of offshore
campuses.
After the creation of branch campuses in the early 1900’s, three waves of branch campus
advancement existed. The first wave of branch campuses settled in Japan (Reilly, 2008). In
1982, Temple University Japan became the “first successful attempt” in developing a branch
campus in Tokyo (Umakoshi, 1997, p. 269). To establish stronger connections with the U.S., the
Japanese government invited institutions to establish their campuses. Although over 150
institutions expressed interest in opening a location in one of the fastest-growing economies, this
venture was short-lived due to the 1991 recession (Umakoshi, 1997). Of the 30 American
institutions that created a branch campus in the 1980’s, only Temple University remained (Lane,
2011).
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 27
The second wave began in South Asia during the late 1990’s (Reilly, 2008). During this
period, non-American institutions produced branch campuses with the following countries:
Australia, Canada, Chile, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (Lane, 2011). In
particular, this operation was highly supported by the Australian university system, which
encouraged their institutions to establish branch campuses in Asia as a way to provide state
revenue (Bollag, 2006). After the second stage, branch campuses expanded from developed to
undeveloped countries.
In the third wave, the Middle East opened their doors to numerous international ventures
to further expand their professional class as a way to stabilize the economy (Reilly, 2008). The
University of Wollongong, an Australian-based institution, opened a branch campus in the
United Arab Emirates in 1993, and Virginia Commonwealth University established a location in
Qatar, Education City in 1997 (Verbik & Merkley, 2006). Both examples identified the
expansion of a branch campus to less developed countries. In addition, Kinser and Lane (2012)
suggest the term “foreign education outpost” which encompassed a greater diversity of research
laboratories, study-abroad locations and outreach administrative centers viewed at an
international branch campus (p.1). However, not all foreign education outposts are international
branch campuses. To be known as a branch campus, the organization needed to involve four
features: 1) “ownership” for operational control, 2) university “branding” for publicity efforts, 3)
“physical presence” to maintain legitimacy, and 4) “academic degree conferral” to align with the
home campus intention (Kinser & Lane, 2012, p. 1). This contemporary international higher
education phenomenon of branch campuses continued to evolve with the dawn of the twenty-
first century.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 28
With a recent surge of international branch campuses, a structured report was needed to
compile institutional data and progression of the field. In 2002, the Observatory on Borderless
Higher Education assembled their first report on international branch campuses (Garrett). In the
initial report, 24 branch campuses were identified, and institutions primarily focused on
recruiting locally rather than internationally (Garrett, 2002). The 2006 report included 82 branch
campuses, 41 of which had been opened since 2000 (Verbik & Merkley, 2006). U.S.-based
institutions accounted for more than 50% of the total branch campuses abroad, due to stricter
visa regulations limiting international student enrollment in the U.S. in a post-9/11 world (Verbik
& Merkley, 2006). As branch campuses continued to expand, the modes of entry changed.
Consequently, government leaders and organizations in host countries initiated campus proposals
from interested institutions (Becker, 2009). In 2009, the numbers soared to 162 branch
campuses and 22 represented countries, with the U.S. dominating the field at 78 campuses
(Becker). In 2012, there were 200 international branch campuses with an additional 37
campuses in development (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). Lawton and Katsomitros (2012)
identified 67 host countries and 24 home countries that have provided these ever-increasing
educational opportunities. Lane and Kinser (2013) identify the five different types of ownership
for international branch campuses: 1) owned by the home campus, 2) rented from a private party,
3) owned by the local government, 4) owned by a private partner, and 5) owned by an
educational partner. These examples show the level of complexity and variety of campus types
established overseas.
The rise of branch campuses has stretched over the last two decades and has been
motivated by the benefits to the home institutions and host countries. Creating a branch campus
suggested more control and quality assurance over the coursework in comparison to other types
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 29
of international partnerships (Coclanis & Strauss, 2010). The innovative, educational
opportunity presented programs of study similar to those available at the home campuses. Due
to added expense and a limited number of student visas, this educational concept provided
opportunities where traditional environments were not possible. These enterprises increased
access to the local students where, customarily, only elite students gained entry to top-notch
programs (Altbach & Knight, 2007). Beyond additional resources, these offsite campuses
resulted from governmental need. Some institutions received funding from affluent individuals
or administrative agencies to enhance their course offerings (Armstrong, 2007). As a result, the
programs were initially developed for local students and improved the educational goals of the
surrounding community. Through internationalization and cross-border education, institutions
have been supported and developed to facilitate the economic and societal needs of individual
countries (Armstrong, 2007).
Benefits and challenges associated with international branch campuses. Branch
campuses enhanced international higher education, and these institutions had motives to open
their doors for seven important reasons (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012): revenue, access, prestige,
mobility, knowledge, curriculum, connections, and competition. First and most importantly,
these offshore entities provided new revenue streams for the home institution (Reilly, 2008).
Rather than limiting their enrollments to main campuses, offsite campuses generated additional
tuition dollars from the new location and market. Next, branch campuses attracted local students
who were unable to attend the home campus (Becker, 2009). With increased visa restrictions
and high costs associated with studying abroad, local branch campuses provided access to higher
education globally. Many universities wanted to diversify their programs and created branch
campuses to enhance their opportunities within new markets (McBurnie & Ziguras, 2001).
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 30
Although a branch campus serves as the face of a foreign institution, it is tailored to meet the
needs and norms of the local stakeholders (Farrugia & Lane, 2012). In this way, the branch
campus serves two purposes: to provide work force opportunities for the local market while also
increasing the international prestige and reputation of the home institution. In addition, student
and staff mobility offered educational placements between different locations (Becker, 2009).
These ventures suggested that students, faculty, and staff could travel between locations to
improve relations and communication while broadening their professional portfolios. Offshore
campuses familiarized stakeholders with the knowledge of other cultures (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012). In addition, these new educational environments offered insight into
modern curriculum (Becker, 2009). Branch campuses exposed researchers to new inquiries and
joint ventures with local academic institutions and industries (Verbik & Merkley, 2006). The
international experience suggested diverse opportunities to integrate into the society,
academically and professionally. Finally, branch campuses created an aggressive advantage in
the international higher education market (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). These brick and
mortar establishments further expanded the internationalization efforts for traditional institutions.
In addition to the home country advantages, the host country acknowledged several
benefits. In particular, host countries considered six reasons for the establishment of international
branch campuses (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012): Educational Infrastructure; Local Degrees;
National Prestige; Skilled Immigration Pathway; Improved Teaching Models and Quality
Assurance; and Technology Transfer and Innovation. In response to globalization and the
massification of higher education, these offsite campuses improved the educational infrastructure
of the host country (Becker, 2009). Countries invited branch campuses to meet student demand
and provide something different or better than did their existing institutions (Lane, 2011). Next,
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 31
students earned foreign degrees without moving abroad (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). In 2000,
more than 500,000 international students enrolled in U.S.-based institutions which contributed to
$11 billion to the U.S. economy (Bohm, Davis, Meares and Pearce, 2002). By enrolling at
branch campuses, the presumption was that increased spending contributed to the local economy
rather than to the home institution’s location. In addition to revitalizing the local economy and
improving reputation, offshore ventures served as a destination for world-class institutions
(Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). This concept evolved into the status of an educational hub,
which consisted of several branch campuses in a particular city. Through the expansion of
these education hubs, a larger workforce was considered necessary. International branch
campuses served as a market of “skilled immigrants” (Becker, 2009, p. 5). While a host campus
provided education to regional students, the local economy benefitted from the new knowledge
of the trained work force. Local employers are considered the key beneficiaries of these foreign
outposts (Farrugia & Lane, 2012). In addition, updated teaching models and quality assurance
mechanisms were adapted for the host institutions and industry (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012).
As a result, modernized technology had been adapted to the higher education sector (Becker,
2009). All six benefits demonstrated the rationale for the continued expansion of international
branch campuses.
While a number of benefits for the home institutions and host countries proved
advantageous, offshore branch campuses have, unfortunately, faced a new list of potential
threats. Over the decade prior to this study, at least 18 branch campuses closed down (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012). Becker (2009) suggested four risks associated with the shutdowns:
financial, operational, marketing, and reputational. The most obvious threat was monetary, as
verified by the closure of the Japanese branch campuses; institutions removed their presence in
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 32
response to Japan’s 1991 recession. In the past decade, more government and private sources
offered financial support for branch campuses, leaving about a third of all branch campuses as
entirely financed by home institutions (McMurtrie, 2006). In addition to economic risk,
differences between host and home countries led to conflict, resulting in operational differences.
As a result, Wilkins and Huisman (2012) suggest that institutions identify a local partner with
good connections and knowledge of the local business practices to initiate operations abroad, as
difficult regulations and education bureaucracy can challenge institutional development. In
addition, Stanfield (2013) recommends that home campuses gauge student interest for
prospective academic programs, accurately identify university reputation and prestige within the
target student population, and analyze whether the university’s goals and values align with the
host country’s expectations regarding an educational plan. Because the power of these ventures
lowered the host government’s control in the local higher education system, Becker (2009, p. 6)
referred to branch campuses as a form of “academic imperialism.”
However, Knight (2006) argued that host countries played a major role in regulating,
funding, and monitoring branch campuses. The research supported the idea that both home and
host countries were responsible for operational responsibility, including demand. In addition to
currency changes, changes to student interest or market forces altered the enrollment
expectations of new branch campuses (Becker, 2009) leading to the allocation of significant
funds to the marketing campaigns meant to increase enrollment and generate name recognition
(Knight, 2006) along with image. Alternatively, reputation risks tarnished the brand associated
with the branch campus. Negative publicity affected the local campus, the institution, and the
home country (McBurnie & Pollock, 2000). The threats suggested that branch campus
administrators from both the home and host campuses define financial goals, educational
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 33
objectives, marketing practices, and reputational concerns prior to establishing a new campus in
a foreign location to ensure successful implementation. Despite the stated challenges, several
countries acknowledged the international branch campus phenomenon.
International branch campuses were accepted since the host institution tried to imitate the
academic and overall feel of the home campus (Altbach & Knight, 2011; Armstrong, 2007).
Nonetheless, the differences between home and host campuses are noteworthy. While the
institutional name and degree programs appear to be the same on paper, these offshore locations
did not replicate the traditional home campus experience due to host country cultures, traditions,
and values, challenging the basic concepts of these types of institutions. As more campuses
expanded to meet the demand, the educational hub grew to create university villages with a
breadth of educational opportunities in a number of specialties. While host countries continue to
develop these offsite campuses, the future of branch campuses and their intended model could
change.
As several offshore campuses were established around the world, competition became a
challenge. To remain aggressive, home and host universities needed to collaborate as a team and
assemble a partnership based on respect (Altbach & Knight, 2007; Armstrong, 2007). Using an
administrator’s perspective in the example of Michigan State University and the University of
New South Wales, the first graduating class and interest from the society proved important in
creating their institutions (Dessoff, 2011), and these campuses closed their doors prematurely
after months of planning due to a potential oversight regarding this importance. Most recently,
two additional branch campuses decided to close their doors. Tisch Asia reviewed a partnership
with National University of Singapore and determined that, without financial backing, the
campus would not be sustainable (Redden, 2013b). This is an example of an individual
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 34
academic school initiating a branch campus, rather than the central administrators of the
university. In another example, UNLV Singapore did not to renew its contract with Singapore
Institute of Technology due to an inability to agree to the new terms (Redden, 2013a).
Ultimately, Tisch Asia and UNLV Singapore experienced a harsh reality when their
governmental subsidies ended and the campuses were forced to generate their own funding. In
order to preserve the name of the institutions both near and far, the institutions needed to
understand the repercussions of their actions. Pyvis and Chapman (2007) referred to this concept
as an important step in developing an international reputation. Another challenge came in
distinguishing between who managed the institution, the home campus or the branch campus. In
some cases, host administrators were not aware of the policies and procedures from the home
campus (Lane, 2011). While the challenges remained plentiful, multiple branch campuses
continued to prosper and expand in niche markets.
Much of the research focused on the definition, vast expansion, benefits and risks
involving branch campuses. However, the development of an offshore entity proved critical to
an international branch campus’ success. Although research illustrated the need for strong
financial, operating, marketing, and reputational resources, the role of the administrators was not
further defined. The literature addressed the importance of these institutions as well as the
significance of relationship building and strategic planning, yet the institutional marketing and
student recruiting techniques were not acknowledged. The impact of marketing and recruiting
prospective undergraduate and graduate students will remain critical to the success of
international branch campuses.
As seen in Asia, the market continued to expand with various educational programs and
providers that developed opportunities in multiple locations. In Hong Kong specifically,
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 35
students suggested that high quality institutions and instruction in English significantly
influenced their decision to attend a particular university (Oleksiyenko et al., 2012). The broad
access to English-language education has been one of the most important factors in Hong Kong’s
development as an education hub (Chong, 2012). Consequently, the Hong Kong market is home
to several transnational programs.
Hong Kong. Formerly a British colony, Hong Kong followed the English educational
model for its two-university system (Postiglione, 2004). The education system was small,
government funded, and presented a high degree of institutional autonomy. Initially, the
Ministry of Education centralized all decisions for the local institutions. Eventually, the
Education Commission (EC) replaced the Ministry and directed the educational policies (Mok,
1996). In 1965, the University Grants Committee (UGC) was established to oversee the
developmental and financial needs of the two higher education institutions and Hong Kong’s
higher education remained elitist for most of its history (Postiglione, 2005). Prior to
globalization and internationalization, a government policy restricted growth in tertiary
education by 3% in 1978 (Mok, 1999). As a result of limited access to educational opportunities,
students who could not gain entry into the top universities relocated overseas (Chong, 2012).
This section discusses the evolution of Hong Kong and its educational transformation in regards
to academic reforms and branch campus development in the region.
On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was returned to the People’s Republic of China, and a
massive reform took over the education system (Chan & Mok, 2001). This territory became
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and was managed under the one country,
two systems arrangement (Law, 2004; Postiglione, 1998). The first Chief Executive, Mr. Tung
Chee Hwa, presented his educational policies regarding all levels of the education system
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 36
(Cheng, 2009). His initiative encouraged the government to provide additional educational
opportunities to extend student proficiencies and uphold Hong Kong’s competitiveness
(Education Commission, 2000). Within higher education, specific plans included a 10-year goal
to have 60% of senior secondary school graduates receive tertiary education (China Internet
Information Center, 2000; Mok, 2005; Postiglione, 2005; Shive, 2010). This goal presented a
unique opportunity for Hong Kong to expand its system while allowing for a high level of
autonomy.
The new policy resulted from five regional trends that directly influenced the sector: 1)
changing demographics, 2) widening access and quality of educational opportunities, 3)
globalization, 4) shift to knowledge-based economies, and 5) improved community (Chapman,
Cummings & Postiglione, 2010). Hong Kong’s laissez-faire system permitted universities to
make their own decisions (Postiglione, 2011). As a result, the institutions maintained a relatively
unregulated environment (McBurnie & Ziguras, 2001) and became more client-driven in
response to customer demands. To prepare for the educational transformation, Chan and Mok
(2001) suggested that Hong Kong introduce management reforms and adopt a “market-oriented”
approach to running education (p. 23). Hong Kong has used these educational reforms to keep
pace with developments in the region.
Higher Education in Hong Kong
Through the influence of Western traditions and practices, more so than anywhere else in
Asia, Hong Kong offered a distinctive model of successful East-meets-West integration
(Postiglione, 1998). At the time of this study, eight public and four private universities, as well
as 21 self-financed colleges, provided education programs to over 250,000 local students
(Oleksiyenko et al., 2012). In addition, Hong Kong identified and selected a number of
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 37
institutions that allow the Special Administrative Region to compete at the highest levels.
Educational partnerships became a fundamental part of the change, facilitating a more versatile,
creative, and accomplished workforce (Postiglione, 2005). Consequently, Hong Kong broadened
its programs and reached out to other opportunities in Australia, Britain, Canada and the U.S.
(Postiglione, 2004). While this endeavor proved costly, Hong Kong waited until the latter half of
the twentieth century to mature into the larger segment and remain globally competitive
(Postiglione, 2005).
Despite the price associated with these international measures, the government rarely
offered insight on foreign providers and relied on the market for profitable opportunities and the
chance to overcome their competition (Chan & Ng, 2008). These market powers forced higher
education institutions to be cautious and generate graduates who fit within the employment
demands of the nation (Mok, 1999). In addition to the response to market factors, Hong Kong
was one of the first Asian societies to implement quality assurance mechanisms, which the
University Grants Committee deemed as a necessity due to the quick growth of higher education
(Mok, 2005). The non-local program accreditation process is specifically discussed in the Hong
Kong branch campus section later in this chapter. Although this method ensured the
administrative systems were competitive, funding remained the challenge (Mok, 2005).
Due to budget restrictions and the decline of public subsidies, Hong Kong had multiple
incentives for universities to pursue cross-border opportunities (Oleksiyenko et al., 2012;
Postiglione, 2004). While Hong Kong planned to diversify its educational opportunities to
broaden international awareness and strengthen its international, cosmopolitan reputation, access
was limited. In 2000, only 14,500 first-year enrollment places were funded by the UGC—about
18% of 17- to 20-year-olds—while 48% of 17- to 20-year-olds were granted access to other local
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 38
or overseas opportunities (Olsen & Burges, 2007a). Despite the addition of quality assurance
mechanisms, cross-border expansion supported Hong Kong’s internationalization efforts and
constructed an international platform for higher education (Chan & Ng, 2008). This Special
Administrative Region quickly rose as Asia’s design hub and a center for creative expertise. The
government recognized the creative industry as one of six pillars of economic growth in Hong
Kong and responded with another significant educational revolution (Spurrier, 2012). In 2009,
under the purview of the Hong Kong Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the
government, Create Hong Kong, known as CreateHK, was crafted to expand this segment of
HKSAR (Create Hong Kong, 2012). Hong Kong’s education system transformed the region and
shaped the system for more access to a greater, advanced population.
The evolution of HKSAR’s higher education system increased student enrollment and
worked to produce a creative workforce. However, the impact on educational programs has not
been examined. Research discussed marketing forces and the need to connect employer
demands to institutional programs, yet there is still limited data on the establishment and
implementation of these programs. The importance of this sector will remain critical to the
success of international higher education.
Impact of the 3+3+4 Reform. Hong Kong’s reforms have established a more
competitive higher education system in the global environment (Mok, 2005) and aligned better
with Mainland China and the U.S. (Mooney, 2008). The Education and Manpower Bureau
proposed changing the British secondary and higher education system to a 3+3+4 model,
allowing for six years of secondary education and four years of university training, rather than
the existing 3+4+3 model (Cheng, 2009). This reform was announced in 2005, and by 2012, the
plan would be implemented. The campaign required Hong Kong’s universities to increase
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 39
undergraduate capacity to 64,500 for three years (Olsen & Burges, 2007a). Until the 2015 - 2016
academic year, universities will experience an influx of students without an additional increase in
institutional funding (Olsen & Burges, 2007b). Estimates presumed that by 2020, approximately
44,000 18-year-olds will compete for 14,500 enrollment spaces, creating a gap of approximately
33% (Olsen & Burges, 2007a). This unmet demand resulted in a culture that forced many Hong
Kong students to seek alternative educational opportunities.
In order to prepare for capacity of the 3+3+4 reform, educational partnerships with the
U.S. and other countries played a crucial role in reinforcing the economy and the nation’s
success in terms of the double cohort. Hong Kong’s education system transformed the region
and became more accessible to the world. Under the influences of globalization and
internationalization, Hong Kong focused on becoming a regional hub (Chong, 2012; Mok, 2005).
Hong Kong’s determination reached new heights with the enticement of branch campuses
(Hennock, 2010). Through multiple academic transformations, the expansion of higher
education reform efforts became very noteworthy over the last several decades, specifically in
the areas of marketing and recruiting programs to prospective students.
The Special Administrative Region has a limited history with undergraduate recruitment
practices. Until 2002, Hong Kong universities only recruited graduate students (Postiglione,
2005). The idea of university recruitment has become a more widely accepted concept now that
students have incurred additional charges. Mok (1999) suggested the “user-pays” concept
become standard for Hong Kong’s higher education systems (p. 147). By diversifying funding
sources, universities are less dependent on the government for income (Lee, 2002). Although
higher education in Hong Kong used to be fully funded by the government, an increasing number
of programs imposed student fees, and these lessened the dependence on the government
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 40
(Postiglione, 2005). This new concept opened up access at the national level, allowing
additional variation and admittance among both undergraduate and graduate student enrollment
(Postiglione, 2005).
Hong Kong universities investigated ways to diversify their course offerings to students
who would be affected by the 3+3+4 reform. The UGC suggested that Hong Kong select a
limited number of institutions that could compete internationally (Mok, 2005). One example of
internationalization, branch campuses, increased the number of educational opportunities within
Hong Kong (Oleksiyenko et al., 2012). Once known for their elitism, the government focused
their efforts on enrollment and international partnerships, as seen in the establishment of offshore
campuses.
Hong Kong evolved from a two-university system to a vast array of public, private, and,
now, branch campus providers. While government bureaus and political figures transformed
educational policies, limited research has focused on the establishment and implementation
behind these offshore campuses and their recruiting systems, specifically addressing the impact
of the 3+3+4 reform. Since the modification is scheduled to take place during 2012, this study is
beneficial in examining the role and implications for SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and
recruiting efforts.
Hong Kong branch campuses. While Asia built a strong educational foundation and is
known as the largest global market for transnational ventures (Altbach, 2004a), Hong Kong has
taken a number of steps to internationalize and regulate academia through worldwide
partnerships and recruitment efforts (Oleksiyenko et al., 2012). Foreign institutions that operate
in Hong Kong are required to register academic courses with the government. The Hong Kong
Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) provided
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 41
quality assurance in education (Hong Kong Council, 2012). The main objective was to protect
Hong Kong consumers from transnational programs that did not meet national registration
criteria (Poon-McBrayer, 2011). This ordinance regulated the standards of non-local institutions
and required courses to meet the following four guidelines: 1) must be a recognized institution in
its home country, 2) the program standard was maintained at a level comparable to a program
leading to the same qualification conducted, 3) must recognize the program for the purpose of
awarding the qualification or for the purpose of relevant professional examinations, and 4)
arrangements for payment and refund of course fees should be clearly stated (Poon-McBrayer,
2011). In addition to these guidelines, the ordinance regulated the advertisements for registered
programs. Deceptive materials could not be published, and the program registration numbers
needed be included in all advertisements (Poon-McBrayer, 2011). Although the accreditation
process required a significant time investment, all four of Hong Kong’s international branch
campuses registered with the Hong Kong Education Bureau (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012).
These offshore entities consisted of the following institutions and their respective home country
locations (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012):
 Baruch College, City University of New York (U.S.)
 Manchester Business School (United Kingdom)
 Savannah College of Art and Design (U.S.)
 University of Western Ontario (Canada)
In 2006, the University of Northern Virginia was included in the Observatory on
Borderless Higher Education report (Verbik & Merkley, 2006). However, by 2008, the school
had its accreditation revoked by the Hong Kong government, and it was confirmed that the
school closed the branch campus in 2010 (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). Over the following
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 42
two years, Hong Kong was not expected to open any additional branch campuses. Instead, Hong
Kong universities could adapt their programs to meet customer demand with a flexibility and
autonomy more closely resembling those of a business-like practice (Mok, 2005). The influence
and role of marketing and recruitment at higher education institutions and branch campuses is
discussed in the next section.
Higher Education Marketing
Higher education institutions have slowly integrated the creative, business-based concept
into practice. Institutions have recognized the opportunity for this industry to be viewed as a
saleable service (Mazzarol, Soutar & Thein, 2001, p. 41). According to Klassen (2001), by
2001, U.S. institutions were more interested in promoting their products and services than at any
other time in history. As a result, educational marketing has turned into an essential function in
the current competitive environment, yet limited information has been examined (Hemsley-
Brown & Oplatka, 2006). Due to the lack of theoretical evidence, additional studies are needed
to examine the implications of recruitment practices at a branch campus (Maringe, 2005b). This
section investigates several areas of marketing, including the definition, entry models within
Hong Kong, higher education examples, and the 7P framework.
To further understand the impact of marketing within a university context, the term
marketing must first be defined. The word refers to the “analysis, planning, implementation, and
control of carefully formulated programs designed to bring about a voluntary exchange of values
with target markets to achieve institutional objectives” (Kolter & Fox, 1995, p. 6). The
emergence of the field correlated with institutional expansion and increasing competition across
the world (Maringe, 2005a). This detailed process required additional institutional resources and
expressed the conditions involved in higher education. For the purpose of this study, it will be
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 43
important to identify SCAD Hong Kong’s definition of marketing as well as its impact on
recruiting prospective students.
Oplatka and Hemsley-Brown (2004) viewed institutional marketing as a management
requirement in remaining competitive, and effectiveness alone cannot promote the proper
representation to students, parents, and other stakeholders. This definition identifies seven
inferences that elucidated the necessity of this innovative practice within higher education
institutions (Kolter & Fox, 1995):
 Emphasizes a managerial process
 Develops formulated programs
 Attracts customers by serving their needs
 Identifies a target market
 Serves a target market
 Offers the target market’s needs and wants
 Recognizes factors influencing consumers’ decisions
The benefits of higher education marketing were illustrated by these seven value-added features.
These techniques were crafted for specific programs and services, as opposed to implementing a
standard model across all types of institutions. Kolter and Fox (1995) explain that colleges and
universities exhibit individual benefits such as ranked academic programs, financial aid
packages, and well-connected career centers to draw prospective students to enroll. Researchers
suggested, rather than attempting to serve all people, the targeting of a specific sample of the
population that fits with the institution’s mission and resources in order to achieve success
(Kolter & Fox, 1995). Universities and colleges expanded due to their focused, long-term goals
which aligned with the institution’s stated objectives. This function of marketing was customer-
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 44
based rather than institution-orientated. Consequently, this innovative technique involved an
understanding of all factors influencing a consumer’s decision, otherwise known as the
marketing mix (Kolter & Fox, 1995), which is discussed later in this chapter. While the role of
marketing had a slow start within the higher education sector, the influence of marketing has
significantly affected the integration, visibility, and establishment of a local institution in a
foreign location.
Entry models. Higher education institutions have gained entry into new countries
through various methods. The first entry models were developed specifically for the Hong Kong
higher education market. International campuses have entered Hong Kong through three
methods, including universities, colleges, and associations (Willis, 2001). Each model
acknowledged its strengths and weaknesses, which proved essential in understanding guidelines
prior to establishment.
Universities that entered Hong Kong encountered both positive and negative features.
Some aligned with top universities of high status and image, and, as a result, they enhanced the
brand of the foreign university (Willis, 2001). Some international universities viewed this
characteristic as too dominant for a partnership. To simplify the entry process, most
international campuses established offices that worked directly with the foreign universities and
assisted with set-up procedures. This straightforward method proved productive for some
institutions. Severe competition resulted, and some institutions were forced to look into
alternative options for development.
As with the university entry model, colleges experienced certain challenges. While not
as prestigious as universities, colleges wanted to reposition their institutions within Hong Kong
(Willis, 2001). Colleges sought renaming, but this proposal was not always guaranteed. This
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 45
entry model was perceived as smaller and less bureaucratic when compared with university
procedure (Willis, 2001). While this stage provided a less demanding entry scheme, some
international institutions entered at a lower level, which affected overall image and reputation.
Entry examples influenced the success of academic programs and must be analyzed critically.
Associations were the final entry model in Hong Kong. These foreign-sourced programs
eagerly entered the new market and were considered efficient in meeting the needs of the new
partners (Willis, 2001). International institutions served as the dominant partner, though students
viewed this alliance as less prestigious when compared to the first or second entry models
(Willis, 2001). At this level, international institutions were admired for their active and
aggressive efforts. Each alliance provided a snapshot of the different entry positions within
Hong Kong and offered insight into one method institutions used to gain prominence through
partnerships with existing educational providers. While this model provided a direct example for
institutions interested in Hong Kong, general techniques have been identified. With an
increasing number of international ventures, associations became important in establishing
presence in the new location.
Higher education marketing strategies. While some institutions gained entry through
educational affiliates, others relied on establishing their organization through traditional
marketing techniques. Although these practices were developed for U.S. institutions and
markets, such practices could be applied to an international branch campus. This section
examines three higher education marketing practices to recognize additional methods utilized for
this particular sector.
Maringe and Foskett (2002) suggested four general marketing techniques: public
relations, sales, customer satisfaction, and marketing as a strategy. The most frequently used
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 46
approach was the public relations approach, which allowed university staff to develop content
and convey the intended message to prospective students. Similar to the business world,
universities utilize their strategic visions and mission statements for brand differentiation and
marketing campaigns (Drori, 2013). The second technique was sales, which required careful
planning during the partnership (Tubbeh & Williams, 2010). Customer service was the third
marketing tactic and remained imperative for products and services to be well-received by the
client. Within education, administrators needed to understand the cultural and interpersonal
competence of students, especially with the rise of internationalization (Tubbeh & Williams,
2010). Finally, the fourth practice saw marketing as a strategy in which institutions created,
executed, and monitored the approach of an institution to the public (Tubbeh & Williams, 2010).
The demanding task required constant communication with all stakeholders to ensure that
practices met the needs of potential students. All techniques suggested creative ways for
institutions to promote their product. This marketing stratagem served as a potential method for
higher education institutions to showcase their programs for a specific target audience.
In addition to the four higher education practices, Maringe and Foskett (2002)
recommended three extensive principles to guide institutional practices with their creative
efforts. Initially, universities developed tactics to align with their institutional culture, which
formalized the process by strengthening the promotional efforts. These steps need to be
embedded into the overall organization for best practices. Next, marketing needs to be
calculated and supported with institutional mission statements and strategic plans to be more
progressive, effective, and task-oriented. Most importantly, policies need to be accepted and
supported by administrators (Maringe & Foskett, 2002); the support of key stakeholders and
decision makers is required for successful institutions abroad (Green, Kinser & Eckel, 2008).
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 47
Although higher education marketing has gained momentum, enrollment management
departments can further increase administrator buy-in by recognizing the culture and developing
long-standing practices that connect institutional development plans with supportive stakeholders
who believe in the influence of higher education marketing.
While marketing research has gained momentum within higher education, the last
approach was developed as a result of a former study. Maringe (2005b) found that universities
were poorly organized, lacked formal guidelines, and appeared reactive rather than tactical. The
CORD model (Conceptualization, Organization and co-ordination, Research and Development)
was developed in an attempt to address the predicament that higher education has faced (Maringe
& Gibbs, 2009). These four distinct components served as a procedure for implementing higher
education approaches (Maringe, 2005b).
Conceptualization required institutions to understand both the internal and external
environments in which they intended to develop curriculum. Administrators evaluated the
purpose for development, institutional mission, challenges, and competition to understand the
magnitude of the academic project (Maringe, 2005a). Next, by organizing and coordinating the
marketing function, buy-in for the task was required of all staff members. At this stage, the
importance of interdisciplinary progress across function and role within the university remained
vital to institutional success. Research referred to three critical techniques: market segmentation,
customer needs research, and blending the marketing mix elements (Maringe, 2005a). Each
stage contributed to determining the proper method for implication. The final component
referred to the stages of curriculum development. This check-and-balance system recognized the
purpose, method, procedure, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum, which proved
necessary for developing a creative plan. The challenge remains to convince the higher
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 48
education industry to recognize the business of curriculum development (Maringe, 2005b). This
CORD model serves as the final example for institutional marketing.
These three innovative strategies identified potential models and functioned as a gateway
for institutions to create and establish their universities in a new setting. Once these approaches
were created, admissions officers utilized the information to deliberately identify and seek
prospective students through a formulated recruitment process. This study examined the
marketing and recruitment practices at SCAD Hong Kong and provides knowledge for other
offshore campuses.
Higher education recruitment procedure. U.S. recruitment practices have lacked
sufficient information on the international front. To understand the need for such tactics, an
overview of the higher education recruitment process is provided. Prior to implementing any
such stratagem, a strong marketing plan provided the groundwork for attempts to reach a
targeted group of prospective students (Hossler, 1999). For the recruitment process, two
different responsibilities remained vital: 1) creating a list of applicants and 2) successfully
enrolling a set number of applicants (Hossler, 1999). Staff assessed the importance of
personalization and timing (Hossler, 1999). In addition to traditional handouts, electronic media,
and university receptions, enrollment management was utilized to integrate the nonacademic and
academic units to achieve enrollment and eventual capacity (Hossler, 1999).
In new and changing environments, marketing values for expertise became a valuable
tool for university success (Hayes, 2007). Some researchers have suggested that marketing
offices should join forces with planning offices to further assist with the mission and vision of
the overall institution (Hayes, 2007). Mission statements and strategic plans were rewritten to
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 49
develop tactics for positioning (Parameswaran & Glowacka, 1995). The end result facilitated a
consistent message between the home institution and the host country.
Kolter and Murphy (1981) illustrated “strategic market planning” as the most suitable for
the future of nonprofit organizations such as higher education institutions (p. 470). Researchers
expressed this concept as “the process of developing and maintaining a strategic fit between the
organization and its changing marketing opportunities” (Kolter & Murphy, 1981, p. 471).
Following the definition, institutions looked at their vision to plan for the future. Two significant
university facets that needed to be appraised were the environment—current and future—and the
available financial resources. Environmental analysis examined internal, external, public, and
competitive and macroenvironment factors, whereas resource analysis conducted an audit to
better understand university strengths and weaknesses (Kolter & Murphy, 1981). From this
information, administrators aligned their institutional goals to maintain their future plans and
competitiveness.
The sparse amount of literature centered on higher education marketing offers a limited
snapshot into the field, and additional research will provide necessary information regarding the
impact of such techniques at home institutions and international branch campuses. Strategic
planning sessions offer basic information about the process. However, a comprehensive report
focusing on the Hong Kong market has not been identified. This study will unveil the benefits
and challenges associated with new marketplaces and prospective students while identifying the
practices of SCAD Hong Kong’s branch campus. By examining the techniques of one offshore
entity, administrators will understand ways to formally create a campus.
Marketing for branch campuses. Within the prior to this study, several branch
campuses opened their doors. More than 200 branch campuses have set up globally, and
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 50
institutions have differentiated their curriculum from one another by tailoring their programs to
fit the needs of prospective students. One researcher referred to branch campuses as an effective
“marketing strategy” (Umakoshi, 1997, p. 270). Since branch campuses stemmed from home
institutions, these offshore campuses utilized the reputation and brand of the original campus to
integrate into the new location. Since the field of branch campus implementation has limited
research, one particular branch campus appears to have one of the most developed marketing
approaches to date.
The University of Wollongong in Dubai illustrated its distinctive marketing tactics to
manage its aggressive, international recruitment efforts. From an administrator’s point of view,
the hope was that an international brand would instantly translate. However, the creation of
additional policies was required for academic survival, and this institution developed several
noteworthy techniques. Stanfield (2013) suggests that prestigious institutions utilize global
brand recognition to attract students and, alternatively, less-known schools may experience
additional challenges in meeting their enrollment figures. In the past, Wollongong
administrators promoted the university as a whole but changed the approach to sell its individual,
academic course offerings (Lipka, 2012). Promotional materials and program recognition
through television and transportation ads became the focus. The creative team was intentional
with its advancement and developed the acronym, UOWD, which was an easier name than
Wollongong (Lipka, 2012). Additionally, the institution enhanced the connection with the home
country of Australia, which emphasized their multicultural background. Prospective students
accepted these marketing policies, and the admissions staff was rewarded for registering the
largest number of students. Staff members were not the only ones to benefit, as students
received a tuition discount for each additional student they enrolled. The more students
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 51
recruited, the greater the discount. This innovative policy increased numbers and did not solely
rely on the efforts of the admissions staff. Their recruiting efforts continued when staff
expanded the target audience to include upper-division high school students. For prospective
day events, UOWD invited all grade levels of local students to campus for social activities and
entertainment (Lipka, 2012). This concept expanded its potential student enrollment figures.
Through the implementation of creative techniques, Wollongong connected to the audience to
develop and establish its academic programs in a new setting. This is one existing example of
branch campus techniques, and more recent information is needed to understand the recruiting
process involving international branch campuses at other locations. By conducting a study on
how SCAD Hong Kong established a branch campus, the research can identify how an
institution implemented marketing and recruiting strategies for its prospective undergraduate and
graduate students.
7P Marketing Framework. Marketing is an integral part of the business world.
However, the tools and metrics that have been regularly used in business have only recently been
applied within higher education. As educational institutions have grown, they have utilized these
marketing techniques to further the effectiveness of their expansion. Ivy (2008) defined the
marketing mix as a “set of controllable marketing tools that an institution uses to produce the
response it wants from its various target markets” (p. 289). Practioners used this information to
differentiate their academic programs and services from the competition. The mix was often
referred to as the 4Ps: product, price, place, and promotion (Goi, 2009). These factors
significantly influenced product and service appeal. Though businesses used this 4P model, the
services sector added three additional Ps to meet the needs of customers. The additional Ps
consisted of people, physical facilities, and processes, and some higher education institutions
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 52
utilized each concept to develop a practice to surpass the competition (Ivy, 2008). The following
section discusses the 7P framework. The framework is comprised of seven factors: product,
price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical.
The first approach was product, which refers the item, product, or service being sold.
This tangible object referred to the value gained by enrolling in a program. Lin believed in
implementing competitive pricing to reap a profit (2011). Within education, the product was the
knowledge, curriculum, or the end result: the degree. Next, the price was a popular topic
surrounding education. While student tuition or fees funded university programs, Ivy suggested
that program quality was associated with costs (2008). The third factor was place, and, within
domestic and international institutions, the topic surrounded the concept of location and mode of
delivery. Lin (2011) identified place as where customers purchased the product and how the
product reached customers. In educational settings, the distribution model has advanced from
the traditional classroom setting to online providers. The fourth factor was promotion, which
referred to ways in which the prospective customers received information. Traditionally,
institutions relied on general publicity, advertisements, public relation, and sales campaigns (Ivy,
2008). People, the fifth element, referred to those involved with the institution, including
prospective students, staff, faculty, and management, all of whom affect the reputation of the
campus. The sixth factor was process, and this concept explained the administration and
bureaucracy of an institution. This factor involved multiple steps, including application,
registration, along with financial and residential aspects. The final factor was physical. This
referred to the actual buildings and facilities of an institution. Maringe (2005b) revealed that all
seven elements have significance to university marketing, and that, specifically, product, price,
and people emerged as the most critical aspects when influencing a prospective customer’s
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 53
decision in selecting a university. Effective institutions understood the importance of the
creative techniques and used the tools to serve their selected audiences (Kolter & Fox, 1995).
These elements culminated into the 7P framework and were used in this study.
Research on institutional marketing and recruitment practices for international branch
campuses has been limited. Much of the data has focused on sustainability and additional
inquiry is needed to understand the identification and development process of offshore providers.
The 7P framework provided a narrow focus which offered a great measure for a branch campus,
specifically a campus with both undergraduate and graduate programs such as SCAD Hong
Kong.
Conclusion
There is a lack of existing literature pertaining to the marketing and recruitment practices
among international branch campuses. This study will provides valuable research that future
institutions may use when considering the creation of an offshore venture. With over 200 cross-
border providers established and another 37 scheduled to open, the internationalization of higher
education is not likely to slow down (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). This case study addressed
the establishment of SCAD Hong Kong and utilized document analysis, observations, and
interviews to examine how the international offshore campus created its academic programs as
well as the different student recruitment strategies utilized. Chapter Three explains the
methodology for this qualitative study.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 54
Chapter Three: Methodology
Due to the impact of globalization, higher education institutions continue to expand
across borders and diversify the types of educational programs they offer. International branch
campuses provide access to students in countries where the local supply does not meet the
demand for higher education. In response to these trends, SCAD opened an offshore campus in
Hong Kong in 2010. According to the Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 200 branch
campuses currently exist, and an additional 37 campuses will be developed (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012). These international branch campuses provide an international presence and
typically exist to improve the home campus’s global reputation and revenues.
Chapter Two discussed the impact of globalization, internationalization, and international
branch campuses. While there is a significant amount of research highlighting the benefits and
risks of offshore campuses, this case study provided insight into the process of generating an
offshore campus and administering practices to attract both undergraduate and graduate students.
Due to the expansion of branch campuses over the four years prior to this study, Singh (2012)
describes the need to understand the techniques developed by these universities. The purpose of
this study was to examine how SCAD Hong Kong established a branch campus and implemented
marketing practices to recruit prospective students to its academic programs.
A qualitative approach was used to examine SCAD Hong Kong’s branch campus and
marketing and recruitment practices. The 7P marketing framework guided the data collection
and analysis. This chapter discusses the research questions and design, population and sample,
instrumentation, interview protocol, data collection and analysis, analytical framework, and
concludes with validity and reliability.
Research Questions
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 55
This study proposed to address one overarching question and three sub-questions:
Overarching research question:
 What factors influenced SCAD Hong Kong’s creation and implementation of marketing
and recruitment practices for its international branch campus?
Sub-question 1:
 On what basis did SCAD Hong Kong select its 14 academic programs?
Sub-question 2:
 What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit undergraduate and
graduate students to its branch campuses?
Sub-question 3:
 Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing strategies changed since its
inception and, if so, what changes have been applied?
Research Design
This qualitative case study allowed the researcher to evaluate the data and contribute
insight into the nature of the problem (Patton, 2002). This descriptive method illustrated events
or experiences over a period of time, such as the specific steps that SCAD Hong Kong
administrators experienced in launching its latest branch campus. The focus of the study allowed
for the thorough examination of a single phenomenon (Merriam, 2009). The researcher
employed a case study methodology to obtain comprehensive data collection. The researcher
conducted this qualitative case study using three methods: document analysis, interviews, and
observations, and each method increased validity and reliability by triangulating the data. These
concepts are explained in greater detail below.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 56
This qualitative research involved purposeful sampling. The approach specifically calls
for selecting locations or participants who can best recognize the central phenomenon (Creswell,
2008). Research was collected from SCAD during a site visit to the home campus in Savannah.
The utility of qualitative inquiry lies in the rich descriptions of experiences provided by
participants, allowing more in-depth analysis (Patton, 2002). By speaking to administrators who
implemented the marketing and recruitment efforts of a branch campus, the intricacies of their
process were unveiled.
This case study was selected to understand how SCAD Hong Kong established and
implemented marketing and recruitment practices for its international branch campus. A case
study refers to a comprehensive description and analysis of a particular sample (Merriam, 2009).
The focus of this study was to analyze how this institution established an international branch
campus and implemented marketing and recruitment practices for its undergraduate and graduate
programs. The findings may provide insight for leaders of other institutions contemplating the
possibility of an expansion. By selecting SCAD Hong Kong, the case study examined firsthand
the institution’s methods of identifying its target market and developing marketing practices to
recruit students. The intent of this study was not to generalize about branch campuses, but to
provide a detailed analysis of the experiences of administrators at one campus.
Population and Sample
For this study, the participants were administrators from SCAD Hong Kong and
Savannah, Georgia. Five administrators participated in 30- to 60- minute interviews during this
case study. Each SCAD administrator provided insight into the process which took place during
the development of the Hong Kong branch campus and the implementation of marketing and
recruitment practices.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 57
To better understand the innovative aspects involved in the establishment of a branch
campus, the researcher conversed with administrators in various roles within the university.
Individuals from the three functional areas of admissions, marketing and university initiatives
served as interviewees.
The researcher interviewed key stakeholders in order to gain insight into the original
purpose and intent for the branch campus. Senior management offered a broad perspective of the
motivation and strategy behind an additional campus in Asia. In addition, admissions and
recruitment management staff provided information about the existing SCAD students, both past
and present, including those who were international and decided to relocate to the U.S. for their
matriculation. In identifying their reasons for enrolling at SCAD, the administration discovered
why this population moves to another country for school. By studying this information, along
with the differences among background, cultures and languages, staff involved in admissions and
enrollment management are able to better recruit the type of student intended in SCAD Hong
Kong. Administrators clearly defined the existing brand and audience of SCAD in foreign
counties. Finally, the creative staff members from the advertising, marketing, and public
relations departments were contacted for interviews due to their active involvement in the
execution of the marketing and recruitment strategies. Such advertising and promotional
materials were disseminated to prospective students and their parents, and this information was
vital for the long-term viability of branch campuses. All three areas supplied content used to
create and implement marketing and recruitment techniques used at SCAD Hong Kong.
In addition, by asking administrators for additional recommendations, all key
stakeholders were recognized and contacted for this study through snowball sampling. The
researcher asked interviewees to identify other ideal individuals to query regarding a particular
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 58
topic as part of the research method of snowball sampling (Creswell, 2008). The following five
pseudonyms were used to identify the participants:
1. Charlie Beakley – Senior official responsible for Admissions & Recruitment
2. Morgan Bowman – Senior official responsible for Design & Production
3. Rayna Gibson – Senior official responsible for Assessment & Compliance
4. Rory Greene – Senior official responsible for University Initiatives
5. Joseph Taylor – Senior official responsible for Academic & Student Services
The researcher engaged in a site visit to the home campus in Savannah, Georgia to
conduct interviews with administrators who were involved in the implementation of SCAD Hong
Kong. The researcher utilized an interview guide approach, which is a method that provides key
topics of discussion while still permitting the investigator the freedom to probe and follow up
with alternative questions to build upon the conversation (Patton, 2002). In addition to these
discussions, informal observations and document analysis were conducted during the visitations.
Instrumentation
The researcher served as the primary source for data collection. Through qualitative
research, the investigator discovers the interviewee’s experience rather than imposing his or her
own view on the situation (Creswell, 2008). Although data collection and analysis can be
influenced by individual opinions, the researcher remained impartial and sought to validate the
findings by maintaining comprehensive field notes throughout the data collection and analysis
process in order to identify and correct any such bias. This study was developed to examine and
analyze the process of establishing an international branch campus and developing marketing
and recruitment practices to recruit students to SCAD Hong Kong.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 59
As previously mentioned, the researcher collected data using three different methods:
interviews, document analysis, and observations. Each of these methods allowed the researcher
to comprehend the procedure involving the development, marketing, and recruitment approaches
of the SCAD Hong Kong’s branch campus. Interviews served as the primary method of data
collection. In order to gain in-depth information and detail about a phenomenon, interviews
from carefully selected individuals represent the best method for purposeful case studies
(Merriam, 2009). This method invites administrators to share detailed experiences while
allowing the researcher to maintain control over the data (Creswell, 2008). To assist with the
organization of the study, an interview guide provides structure to the study, which allows the
researcher to build a conversation and ask follow-up questions within the subject area (Patton,
2002). Specific questions were asked of all participants, including open-ended questions for
further follow-up and questions regarding subjects or topics that require additional information
but where additional evidence was not available to gather specific details (Merriam, 2009). This
type of protocol allowed the researcher to manage the interview around directed research
questions. Prior to beginning the study, the interview protocol was submitted to the University
of Southern California’s Institutional Review Board for approval. The individual interview
questions focused on topics relating to the framework of this study, the 7P marketing framework:
product, price, place, promotion, people, process and physical (Ivy, 2008). The responses
portrayed how SCAD Hong Kong produced a new campus and created marketing and
recruitment techniques with the 7P marketing framework in mind.
Interview Protocol
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 60
The specific questions asked of SCAD Administrators are listed in the Appendix. The
intent of the interview protocol was to examine and analyze how SCAD Hong Kong developed a
branch campus and incorporated marketing strategies to recruit students within that new location.
Data Collection
This case study used three methods for data collection: interviews, document analysis,
and observations. The researcher visited the home campus in Savannah, Georgia for face-to-
face, on-site interviews during the spring 2013 semester. In addition, the researcher conducted a
phone interview with one participant located in Hong Kong. Interviews served as the central
method for data collection, and an interview guide organized the interview protocol which
aligned with each research question.
In addition to participant interviews, document analysis provided insight into the
background on SCAD Hong Kong. In qualitative inquiry, both public records and personal
documents serve as sources (Merriam, 2009). Information from websites and emails provides
descriptions and detail into the branch campus formation, representing a growing source of
information for qualitative researchers (Creswell, 2008). In this study, the researcher evaluated
SCAD’s website for background information and then explored promotional materials such as
brochures, catalogues, and press releases. In addition to institutional data, the researcher
examined government documents. Agreements with the Hong Kong Development Bureau and
HKCAAVQ provided insight into the national policies and ordinances of Hong Kong.
Document review supplied supplementary data to validate the research for this case study.
The final method of data collection was observation and assessment of the marketing and
recruiting techniques of SCAD’s admissions department. This last methodology allowed the
researcher to study the behavior of individuals in their natural setting (Creswell, 2008). By
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participating in a campus tour as a prospective candidate, the researcher witnessed the institution
from the student perspective. Through direct observation, the investigator can better
comprehend the context of the setting, which is crucial to the holistic understanding of this study
and discovering information not identified during interviews (Patton, 2002). The researcher
partook in a campus tour led by a member of the admissions staff. This observation enabled the
researcher to better understand the academic setting and gain a site overview, allowing the
researcher to assimilate to the unfamiliar environment (Creswell, 2008). After making broad
observations regarding the recruitment activities to prospective students and parents, the
researcher then re-focused on individual conversations between admission staff and prospective
students. To assist with the data collection, fieldnotes identified the time, place and description
of the activities involved, which Creswell (2008) suggests is an essential element of data
collection. The researcher incorporated reflective notes to identify the meaning of the
observation (Patton, 2002) and strengthen the richness of the data. This experience revealed the
actual recruitment tactics for incoming students and provided insight into the marketing
approaches for prospective undergraduates and graduates. These observational experiences
further enhanced the breadth and depth of data received by SCAD Hong Kong. The findings
from the three different methods become triangulated to reinforce the validity of this case study
(Patton, 2002).
Data Analysis
In order to manage the volume of content, data analysis occurred simultaneously with
data collection (Merriam, 2009). The researcher reflected throughout the study, rather than
waiting until all interviews were conducted. After data collection, the researcher compiled the
results of this case study. First, interviews were transcribed, generating another chance to
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analyze the data. In addition, a considerable amount of case data was collected during the
observations and document analysis stages. The researcher organized the data by content as seen
in a case record to manage the quantity of information. By removing duplications and
categorizing text, the researcher thoroughly appraised the data prior to the next stage of analysis.
Data accumulated into a single, complete source which was used to write Chapter Four (Patton,
2002).
The next step involved content analysis through examination of the actual text and the
identification of patterns and themes (Patton, 2002). The researcher arranged the data to manage
the volume of information. Data was coded according to the 7P marketing framework by the
following categories: product, price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical (Ivy, 2008).
Coding assigns specific labels to the different data so the information can be easily retrievable
(Merriam, 2009). This information accumulated from data collection was further analyzed to
answer the research questions. Through this inductive process, the researcher applied the
analytical framework to the results of the case study (Merriam, 2009).
The interview protocol discussed above directly relates to the 7P marketing framework
by connecting each question to at least one of the seven categories. As a result, the researcher
coded and evaluated the data according to these themes.
By implementing an analytical framework, the researcher draws attention to the inquiry
and interprets the data (Merriam, 2009). For this qualitative research, the 7P marketing
framework explained in Chapter Two was used to direct the interview protocol and data analysis.
This framework portrayed basic institutional concepts such as product, price, place, promotion,
people, process, and physical, then aligned these to the development and implementation of a
branch campus setting. Product represented the curriculum, whereas tuition or fees were
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associated with price. The delivery model and location clarified place. Promotion referred to the
promotional materials or the way customers receive information. All stakeholders involved with
the institution illustrated the concept of people. Process explained the institution’s bureaucratic
policies while the facilities make up the physical environment. This structure allowed for an
analysis of how SCAD Hong Kong created marketing techniques to recruit students at a branch
campus. This framework guided the analysis and determined whether or not SCAD utilized this
business and marketing model in establishing, developing, and marketing its Hong Kong branch
campus.
Validity and Reliability
In this qualitative study, triangulation increased accuracy (Creswell, 2008). Patton refers
to three specific components that enhance the dependability of inquiry (2002): 1) precise
methods to capture high-quality data, 2) the credibility of the researcher, and 3) their intellectual
abilities and the belief in the value of qualitative analysis (Patton, 2002). In addition, ethical data
collection and analysis increase the validity and reliability of inquiry (Merriam, 2009).
Although qualitative research produces a significant amount of in-depth details, three
limitations remained inherent in this case study. The first limitation was the inability to replicate
the same results or findings across all types of institutions. The researcher must determine
whether the descriptions prove consistent among the data collected (Merriam, 2009). Another
limitation was the sample size. Although a small, random sample may demonstrate credibility.
A small sample size does not allow for generalizations (Patton, 2002). Finally, as the only
instrument of data collection, the researcher must overcome any natural bias while conducting
the study. The researcher maintained comprehensive field notes throughout the data collection
and analysis process in order to identify and correct any such bias.
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To improve the credibility of this study, the researcher triangulated the data by using
three methods of data collection: document analysis, interviews, and observations (Creswell,
2008; Merriam, 2009). By gathering data from multiple sources at two different locations, the
researcher was able to identify patterns and consistencies within the information. Triangulation
allows researchers to minimize individual bias during data analysis and increase accuracy and
value (Patton, 2002).
Conclusion
This qualitative case study identified the establishing procedures along with the market
and recruitment practices used by SCAD Hong Kong’s branch campus. The researcher utilized a
case study because of the rich and holistic details of the scenario (Merriam, 2009). SCAD was
selected as the location due to its reputation as one of the few universities in Hong Kong to
provide courses exclusively in art and design and because of the unique way it made use of
governmental partnerships to establish a presence in Hong Kong. The results of this study
provided valuable insights into the process of developing and marketing an international branch
campus. The results of these findings are discussed in Chapter Four.

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Chapter Four: Results
This chapter summarizes the results from the qualitative study that identified how
administrators created and developed marketing and recruitment strategies for SCAD Hong
Kong. The research presented was drawn from interviews with key SCAD administrators,
promotional materials issued by the institution, and general observations. Data was analyzed
using the 7P marketing framework to further explain how a U.S.-based institution could
successfully establish and market an international branch campus. The 7P framework is a
method for categorizing and analyzing the various marketing tools that an institution uses to
produce its desired response within a target market. It is made up of seven factors – product,
price, place, promotion, people, process and physical – each of which can be used to better
understand the methods by which a business markets itself to prospective customers (Ivy, 2008).
This chapter examines the case study in two parts. First, additional background
information and details about SCAD provide insight into the institution’s mission, locations, and
involvement with government agencies. Next, the overarching question and sub-questions are
reviewed according to the 7P marketing strategies:
 What factors influenced the creation and implementation of SCAD Hong Kong’s
marketing and recruitment practices for its international branch campus?
o On what basis did SCAD Hong Kong select its initial 14 academic programs?
o What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit undergraduate
and graduate students to its branch campuses?
o Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing strategies changed since its
inception and, if so, what changes have been applied?
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The overarching question explored the regulatory system, marketplace, and student interest
involved in the initial setup of the newest branch campus. The first sub-question addressed the
institutional culture, industry need, and physical space within the landscape of Hong Kong and
Asia. The second sub-question analyzed all promotional activities, including product education,
in-person events, and print materials. The final sub-question outlined additional practices,
focusing on the enrollment and marketing efforts after the initial launch, as well as the
implementation of the 3+3+4 education initiative. This chapter organizes the specific findings
by research question and concludes with a general summation from the researcher’s perspective.
Chapter Five provides a summary and analysis of the present study, along with recommendations
for research and practice.
SCAD Case Study Overview
The researcher communicated with two key SCAD administrators who demonstrated
extensive participation in the development of its offshore campus. The first individual originally
worked at SCAD U.S., currently works at the SCAD Hong Kong campus, and agreed to
participate in the study in August 2012. After learning more about the study, the researcher was
referred to another administrator who lived and worked at SCAD U.S. The researcher
communicated with the second individual and her assistant, who developed an interview
schedule during the researcher’s data collection.
This case study involved three methods of data collection during a site visit to Savannah,
Georgia in February 2013: interviews, observations, and document analyses. The researcher
conducted four in-person interviews with administrators at the Savannah campus. One
additional SCAD Hong Kong administrator participated in a phone interview in March 2013.
For the purpose of anonymity, individual names and job titles were removed. Each interview
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lasted between 30 and 80 minutes. In addition to staff interviews, the researcher participated in
an hour-and-a-half campus tour as a prospective student with one full-time staff member and
three undergraduate students. General observations and conversations occurred during this
interaction, and students shared second- and third-hand information about their peers’
experiences regarding their time at the SCAD Hong Kong campus. Document analysis was
performed to triangulate data, which strengthened the validity of this case study.
While the researcher intended to meet with several different SCAD administrators, the
study was limited due to timing and staff turnover. Originally, the researcher planned to visit
Hong Kong during the fall of 2012. However, the university’s accreditation occurred during the
same timeframe, and made an on-site visit impossible. In addition, several staff left SCAD
within the year leading up to the study, which made communication between the researcher and
potential participants challenging, subsequently impeding data collection and follow-up. After
multiple requests to conduct interviews, the researcher planned to meet with at least five
administrators in Savannah. Two weeks before the scheduled interviews were to take place,
another key administrator left the university. Forwarding contact information was not available.
Despite the unexpected reduction in the interview pool, the researcher received several hours of
content to answer the research questions and interviewed the key individuals involved in the
SCAD Hong Kong project.
Background on SCAD – The University of Creative Careers
Prior to opening a campus in Hong Kong, SCAD developed additional locations beyond
its home base in Savannah, Georgia. As of the date of this study, SCAD features four physical
locations and eLearning, offering more than 40 majors and 60 minors. With learning
opportunities available in Georgia (both in Atlanta and Savannah), France (in Lacoste), Hong
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Kong, and online, this teaching institution presents multiple options for its students. Despite the
scattered venues, SCAD’s mission has been consistent: “to prepare talented students for
professional careers, emphasizing learning through individual attention in a positively orientated
university environment” (Savannah College of Art and Design: SCAD at a glance, 2012). This
remains the focus for each location. SCAD emphasized its vision as:
An institution with distinctive yet complementary locations will be recognized as the
leader in defining art and design education. By employing innovation in all areas, SCAD
will provide a superior education through talented and dedicated faculty and staff,
leading-edge technology, advanced learning resources and comprehensive support
services. (Savannah College of Art and Design: SCAD at a glance, 2012)
One administrator confirmed SCAD’s purpose as “a teaching institution, not a research
institution. We are interested primarily in teaching our students and getting them great jobs and
careers when they finish, all in art and design” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013).
Another administrator referred to SCAD’s academic objective as “focused on careers and getting
our students prepared to go into the world and pursue their passion” (Personal Communication,
February 27, 2013). The institution values academia, distinction, and innovation, which aligns
with its initial plan to maintain a presence in multiple locations. The original campus opened in
the 1980s, and in less than 40 years, the institution has significantly expanded its teaching
environment. In 2002, SCAD developed a study abroad location in Lacoste, France, to expose
students to a unique facet of Art History and Drawing, along with a rotation of supplementary
classes such as photography, printmaking, and writing (Savannah College of Art and Design:
Lacoste, 2012). In 2005, SCAD opened an alternative campus in Atlanta, featuring 20 different
academic programs (Savannah College of Art and Design: Atlanta, 2012). In addition to the
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multiple physical locations, an eLearning component launched in 2003 and allowed remote
options for distant students (SCAD: Driving Prosperity, 2013). The settings and functions of
these campuses expanded the options for students while stretching the name globally, and
SCAD’s goal was to continue to extend its boundaries even further.
Prior to 2009, SCAD had researched international locations for expansion as a part of its
strategic plan. SCAD intended to build a global presence and explored locations throughout
Oceania and Asia. The selection process for this new location tied into an especially important
element of the 7P marketing framework, as place determines where customers purchase the
product and how the product reaches customers (Lin, 2011). In the current educational
environment, the modern curriculum has advanced from the traditional classroom to encompass
online and digital settings, giving students a wide variety of choices and making them less
dependent on the proximity of local institutions. Thus, the selection of a location for a new
branch campus is a key factor in determining the potential success of the establishment and
marketing of that campus. SCAD recognized the importance of place throughout the process,
putting it at the core of the leadership team’s philosophy, as explained by one administrator in
the following manner:
The Board and the President share a very strong vision for sharing a global university, not
just in terms of the footprint of the university, but in terms of providing an education to
students that allows them to understand the global marketplace, understand the variety of
economies, understand how important foreign language is, understand sensitivity to
cultures, understand what you would learn from being immersed in a different culture or
society, and it’s one thing to say that, or another something altogether, to offer it to your
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students in a way where the only thing that they have to do is to buy a plane ticket.
(Personal Communication, February 26, 2013)
Although administrators identified this core concept, they remained uncertain as to the country or
facility in which they could best implement these goals. SCAD investigated options and
continued to be optimistic about its possibilities, and, after learning about a potential building
opportunity, they began to hone in on Hong Kong.
An additional factor within the 7P framework that is closely connected with the concept
of place is the physical nature of a location, or, specifically, the actual buildings and facilities
that make up a location. Although SCAD entertained multiple locations in Southeast Asia for its
latest branch campus, administrators focused on ways to make available structures in Hong Kong
work after discovering a redevelopment project. The former magistracy building was
“unoccupied for about five years before [they] moved in, so it was fairly recent, but [Hong
Kong] had no real use for it” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). The government
decided these historic buildings needed to be preserved, and “through the government project…
[we] could have a space, assuming that [we] would have to go through the lengthy process”
(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013), giving SCAD the opportunity to make use of
physical space which already carried cultural significance within its target market. To apply for
a building through the Revitalizing Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme, SCAD
established SCAD Foundation (Hong Kong) Limited and formed a non-profit corporation. With
help from its legal team in Hong Kong, SCAD became short-listed for the vacant building
(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). Next, after submitting the necessary reports and
documentation which outlined SCAD’s intentions, the institution awaited notification.
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In February 2009, SCAD was awarded the former magistracy building, and by September
2010, SCAD Hong Kong opened its doors to 140 undergraduate and graduate students,
successfully carrying out its plans by opening a fully functioning educational enterprise
(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). While the campus search and selection process
required a significant amount of time and resources, one administrator commented on the
experience: “We were fortunate to be able to apply and be accepted for this one facility. Having
that opportunity, plus seeing a number of other data sources that told us that Hong Kong was
where we needed to be, and the regulatory environment, it just made it perfect for us” (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). Another administrator spoke about the experience: “We
were a part of the Heritage Scheme, which is very new to Hong Kong, and we were allowed to
showcase our expertise to the Asian region and taking our building and renovating it for our
campus and the local community” (Personal Communication, March 27, 2013). SCAD was able
to use this tangible space to generate local interest and enthusiasm for the new branch campus,
demonstrating the important role that the physical element of the 7P framework can play in the
marketing process. However, the promising environment of Hong Kong proved challenging, as
the actual creation and implementation of an offshore entity involved a considerable amount of
paperwork and correspondence with governmental agencies, as discussed in the next section.
SCAD: Involvement with Government Agencies
Although it is less tangible than the place and physical elements of the 7P framework,
process is an equally important factor for the success of a marketing strategy. It is the
mechanism by which an institution meets the administrative and bureaucratic requirements
necessary to establish itself within a new market, which often involves multiple steps, including
application, registration, and financial and residential aspects. In order for SCAD to open a
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branch campus in Hong Kong, it needed to follow a specific process with local governmental
agencies. After being awarded the former magistracy building, SCAD filed paperwork with the
Education Bureau to register as a foreign entity. In order to set up as a non-local operator and
market the academic programs, all U.S. institutions are subject to approval with the Education
Bureau. Course registrations for each of the 14 academic degrees SCAD planned on offering
needed to be accepted prior to promotional periods since registration numbers were required to
be printed on all promotional materials. This process dictated the timing of the creative launch
for SCAD Hong Kong, which resulted in pressure on staff. Despite this obstacle, SCAD
followed the policies and abided by the governmental regulations. One administrator explained
the process as a way to ensure the programs in Hong Kong would be equivalent to courses
offered at the home campus, despite the latter being accredited by a U.S. agency (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013).
While this requirement confirmed the legitimacy of foreign programs, the bigger
challenge was that “[we] can’t market or [we] couldn’t even begin to talk about the program until
[they] received approval” from the Education Bureau (Personal Communication, February 27,
2013). This requirement halted initial recruitment and marketing efforts indefinitely. In Hong
Kong, “there are only a couple hundred (programs) total who have registered over time, so it was
a lot of work for [the Education Bureau] to do but [SCAD] received approval” (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). In addition, this was the first time that HKCAAVQ, the
local educational quality control agency described in more detail in Chapter Two, officially
accredited non-local programs, and SCAD submitted 14 programs at once. However, originally,
SCAD was uncertain whether it would need to submit all programs or hundreds of individual
classes since the term “course registration” held multiple meanings. “The terminology was
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 73
totally different; there’s a program validation process that they require which is very similar to
any UK model.” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013) An administrator continued to
explain the level of detail necessary. “The amount of evidence is at least a hundred times crazier
than the U.S. equivalent because they want detailed evidence at high pass, mid pass, and low
pass, meaning A, B, C work of students in every required course” (Personal Communication,
February 27, 2013).
Despite the different expressions and amount of information required for each major, all
14 academic programs received approval after several months of consideration. This necessary
preliminary step of the process determined the timing and strategy for foreign entities in Hong
Kong, again demonstrating the pivotal role that process plays within the marketing mix. Local
governmental regulations required that SCAD complete this procedure (i.e. process) prior to
marketing its institution locally. SCAD’s marketing campaigns hinged on the endorsement of
the course registration numbers from the Education Bureau, and this method exemplified
SCAD’s perseverance with the international procedure.
During the course registration in Hong Kong, SCAD notified the U.S.-based accreditation
board, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), about its intention to open another
off-campus site. SCAD administrators were required to submit a prospectus, “which is your
abstract, description of the change, rationale for the change, if there will be any facilities that are
appropriate for the new location, market analysis, why do you think this is going to be
appropriate, and it all has to be condensed into 35 pages” (Personal Communication, February
27, 2013). SACS received the completed document, the prospectus was approved, and SCAD
moved forward with the development and implementation of the campus.
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As a part of the required process, the SACS accreditation team conducted a site visit at
SCAD Atlanta to see an example of what the SCAD Hong Kong campus might offer in three to
four years (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). Next, the team flew to Asia to explore
the Hong Kong campus. “Having the team familiar with SCAD already really helped with it; a
site visit is always going well when all reviewers are taking out their cameras and taking photos
of things” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). Another significant comment from all
participants indicated that SACS did not recommend any changes to SCAD’s proposal, and that
SACS had approved a site visit without such a recommendation (Personal Communication,
February 27, 2013). SCAD’s ability to educate SACS on all aspects of the newest venture
indicated its knowledge of the product as well as a commitment to the students. The favorable
outcome of this process allowed SACS to acknowledge that the Hong Kong facility was
equivalent to the programs in Georgia, as confirmed by its accreditation approval. However,
despite this acknowledgement from SACS, SCAD still needed approval from the Hong Kong
Education Bureau to commence its marketing activities, again demonstrating the importance of
understanding and meeting the requirements of the local administrative process.
By early November 2009, the Education Bureau successfully registered all 14
undergraduate and graduate programs at SCAD Hong Kong (SCAD courses registered, 2009).
All marketing efforts commenced as a result of this announcement, opening the door for the
promotional efforts and the acknowledgement of SCAD Hong Kong. This moment represented
the pivotal promotional turning point for SCAD’s creative team. Until this point, the recruitment
and marketing efforts did not exist.
Despite the labor-intensive process, SCAD has called the Sham Shui Po neighborhood
home since 2009. In contrast to the metropolitan scene in central Hong Kong, SCAD Hong
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Kong opened its doors in an area surrounded by tradition. Twenty minutes away from the
cosmopolitan area, the campus served as an education facility and maintained the history of the
former magistracy.
This chapter presents the results from a qualitative research project conducted at SCAD’s
Savannah, Georgia campus. The collected data focused on central themes which influenced the
creation and implementation of marketing and recruitment practices for the international branch
campus. The findings related to the research questions are discussed next.
Research Questions
SCAD’s background and involvement with government agencies established the initial
process for the newest branch campus. Data from the interviews, document analysis, and
observations are compiled according to the 7P marketing framework which incorporates product,
price, place, promotion, people, process, and physical (Ivy, 2008). This analytic model supports
the analysis of the following overarching research question and sub-questions.
Overarching research question: What factors influenced the creation and
implementation of SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices for its
international branch campus? Prior to selecting Hong Kong as the site for its branch campus,
SCAD examined multiple Asian cities to determine which educational and regulatory
environments best suited its goals and practices. SCAD sought a city where the local practices
aligned with its objectives for its academic programs and student and alumni employment
opportunities. SCAD administrators consistently cited the local culture, market opportunities,
and student interest as the three main factors for the development of the Hong Kong branch
campus. They felt that the local culture would be receptive to the degree programs SCAD would
offer, that there was an opportunity to establish itself in the marketplace prior to any competitors,
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and that students from around the world found Hong Kong to be an attractive university location.
All three of these influences fall within the place category of the 7P marketing framework and
are examined below in order to analyze how place fits into the 7P framework and affected the
development of SCAD Hong Kong.
Culture. The cultural environment was an important factor in SCAD’s decision to locate
in Hong Kong. SCAD focused on Asia for its latest expansion as part of the institution’s
strategic plan. As an administrator stated, “[SCAD] started to hone in on what countries and
cities would make sense” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013) by identifying the home
countries of its existing international students. The institution reviewed countries such as Japan
and Singapore, but determined that “Hong Kong is one of the few, if not only, places in
Southeast Asia—or Asia in general—that will allow an institution to come in and not have to
partner with a location institution and delivery of degree programs” (Personal Communication,
February 27, 2013).
Political and regulatory environment. One administrator also identified the “high
concerns around freedom of speech” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013) as an
important element in its search for a suitable location. As an art and design institution, SCAD
wanted to ensure safety and encourage student expression, regardless of country limitations. To
ensure national creditability, SCAD was required to interact with a vast number of government
agencies and abide by numerous policies, all of which required multiple layers of paperwork
during the general search process. From a governance standpoint, Hong Kong’s open guidelines
and policies allowed SCAD to consider this location as its new home, and the magistracy site
provided “the opportunity, the population, the gateway city of the East; the government is in the
process of trying to build itself as an educational hub” (Personal Communication, February 26,
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2013). For these reasons, SCAD focused on Hong Kong and believed this place met its initial
institutional requirements.
Hong Kong’s location and structure offered several benefits. A number of other
countries were ruled out immediately because of policies restricting foreign entities from
operating in the country. For instance, one administrator mentioned that in Hong Kong, “The
university actually is given a lot of (foreign) authority over the campus. They appoint the dean,
they can change certain things, and we never wanted to compromise the quality of our
curriculum or operations or services, and it’s not to say that it would, but it could” (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). From a structural standpoint, SCAD wanted to ensure the
student experience and manage control over its brand and employees. “Hong Kong from a
regulatory standpoint was much more flexible and allowed us to keep the quality purely SCAD”
(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). As described above, the process component of
the 7P framework refers to the procedural efforts while people refers to the actual individuals
who make up an institution, including additional key stakeholders such as prospective students,
staff, faculty, administrators, government officials and the local agencies. In education, a service
industry that relies on such individuals for its very existence, people may be the most
fundamental element of the 7P framework, so any procedural requirements which restrict an
institution’s ability to select its own employees would significantly hinder its ability to operate
successfully. In this instance, Hong Kong proved to be a location in which the local government
process allowed SCAD to freely identify and hire the people it determined most important to the
success of the new campus.
In relation to the setup process, SCAD identified Hong Kong as a location where its
existing administrators could independently manage a branch campus. Although initiating and
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operating independently without local partners presented challenges, SCAD remained
determined to reach this goal. One administrator referred to SCAD’s agenda by saying, “We
knew from day one that we didn’t want to partner with anyone else. We really wanted to start
our own school” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). However, this limited the
location selections for SCAD, as the institution intended to feature its own unique brand, rather
than a collaboration of additional universities or programs. This goal precluded partnerships
with local institutions in the delivery of its degree programs (Personal Communication, February
27, 2013). However, this model would allow SCAD to showcase the quality of its programs,
which would be equal to those of the Savannah campus (Personal Communication, February 26,
2013). By managing the institution on its own terms, SCAD gained greater flexibility for its
newest campus.
In order to provide comparable quality at the Hong Kong campus, SCAD intended to
mirror the academics in its other locations. One administrator mentioned the concerns associated
with a partnership, including “local authorities having control of the campus, selecting a local
dean, and remaining in a partnership” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). These
apprehensions were identified in its review of alternative branch campuses, and concerns
stemmed from the sustainability or progress of the campus. SCAD administrators wanted to
feature the programs as they were offered in Georgia and France, without the influence of
foreign government agencies. Nonetheless, because SCAD remained open to non-local policies
presented by the Education Bureau, Hong Kong’s culture influenced the progression of the
campus.
Traditional practices. The promotion element of the 7P framework refers to the ways in
which SCAD would deliver key information to its prospective customers, but SCAD would need
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to take local cultural factors into consideration when developing any promotional materials. In
an English-speaking location that is also the gateway to the East, customs and language played a
significant role in SCAD’s ability to connect with its prospective audience in Hong Kong.
Traditionally, institutions relied on general publicity, advertisements, public relations, and sales
campaigns (Ivy, 2008), but standard American marketing practices challenged and even
confused some individuals in the East. The Western approach of being open and direct remained
unfamiliar to the Asian culture (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). As a result,
SCAD altered its initial practices to fit within local customs. When initial American recruitment
techniques were brought to Hong Kong, students and parents were surprised by the
administrator’s frankness and willingness to speak about the programs, institutional amenities,
and student work. These practices continue to contradict existing events and trade shows
currently taking place in Hong Kong. In order to overcome this obstacle, SCAD made minor
adjustments. One administrator referred to this strategy as “understanding the market and the
educational structure with these countries” (Personal Communication, March 27, 2013).
However, another aspect of the culture challenged staff. Since the classes were taught in
English, SCAD’s logic followed that promotional materials would be printed in English, for
proficient English readers and speakers. Unfortunately, the older generations did not read
English, and the creative team amended the text to align with the local language. One
administrator suggested that they “invest a whole lot more time in understanding the cultural
perspective, [and who] the decision makers are” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
This lesson occurred early enough in the process to allow for adjustments prior to the
institution’s original opening.
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In line with the dual official languages, SCAD Hong Kong developed bilingual
marketing materials to allow students, parents, and grandparents to learn about the school’s
offerings. By including both languages on the Hong Kong-specific brochure, the material
appealed to multiple audiences. Although the English/Chinese texts were not originally
integrated in the marketing launch, this important adjustment improved communication and
visibility among the prospective market.
Market Opportunities. The available educational market was an important factor in
SCAD’s decision to locate in Hong Kong. With an increased number of international branch
campuses, different host locations tried to enhance the number of participating colleges and
universities to establish a specific niche. Hong Kong was no different with its intentions; the
country deliberately advocated this goal to reign supreme within education. Based on SCAD’s
reason for expansion, this mission aligned within the government’s long-term plans to become an
education hub, again highlighting the important role that place plays within the 7P marketing
framework.
When SCAD looked at alternative sites for its campus, administrators focused on
sustainable locations, rather than sites influenced by government financial support. “We did not
want to rely just on a country or a city-state that wanted to offer a sizeable amount of money,”
stated an administrator who went on to say, “I would caution people who follow a financial
subsidy initially because if you cannot get a population up and going, to me, it creates a very
difficult model to sustain” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). In addition, one of the
Hong Kong government’s educational pillars supported art and design, along with digital media,
and SCAD believed its academic degree offerings matched the government’s objectives,
illustrating how the location of its new site enhanced the value of its product, another component
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of the 7P framework. Within education, the product is the knowledge, curriculum, or the end
result: the degree. The value of a degree from SCAD would be enhanced within the Hong Kong
market by the government’s focus on art, design and digital media.
In recent times, Hong Kong had demonstrated an increasing emphasis on becoming a
center for education and creative industries, so SCAD’s plans matched the government’s
intentions. As one administrator said, “All of our applications for the building and otherwise, we
would always say one of the pillars was pushing art and design and digital media, so we are right
there, and then the other one was making Hong Kong an international education hub” (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). Hong Kong decided to target cutting-edge programs, and,
as a result, government agencies pushed for initiatives to gain tenability and establish themselves
as credible sources. At least two administrators mentioned the importance of allowing foreign
institutions into its locations in order to gain this recognition: “They (Hong Kong) want to see
this through, and the only way they can do it is by bringing in non-local students. If you are only
educating your local population, you are not becoming an education hub” (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). More importantly, this expansion of degree programs
further influenced the connection between industry contacts and the university. The leaders at
SCAD believed in unveiling 14 innovative academic programs that would tie into available
employment opportunities. Up until this point, such programs had not been featured in Hong
Kong. By aligning the potential majors according to the areas of employer demand, the
university could create a similar demand from students for these particular subject areas. This is
an example of how SCAD sought to offer the marketplace a valuable product which would meet
the needs of employers and SCAD students alike, leading to greater job placement opportunities
and more favorable employment results when compared to SCAD’s non-degree competitors.
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There were no other art and design universities in Hong Kong, and, thus, course offering
in art, design and digital media were quite limited. This further explains the lack of competition
from local institutions (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). While a few academic
programs existed, the demand for industry jobs and internships greatly outnumbered supply.
Amidst the global economic turmoil, companies sought skilled workers. When SCAD
administrators spoke with industry contacts about opening another campus in Asia and featuring
its digital media programs, employers responded positively about the number of prospective
employees that would result. Immediately, SCAD developed an agreement with local and global
organizations which will offer practical experiences and will continue to discuss options with
other local enterprises (SCAD provides career opportunities, 2010). This promising job outlook
appealed to administrators who believed this insight would be a driving force in its admissions
efforts with prospective students, parents, and alumni. While some individuals were not familiar
with SCAD’s name, the job prospects advertised by admissions staff sparked student interest in
pursuing a creative career.
Although the challenge in supporting a new government initiative appeared unclear, the
addition of non-local degree programs provided the opportunity for Hong Kong education
officials to diversify and expand the academic programs in Hong Kong as part of developing an
educational hub. The country welcomed foreign entities which aligned with the governmental
pillars. Fortunately, SCAD’s programs in art, design, and digital media correlated with
employers who wanted to hire talented students to enhance this budding industry. The direct
link—between theory and coursework in the classroom, to practice, internships, and jobs—laid
the groundwork to develop Hong Kong’s educational hub. These factors attracted creative and
innovative students who inquired about the degree programs offered by SCAD Hong Kong.
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With the evolving governmental and marketplace factors dictating institutional practices, student
opinion also contributed to the establishment of the Hong Kong campus.
Student Interest. Student buy-in was an important factor in SCAD’s decision to locate in
Hong Kong. As SCAD looked into different locations for branch campuses, administrators
conducted focus groups to better understand the location and training opportunities in Hong
Kong. All three student categories were examined in order to understand the impact to the
creation and implementation of the marketing and recruitment practices. Administrators
questioned the following groups of domestic and international students: currently enrolled,
accepted but did not enroll, and current college students enrolled in other art and design
programs in Hong Kong. Just as its ability to select its own employees proved to be a key
element of SCAD’s decision to locate in Hong Kong, this evidence of demand for its product
convinced SCAD that there was a strong potential pool of customers in this new market, further
enhancing its desirability as a location. In addition, these potential students formed the most
important component of the people element of the 7P strategy, as they would ultimately serve as
the judge of the success and value of SCAD’s product.
Most importantly, SCAD studied its existing student body, the currently enrolled
domestic and international students in Savannah and Atlanta, regarding their interest in pursuing
classes in Hong Kong. The administration surveyed students and conducted international field
trips to gauge curiosity. Hong Kong received much attention while other locations did not. One
administrator said, “It makes logical sense that you need to start with ‘where do students want to
go’ and spend time, and ‘where are you going to have a population that is financially viable and
sustainable’” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013)? After the initial location query,
administrators reviewed permanent address locations of international students. Based on figures
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from the 2012-13 Fact Book, 111 countries were represented in the student body (SCAD: 2012-
13 Fact Book, 2013, p.22). This figure demonstrated the distance students were willing to travel
to take courses in Georgia.
SCAD was still interested in questioning students who chose not to enroll at SCAD U.S.;
during the recruitment process, the SCAD admissions staff asked Asian candidates for the
reasons they did not select SCAD. Despite high test scores, interest in art and design, and an
acceptance letter, one of the primary reasons students did not attend was the distance (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). One administrator voiced the student’s perspective, saying
they “crossed an entire ocean to get to California and then across another continent to get where
you are—for us, well that makes sense that we should look at going to them” (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). Due to those responses, SCAD staged its strategy to reach
out to Asian students who missed out on its U.S. institutions (Personal Communication, February
27, 2013). According to this evidence, place was most important when students looked at
campus locations and proximity to their homes. Administrators believed in creating an
opportunity that was mutually beneficial for SCAD and students, based on the evidence
presented.
With the expansion of the Hong Kong branch campus, SCAD increased its current
offerings to a wider demographic. This teaching-based institution featured instructional
programs for an international audience while focusing on training that would prepare students for
creative internships and jobs. SCAD’s academic offerings were tailored to a specific target
audience. In addition, the accreditation of the university would legitimize its programs in a new
market. SCAD eventually received accreditation in both the U.S. and Hong Kong, which
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distinguished the caliber of its academic programs and drew attention to the institution in each
location.
Ultimately, SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices were most
influenced by three important factors. First, the culture and open environment of Hong Kong
allowed non-local programs to become accredited, allowing SCAD to compete on a level playing
field with local institutions. Second, Hong Kong presented significant market opportunities
which made it a financially sustainable location not dependent on governmental subsidy, which
was an important goal for the institution. Third, by selecting academic programs that aligned
with Hong Kong’s educational pillars and the needs and interests of prospective students, SCAD
could quickly gain access to a significant pool of customers within both domestic and
international markets. Once the school identified and recognized that these three factors made
Hong Kong the ideal location, SCAD advanced to the final stages in developing and marketing
its branch campus. In doing so, SCAD focused on highlighting its student opportunities and
explaining the creative programs to the public. By participating in this marketing process,
working with the correct people and location, and promoting its product in a culturally effective
manner, SCAD built awareness for its brand. This acknowledgement of its academic prowess,
along with its professional ability, maintained the history and tradition of Sham Shui Po while
enhancing the education system for Hong Kong. This entire process influenced the way in
which administrators articulated the institution’s message to prospective audiences, industry
contacts, and government officials. In the next section, the research clarified how SCAD
identified which academic programs would be featured at the Hong Kong branch campus.
Sub-question 1: On what basis did SCAD Hong Kong select its 14 academic
programs? SCAD operates on a student-focused mission and carefully considers which
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academic degree offerings would be the most attractive product to potential students. It held
discussions among its Savannah administration and students, sought the opinions of students
attending other institutions in Hong Kong, and also considered the needs of employers and
professionals in that market. Ultimately, SCAD’s selection of the academic programs to be
offered in Hong Kong was most strongly influenced by its own institutional culture, the industry
needs, and the physical space available for its new location.
Institutional culture. SCAD’s initial academic program selections for its Hong Kong
campus highlight the importance of two elements of the 7P framework – product and people.
SCAD wanted each academic school location to present its own specific product in a particular
fashion, while still operating within the defined culture of the larger institution. This would
highlight the value of each school’s own product while still enhancing the value of the SCAD
curriculum as a whole. At the same time, SCAD looked to the most important group of people
connected with its institution by seeking out the opinion of current, former and potential
students.
At SCAD, three features encompassed its culture: the single university mindset, a focus
on assessment, and attention to the clients / the students. All participants interviewed in the
study commented on the “multiple campuses, one university” approach (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). “It takes a commitment of staff—staff committed to seeing
through the university plan, there in countries as well as back in the home base” (Personal
Communication, February 26 and 27, 2013). This culture required all parties involved to work
together for a common goal in successfully launching the product. “As a university, we wanted
to make this (SCAD) work. It goes back to an issue with other schools that start just one
program there, because it’s hard to get an entire university behind if we only offer one program”
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(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). This campus environment initiated the drive for a
successful branch campus and built upon the customs found at the SCAD U.S. campuses.
While institutional culture played a significant role at SCAD, all participants commented
on the importance of assessment. This team consisted of 12 to 15 people who completed the
necessary document review and confirmed specifics during the development process with the
appropriate agencies such as the Education Bureau, SACS, and HKCAAVQ. This department
oversaw the individual course registrations for the 14 academic programs which had been
selected by SCAD’s senior leadership team. This selection followed an extensive review of the
existing international market for art and design courses and an assessment of the opportunity for
new programs to fill the void for prospective and current students.
Prior to approving any major, administrators utilized different student focus groups, such
as students from other Hong Kong universities, individuals who chose not to enroll at SCAD
(U.S. and Europe locations), and students enrolled at SCAD U.S., to learn more about the
possible course offerings and the impact on its intended audience. This data proved important in
illustrating programs offered by its competition in Hong Kong and other worldwide programs.
One SCAD administrator commented, “We felt like our place was to come in and do something
that truly is unique and different and special” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013).
SCAD listened to its audience to better address the needs of the target audience. College-aged
students presented additional features for SCAD to consider, and staff listened to student input.
The buy-in from students is an important feature of successful international branch campus
development, as it secures the support of a key segment of the people who make up an academic
institution. SCAD leaders had an added interest in understanding what students wanted from its
institution. Prior to 2010, Asian students were limited by the media-related course offerings, and
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SCAD took the occasion to deliver access. Unfortunately, “where [SCAD] missed the mark was
expecting that Asia was going to understand the nuance or difference between motion media and
visual effects or what sound design even is” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
Despite an initial lack of knowledge, prospective students became aware of new programs. In
addition to these first two focus groups, administrators also reviewed data from a third group,
current students, described next, to further gauge interest among its admitted students.
The research involving currently enrolled students in existing SCAD programs in
Savannah came from two different segments. First, students completed Facebook surveys to
gauge interest in potential locations. Approximately 1,000 American students have expressed
interest in studying at SCAD Hong Kong (SCAD nurtures art talents, 2010). In addition,
enrollment figures, analyzed by school and by student demographics, acknowledged what area of
study the largest number of Asian (specifically Chinese) students selected as an academic degree.
The research confirmed that a significant number of Asian students are enrolled in SCAD’s
digital media and communication arts programs, which are relevant to the market since these
alumni are most likely to return home after degree completion. “We constantly listened to what
the students were asking for and evaluating the facilities” (Personal Communication, March 27,
2013). As a result, administrators shortlisted a few programs to feature at SCAD Hong Kong.
“We had already chosen those 14 programs; they were in the initial application. However,
administration initially surveyed students to see if the original programs matched student
perceptions, and they did” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). This institutional
culture focused on assessing students and translated the responses into action. While university
culture remained imperative in the success of a potential branch campus, the environmental
opportunities suggested a major dynamic for an institution.
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SCAD’s institutional culture dictated the selection of the 14 academic programs to be
implemented in Hong Kong. Each degree offering focused on an art and design niche, as
developed from the home institution in Savannah, Georgia, and incorporated into the opportunity
within Asia. SCAD stayed consistent with its “one university” mindset, analyzed its data and
catered to its target audience, all of which aligned with the product and people components of
the 7P marketing framework (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
Industry need. SCAD also identified the initial academic programs for its Hong Kong
campus by identifying its connection to hiring companies. The academic programs offered by
SCAD represented a combination of cutting-edge technology and software to prepare students
for creative fields. SCAD administrators believed in a strong product and promotional strategy
to set the institution apart from the competition, as noted in the 7P framework. Students
interested in pursuing a career in digital arts—including animation, advertising, and graphic
design—favored SCAD’s academic program and its domestic and international industry
connections. Wallace, SCAD’s President, believed Hong Kong could present opportunities for
students and professors to work with alumni and business organizations (SCAD spinoff seeks
profit, n.d.). The digital niche and the resulting employment opportunities for students and
alumni represented a favorable option for SCAD’s latest establishment in Hong Kong.
Prior to establishing an international branch campus, SCAD students participated in study
abroad projects partnered with industry contacts such as V-Tech (a supplier of phones and
educational, electronic toys) (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). For example,
industrial design students developed new concepts for children’s games and enhanced their
artistic portfolio during an internship. Through this opportunity, students displayed skills and
applied expertise to real-world practice. The experience proved valuable to both parties and
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filled the void caused by the country’s lack of supply. This example presents the demand for
artistic labor within the digital media industry of Southeast Asia and notably aligns with the
people and place factors, as suggested in the 7P framework. In this case, the term people
encompasses undergraduate and graduate students who would capitalize on these employment
opportunities, whereas place referred to Hong Kong, which was developing a digital media niche
for art and design students.
In addition to student placements, alumni sought full-time positions after graduation.
Young alumni remained optimistic due to the familiarity and knowledge of the industry. A
director of human resources found that graduates of SCAD are acknowledged as the “most
production-ready” candidates (SCAD courses registered, 2009). This praise connects well with
the development of SCAD Hong Kong. Students and alumni fill the employment void by
seeking jobs and internships in highly sought-after companies by utilizing SCAD’s contacts,
which garnered international exposure. While the U.S. market presented some options, the
Asian market provided ample opportunity for talented graduates, and, thus the university tailored
its course selections to the demand of current and prospective employers.
SCAD maintained strong connections with a number of different companies and
organizations throughout the U.S. SCAD further developed its connections with global
companies such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton by speaking to them to learn
about the employment needs (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). One administrator
reiterated a discussion with Shaw Studios (the largest studio in Hong Kong, which oversees the
largest TV networks in China) and noted that the organization was “dying for quality students”
(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). Based on this comment, the administrator
understood the potential for SCAD’s venture, pending course registration approval for all 14
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intended programs. Shaw was excited to learn about the course approval for SCAD’s intended
offerings, especially motion media. This specific decision added to the uniqueness of programs
and directly aligned with the organizational hiring needs in Hong Kong. As a part of the 7P
marketing framework, this product in Hong Kong single-handedly gave SCAD a distinctive
segment of the marketplace.
Based on industry demand, Hong Kong’s employment opportunities seemed promising.
Companies interested in quality students became familiar with SCAD’s brand since the existing
Hong Kong talent did not match organizational opportunity. While this study does not address
these specific concerns, the development of an international branch campus could tailor
programs to hiring industries, focusing on the product feature of the 7P framework. As a result,
Hong Kong could enhance its economy by offering positions to highly trained and creative
individuals at SCAD. These trained students would meet organizational need, proving to be an
important feature to emphasize during the recruitment and marketing process of a foreign entity
in a new environment.
Students investigated job prospects during the admissions process to learn about the
likelihood in securing full-time jobs after graduation. This aspect became more apparent during
the economic crash and continues to resonate with college students. Since SCAD Hong Kong
enhanced its employer connections and focused on potential opportunities with local
organizations, this concept recognized the opportunity for SCAD students to work in Asia post-
graduation. One administrator suggested that “many of these (international) students would be
going back to Asia” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). Prior to the opening of the
new campus, Asian students did not have a connection with SCAD in Asia. However, with the
expansion of a new campus and the well-established contacts, these individuals could consider
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utilizing the newly acquired skills in an industry that seeks top talent. This promotional strategy
represented a new method of illustrating the value of a SCAD degree and the connection to the
7P marketing concepts.
SCAD identified the employment opportunity for an art and design university to be based
in Hong Kong. University administrators completed research by investigating the existing
market and identifying employer and industry need. By matching educational programs with
hiring demand, SCAD strategically prepared its students for employment. Industry need proved
significant to the selection of the 14 programs offered at SCAD Hong Kong, and influenced
which academic programs to offer, how to market individual majors, and who would be targeted
as prospective students. Product, promotion, people and place are the 7P marketing framework
concepts identified. While institutional culture and industry need represented two of the three
reasons for academic program selection, physical space was also an important factor and will be
discussed next.
Physical space. The physical space available to SCAD also contributed to the selection
process for its initial academic programs. SCAD Hong Kong’s magistracy facility was
architecturally limited, so its programming needed to fit within 80,000 square feet. SCAD
investigated the maximum number of programs that could fit inside the building while still
abiding by the guidelines that mandated preserving the former government building. One
administrator referred to it as “which programs truly complement one another” since the SCAD
education includes a large “amount of cross-disciplinary collaboration” (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). Although the structure limited the available square
footage, it also forced SCAD to be creative with the interior design. As one of the initial
members of the development stated:
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We would keep one of the (original) courtrooms as is, and then we were able to explore
what we wanted to do with the other one. They have really, really tall ceilings, and they
turned it (the other courtroom) into a green screen room. But because it’s one of the few
large, open spaces, we also made sure that there’s a curtain in it, so it can be closed and it
is also a photo shoot area. (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013)
With over 40 possible majors, administrators analyzed the specific options and determined what
fit within the space constraints. SCAD took advantage of the versatility of its programs in order
to preserve the rich history of the building, again demonstrating the importance of the physical
and place components of the 7P framework.
The academic degrees offered by SCAD represent a plethora of choices within the art,
design, and digital media fields. One admissions administrator said it best: “One of the strongest
components of an education at SCAD is the amount of cross-disciplinary collaboration”
(Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). This type of education allows students to learn
about multiple areas and see the bigger picture of a project, rather than solely focusing on the
individual field. The intention of these innovative programs encourages peers to work together
while the academic curricula complement one another. The functionality of these programs
presents an essential component when limited to space. “We have a lot of the classrooms that
are multi-use, and we were able to make computer labs that support all programs,” noted one
SCAD administrator (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). The physical structure of
the building offered a conductive learning environment which matched the institutional culture
and industrial need of the employers.
Ultimately, senior administration wanted to answer the question: “What is the largest
number of programs we can offer in this space, in the most effective way, and then how well
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were those programs support one another” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013)? In
answering this three-pronged question, SCAD took into account the student focus group and
industry responses. Despite the limitation of square footage, along with government and
preservation requirements, SCAD Hong Kong selected 14 degrees across eight academic areas:
advertising, animation, graphic design, illustration, interactive design and game development,
motion media design, photography, and visual arts (Savannah College of Art and Design: SCAD
– FAQ, 2012).
Academic degree selection at SCAD Hong Kong was influenced by institutional culture,
industry need, and physical space, as administrators sought to choose course offerings which
aligned to Hong Kong’s governmental guidelines, met the needs of local industries and
companies, and took advantage of the physical space made available to SCAD by the local
government. Each of these factors relate to corresponding components within the 7P marketing
framework, although the common thread through each layer of the selection process remained
the product. SCAD’s product reflected an attempt to provide the “one university” model across
multiple locations, a desire to increase employment opportunities for SCAD students globally,
and a need to redevelop the former governmental building to meet the physical needs of a new
branch campus (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). This led to the next stage of
development: SCAD administrators implemented a creative campaign to educate prospective
students and parents. The next section addresses the creative techniques used to accomplish this
goal.
Sub-question 2: What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit
undergraduate and graduate students to its branch campus? With the development of a new
branch campus, SCAD needed to familiarize prospective students with its featured programs.
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SCAD accomplished this by strategically implementing product education activities and in-
person events in conjunction with the release of print materials. However, to make the most
efficient use of these promotional events and materials, SCAD first had to prepare a marketing
schedule and plan tailored to the Hong Kong market. The first portion of this section details the
approach SCAD took prior to launching its marketing campaign, while the remainder of the
section analyzes how these practices fit within the promotional category of the 7P marketing
model.
Pre-launch. The concept of promotion refers to ways in which prospective customers
receive information about a product. Traditionally, institutions have relied on general publicity,
advertisements, public relation, and sales campaigns (Ivy, 2008). However, prior to
implementing any such strategy in Hong Kong, SCAD needed to understand how its standard
promotional strategies needed to be tailored to this new market. SCAD administrators used this
pre-launch period to learn more about the culture of the new location and prospective audience to
design more effective promotional strategies. This section reviews the timing and target
audience toward which SCAD worked for the successful launch of the branch campus.
Timing. In February 2009, SCAD was awarded the former magistracy building and
announced its intention to create a campus in Hong Kong (SCAD recommended, 2009). With
the goal of preserving the building and opening in September 2010, SCAD moved quickly to
work within these time constraints. Although the restoration process of the campus moved
forward, the marketing plans were curtailed due to regulatory practices required of non-local
operators, so staff members involved in admissions, enrollment management, and marketing
were forced to remain patient.
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While the news of an additional campus was included on SCAD’s website through
international press releases and photos, the university could not begin its promotional campaign.
One key administrator noted, “We couldn’t even begin to talk about the program until we
received approval from them (Education Bureau)” (Personal Communication, February 27,
2013). Course registrations for each of the 14 academic degrees needed to be accepted prior to
promotional periods since registration numbers were required to be printed on all promotional
materials. Since the registration process took months, SCAD could only wait. Another
administrator described the experience:
We had everything ready to launch, but we had to be so sensitive to not do before it was
appropriate. We didn’t want to overpromise and under-deliver. It was such an honor to
get the building, and we felt so privileged that we wanted to be really, really sensitive to,
to the government who gave us the building, and we just wanted to do everything really
above and forward in the right way. (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013)
Due to cultural sensitivities, SCAD wanted to ensure its place in a new country and represent the
brand and the product in a positive manner. During this interim, the creative team utilized
general SCAD advertisements but could never say anything regarding SCAD Hong Kong
without approval. After approximately eight months of review by Hong Kong’s Education
Bureau, SCAD’s academic programs received final authorization, and the marketing efforts
commenced (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013).
While the timing presented an unexpected challenge, the future of SCAD Hong Kong
hinged on actual registration. The waiting time or process, although extended, showed SCAD’s
dedication to its product. This characteristic represented the strong culture surrounding the
university’s commitment to providing a unique program in Hong Kong, which further enhanced
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the city as an educational hub. The timing was a crucial element in the launch of SCAD Hong
Kong’s marketing practices, though once the institution had identified degrees to offer,
enrollment management staff needed to target the prospective audience.
Audience. Although the timeline for marketing practices was unpredictable, SCAD
intended to model its display of academic programs in the same manner the admissions staff
approached prospective students in the U.S. The foundation for this strategy was to effectively
reach the people who make up its target audience and promote the value of the SCAD product.
SCAD initially focused on individuals from Hong Kong and mainland China. One administrator
explained that SCAD wanted to determine “what appeals to people in that location,” while still
maintaining the same “one university” approach it applied at all of its campuses (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). In this way, SCAD sought to implement strategy that was
consistent with the university’s motto, “All SCAD – all the time” (Personal Communication,
February 26, 2013). Regardless of campus location, SCAD focused on students and potential
resources. However, the actual implementation of this plan changed once administrators
encountered cultural differences in Asia. The challenges included prospective students’ not
selecting colleges, decision-makers’ being unable to speak English, and the fact that candidates
from mainland China were unable to enroll at the Hong Kong campus. To be seen as successful,
SCAD needed to adapt in response to this new environment.
In 2009, the admissions and marketing process focused solely on the students and the
plethora of university resources in the same manner in which staff represented the U.S.
university. One of the creative administrators suggested the following concept, based on
attracting multiple students from around the world:
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We want everyone to understand that we have to have all of this available and just
because you come to Savannah, it doesn’t mean you have to stay in Savannah. So we try
not to pull out just one campus because we really want students to understand that they
can be in a quaint southern inspired city, or they can be in the metropolis of Atlanta, or
they can go to Hong Kong or go to France and be immersed in history for 10 weeks. We
really want to make sure that they get that (message) from the beginning. (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013)
Unfortunately, SCAD discovered that the students were not the primary target. Although SCAD
researched the location and became familiar with different business practices, one SCAD
administrator said, “In a lot of Asian countries, the student is secondary if not tertiary in the
college search process. The whole thing is driven by parents and is heavily, heavily dependent on
the degree to which your programs are ranked” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
At that time, SCAD was only registered with the Education Bureau and not yet accredited. In
response, the institution altered its existing marketing model to direct attention to the decision-
makers, who were typically either the parents or the grandparents. “We had to create an entire
parent communication flow,” said a SCAD administrator, who further explained that marketing
materials would be addressed to parents, rather than the students (Personal Communication,
February 26, 2013), again highlighting the importance of reaching the right people. SCAD
recognized that these cultural differences required an adjustment of practices (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). While parents and grandparents influenced the selection
process, the promotional brochure, which was initially printed in English, was addressed to
parents who could not speak the language, causing another disconnect.
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Regardless of SCAD’s international presence, all marketing materials prior to 2010 were
printed in English. Brochures were developed for students who would be taking classes taught in
English across all campuses. This was not considered an obstacle until SCAD staff started
speaking to prospective students about the latest offshore campus experiences. In Hong Kong,
two official languages were spoken: Cantonese and English. However, these languages did not
match the target audience. “We quickly learned that we have to translate everything into
functional Chinese for the parents and address [the admissions package] to the parents because
they literally make the decision for the students,” noted a SCAD administrator (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). SCAD developed a traditional Chinese brochure, which
appealed to the parental and/or grandparent influence. “We found that it is safe and more
effective to do bilingual on everything, and then we just kind of take that guess work out of
there,” said another SCAD administrator (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). SCAD
believed this would be advantageous by allowing prospective students and the potential decision
makers in their family to review the same brochure and learn about higher education.
Despite the influence of Asian parents, SCAD administrators acknowledged the need to
include students in the target audience, even if they were not making the final decision. One
SCAD recruiter referred to the challenge as making sure “your parents and students are equal,
which can be a little tricky” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). Seeing that both
groups have a vested interest in the college decision-making process, and that parents have a
greater influence, the challenge remained. Regardless of the different audiences, SCAD needed
to feature its academic programs in a way that influenced the parents and exhibited the academic
programs’ distinct features. Administrators demonstrated the value of the programs by
introducing the connections with attractive industry contacts such as DreamWorks, National
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Geographic, and Time, Inc. (SCAD: 2012-13 Fact Book, 2013). Administrators acknowledged
the importance of these classifications and reputation, which played into the strategy. As SCAD
examined and revised its practices during the inaugural application season, administrators did not
anticipate China’s limitations.
Originally, SCAD looked to Hong Kong and mainland China to meet enrollment figures.
“The vast majority of our enrollment strategy was focused on China” (Personal Communication,
February 26, 2013). Unfortunately, SCAD did not realize the governmental limitations. One
administrator explained the situation as follows:
We cannot enroll mainland Chinese students. We are allowed to enroll students from
Taiwan and Macau, subject to a quota. There is a memorandum of understanding of
mutual degrees between Hong Kong and China, and so only those schools listed on the
memorandum can admit students from mainland China. (Personal Communication,
February 27, 2013)
Another administrator explained the situation as:
There is nothing on the books that says a student from mainland China cannot attend a
university in Hong Kong, so we go ahead and accept students, and we start down the visa
process come to find out, the two countries’ immigrant departments do not want to play
together. So yes, you can accept students, but you should not expect mainland Chinese
students to get entry into Hong Kong. (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013)
Before SCAD Hong Kong investigated the process for expanding its audience to include
mainland China, administrators “need to figure out and balance how much of a focus would need
to be put on that because, if it is subject to a quota, [administration] need to figure out how much
time and effort is going to go into it” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). As an
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alternative, mainland Chinese students can get student visas and study at SCAD U.S. However,
this news came as a sudden shock during the execution stage. One key administrator remarked
on the enrollment figures for SCAD U.S. and said, “You can tell that SCAD Hong Kong had a
huge hit on our Chinese population because just marketing over there, the mainland Chinese
students learned about us and came to the U.S.” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013).
According to the SCAD: 2012-13 Fact Book, 71 Chinese students enrolled in 2008, and that
number expanded to 407 in just five years (p. 22). Despite the oversight on immigration issues
with mainland China, Asian students were still granted access to SCAD U.S. The marketing
efforts suggest that this brand recognition in Hong Kong and China brought more international
students, showing that promotional strategies served a purpose in recruiting students from
multiple locations to enroll at SCAD.
Although SCAD generated and positioned a specific marketing plan to unveil its latest
campus in Hong Kong, the timing and audience played a significant role in the marketing and
recruitment process for undergraduate and graduate students. The original registration procedure
delayed the initial timing, and the target audience issues evolved into a complex series of events.
However, once understood, the creative team catered to all stakeholders, especially the key
decision-makers. SCAD’s three marketing practices—1) Product Education, 2) In-person
Events, and 3) Print Materials— contributed to the promotional development of the campus and
guided the initial awareness of SCAD Hong Kong.
Product Education. An important goal of SCAD’s marketing plan was to educate the
Hong Kong market regarding the value of its product – a SCAD degree. In doing so, SCAD
based its branch campus on the American model but remained culturally sensitive to more
effectively build awareness of its brand internationally. Instead of making significant changes to
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traditional admissions and marketing practices, SCAD promoted the philosophy of four schools,
one SCAD (SCAD provides career opportunities, 2010). This required SCAD to educate its
target market of the value of SCAD as a whole, while still promoting the Hong Kong campus
specifically. However, during this process SCAD utilized similar practices that had been used in
the U.S. in order to create a unified global message. One SCAD administrator mentioned, “We
wanted to be consistent because we feel like it is one university” (Personal Communication,
February 27, 2013). This approach allowed Asian students to experience an American degree
program through an offshore campus.
Specifically, in Hong Kong, the 14 academic programs were grouped by academic
school, encouraging a cross-disciplinary function and diversity that explained a unique element
of SCAD. Despite the variety of subjects, one administrator noted consistent branding elements
seen in the explanation of learning outcomes, which were identical to those of courses in
Savannah. This uniformity remained present among participants since each administrator
referred to the phrase, “All SCAD, all the time” when discussing different aspects of the
institution (Personal Communication, February 26 and 27, 2013). For example, from an
admissions perspective, if a student applied to SCAD and was accepted, s/he would be able to
start at any SCAD campus. This slogan reiterated SCAD’s one university philosophy, regardless
of location.
SCAD Hong Kong developed an offshore campus thousands of miles from the home
base, yet the creative process remained similar. In the U.S., SCAD focused on building the
brand rather than on developing individual campaigns for each academic department. As a
result, the institution developed its trademark—SCAD, The University of Creative Careers—to
further differentiate its product within higher education (Personal Communication, February 26,
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2013). One administrator said, “One thing that we do for SCAD is not take for granted that they
know what SCAD is…People get that it’s a university and probably American-based” (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). However, the administrator also stated that SCAD could
not “take for granted that they (the target audience) know what SCAD is in the U.S. and Europe”
(Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). Another SCAD administrator added:
We have to think, if a parent looked at this (brochure) and has no idea what SCAD was,
does this explain it? So while we would normally (in our advertising) try to feature
student work, we feel that is our best aspect. (Personal Communication, February 26,
2013)
This approach dictated the image of the university, along with the development of the marketing
schemes.
SCAD focused on the university image and its American strategies for SCAD Hong
Kong, and, in the past, the institution used actual student work to enhance its image. As a result,
it was difficult to depict SCAD Hong Kong since a physical campus was not completed and only
renderings were available. One administrator commented they believed that classroom shots
would more effectively communicate SCAD’s physical image. However, with a renovated
building, the visual portrayal of the Hong Kong facility was limited (Personal Communication,
February 26, 2013). Instead, photos taken by students from the featured majors would be used to
illustrate the programs and the SCAD name, which was a strategy slightly different from
traditional techniques. SCAD administrators also featured the university’s degree programs by
displaying student work from other SCAD campuses. This was an effort to demonstrate the
value of SCAD Hong Kong degree by showing the end results of existing students’ studies and
education, again highlighting the value of this art and design degree over alternative programs.
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In-person Events. Another important element of SCAD’s marketing plan focused on
face-to-face events. Since the university needed to communicate its course offerings to the
public without the restored building or active student body, the creative team incorporated
alternative methods to market the institution. Prior to campus completion, SCAD Hong Kong
featured a public gallery in Hong Kong and participated at college expos and trade shows to
provide further exposure for its programs. These events made use of three key components of
the 7P model by allowing SCAD administrators and admissions staff to personally describe the
academic degree offerings (product), use its temporary gallery space (physical) to feature student
work, and address large groups of potential students (people) regarding SCAD’s mission.
In March 2010, the institution opened a gallery in the Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) area of
Central Hong Kong, seen as a popular dining and entertainment area near other galleries (SCAD
Gallery, 2010). This strategic location established the base of operations where key staff
conducted recruitment efforts and showcased the work of students, professors, and distinguished
alumni nine hours a day, six days a week. One administrator explained the location as a place to
“meet SCAD staff and have conversations about SCAD, see videos and artist renderings of what
it was going to be like” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). The goal was to generate
a buzz for the new campus, although the location was not perfect.
While the location increased visibility for the new campus, the distance between the
campus and the gallery resulted in a trip of at least 20 minutes by mass transit and presented a
minor inconvenience. Prospective students and parents learned about the school and wanted to
visit. However, they were not able to instantly see the work in progress. SCAD staff explained
its story through artist renderings. Despite this, these efforts allowed for SCAD’s logo to
become more widely known, and the institution further expanded its connection with parents,
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alumni, and business partners. This location in LKF increased awareness for the new art and
design school and remained open for the first year of operation. By 2011, administrators felt the
gallery was no longer necessary since campus was operational and featured a separate gallery. In
addition to this initial physical presence in Hong Kong, SCAD partook in general school and
college events to continue expanding its presence and market the educational programs.
As in the U.S., SCAD Hong Kong partnered with the secondary school system to
improve communication between the university and prospective students. The institution hired a
local education specialist for her involvement and connectivity to Hong Kong secondary schools.
She used to be a principal, and it was all of her teachers that had been underneath her and
made their way up, so we were able to get right into these schools to tell them and do
school visits. Without her, I don’t know if we would have gotten in so easily. (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013)
This example relates to the 7P factor of people by illustrating the necessity of networking and
using social capital. Without this individual’s expertise and connections within the secondary
education system, SCAD would be limited in its interactions with high school students. While
school visits were only one aspect of the programs, general college recruiting programs played
an important role in showcasing opportunities.
SCAD participated in college expos and trade shows to showcase its academic offerings.
Each opportunity provided administrators and admission staff with the chance to expose its
brand to the target audience and remind prospective students about the art and design offerings in
Hong Kong. One SCAD administrator referred to these events as enhancing the presence, which
encouraged both undergraduate and graduates students to pursue a degree (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). Each occurrence strengthened the university name and
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provided recognition of the SCAD product to distinguish SCAD’s features from the competition.
Prospective undergraduates attended college expos while graduate students signed up for trade
shows within the respective fields.
College expos appealed to the 14- to 18-year-old prospective undergraduate students.
Most importantly, these carnival-like events captured young minds and imaginations. The
purpose was to inform students about different local colleges, or again, the product SCAD
offered. For instance, one SCAD administrator recalled one event in which the institution’s
“booth was made entirely out of plastic-like water guns” (Personal Communication, February 27,
2013). Through this persuasive promotional stunt, SCAD stood out with its innovative
approaches to artistic expression. This example represented just one of the ways SCAD
marketed to undergraduates, which was unlike the approach used to target graduate students.
SCAD recruitment management staff determined that it should approach graduate
students’ applications differently. Their selection process focused on the discipline, and the
relevant experiences candidates had within the intended academic area. One administrator
mentioned the way they targeted these individuals was at “big shows such as SIGGRAPH,” a
yearly computer graphics conference which happens yearly in Asia and Los Angeles (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). The acronym stands for Special Interest Group on Graphics
and Interactive Techniques (History – About SIGGRAPH, 2013). This particular trade show
featured opportunities surrounding interactive techniques and computer graphics, which meshed
perfectly with SCAD’s curriculum and industry contacts. By hosting a booth at one of these
sessions, staff spoke with prospective graduate students about experiences and determined
whether or not an advanced degree would be necessary professionally. In addition, by speaking
to attendees in both Asia and North America, the target audience expanded to Southeast Asia and
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the Southern U.S. While the graduate programs aligned precisely with professions in these
specialized areas, admissions staff spoke frankly to prospective students about the programs,
alumni opportunities, and industry contracts which generated some press about these up-and-
coming degree programs within Southeast Asia.
While SCAD Hong Kong provided innovative disciplines, several of the digital media
fields were new to Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. Still, employers sought talented
individuals who could fill these roles. With a promising outlook on the industry, the admissions
staff needed to educate prospective students about the demand from this rising field. SCAD
accomplished this by using its public gallery, college expos and trade shows to connect its
educational process with the real world applications available to students.
Print Materials. In addition to product education and live events, print was the third
component of SCAD’s promotional plan to deliver information to its target market. SCAD used
press releases and social media as a way to provide tangible descriptions of its degree offerings
to students and their families, giving SCAD an active voice in communicating with prospective
candidates.
Despite marketing strategies aligning with the U.S. model, SCAD expanded its publicity
efforts with the launch of SCAD Hong Kong. The institution utilized the creative department in
Savannah as well as a local firm that SCAD brought in to assist with the day-to-day operations.
One administrator spoke candidly about SCAD’s relationship with the agency:
We started with the first, global PR agency (we used), and then we transitioned to a
different international agency. We are using them currently and, as we grow, we will
take more and more on in-house. I would say, in Hong Kong, it is good to have a PR
partner who really understands the media and how they work in Hong Kong. They are
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pretty aggressive and it’s just having someone to monitor for us has been successful.
(Personal Communication, March 27, 2013)
This demonstrated how various elements of the 7P framework were intertwined throughout the
marketing process. In this case, SCAD used key people from its existing locations whose
expertise and skills allowed SCAD to create a print campaign that was tailored to the local
business climate and campus launch process. This team developed a number of publicity
campaigns and a series of press releases which drew attention during the inaugural year. Each
release was carefully timed to generate interest and excitement in the local market and coincided
with key milestones in the process of launching SCAD Hong Kong.
In addition to press releases, the creative development team utilized a significant amount
of social media to target its audience. Technology played a large role in the dissemination of
information. From emails to social media, digital portals allowed administrators to reach great
distances across time zones. Due to the rapid growth, one administrator noted, “[Facebook] will
become our main form of communication to current and perspective students. I mean, I would
say that it’s easier to shoot them a message on Facebook/Twitter than to email them” (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). Students want instant gratification, so administrators
altered the approach. “We do both (Facebook/Twitter)—we want to capture both. It has become
our main form of communication” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). Another
administrator supported social media with the following statement:
[It] allowed us to have much more of a presence. It allowed us to connect one prospect to
maybe twenty-five prospects as they posted things or we posted things. I think that
allowed us to grow faster, and I think there is a huge benefit to leveraging social media
platforms. (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013)
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In addition to speed and directness of the message, the cost of the social media made the creative
efforts more affordable while still educating the targeted audience. Technology provided a portal
to inform students that the other aspects could not reach. Each piece provided an integral part to
the campaign and exemplified the available options at SCAD.
Ultimately, the initial promotional practices SCAD Hong Kong developed to familiarize
prospective students with its featured programs aligned with five of the seven components of the
7P marketing framework - process, physical, people, promotional, and product. SCAD
conducted pre-launch activities to prepare the market for a more comprehensive marketing
effort, before strategically implementing product education activities and in-person events in
conjunction with the release of carefully prepared print materials. After these initial strategies,
administrators could focus on the American-style degree program offered by an offshore campus
and illustrate the SCAD brand through public galleries, college expos, and secondary school
visits. In addition to these physical events, SCAD leaders used social media and press releases to
communicate SCAD’s academic programs to prospective students. In entering a new market
with alternative cultural norms, language, and tradition, SCAD administrators saw the
importance of establishing a physical base of operations from which to demonstrate the end
result of SCAD’s educational product, participating in live trade events in order to raise
awareness of the SCAD brand in key career fields, and of making use of print and digital
marketing to further educate its target audience about the opportunities SCAD offered. All of
these were incorporated into a highly organized promotional process which provided SCAD with
the ability to reach a larger number of candidates and further build its brand in Hong Kong.
Sub-question 3: Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing strategies
changed since its inception and if so, what changes have been applied? In the development
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of its new branch campus, SCAD familiarized prospective students with its featured programs
through product education activities, in-person events, and print materials. These promotional
techniques were first implemented prior to SCAD’s Hong Kong launch in September 2010, and
since then, were modified and supplemented with new strategies. This section describes the
changes and additions to these strategies since SCAD’s Hong Kong launch and analyzes how
each is tailored to further SCAD’s enrollment and marketing goals.
Product Education. SCAD’s initial strategies were focused on familiarizing students
with a campus and academic programs that would be offered in the future. However, once
SCAD had a physical building, it had a tangible presence in the marketplace which it could use
in its product education efforts. Rather than promoting a university that had yet to arrive, SCAD
leadership could focus on familiarizing prospective students with its existing procedures and
degree offerings as well as with the physical space in which its students learn.
SCAD’s product education activities also changed as a result of the 3+3+4 reform, a
change to governmental regulations which altered the Hong Kong secondary and higher
education system to allow for six consecutive years of secondary education and four years of
higher education, rather than the existing 3+4+3 structure. The modification was implemented in
fall 2012 and had substantial advantages for SCAD. Prior to the reform, SCAD needed to
familiarize students with the value of a four-year program, which differed from the existing
model. However, after the reform was implemented in 2012, SCAD was at a significant
advantage since the new alignment matched its own four-year, post-secondary education model.
SCAD was able to emphasize that the product it offered was consistent with the new standard
Hong Kong post-secondary structure. This change allowed SCAD to focus its education efforts
on the value of its brand and degree offerings, further enhancing the position of its product. This
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reform also offered SCAD administrators a chance to share expertise with other universities and
government officials. One administrator believed this experience “gave some confidence to the
Education Bureau in Hong Kong that [SCAD was] already having success with this model”
(Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). This helped to position SCAD as an innovator
and a model organization in Hong Kong. The same administrator recalled the experience of
taking phone calls from international colleagues who asked, “What do you look for, or how do
you prepare students for your type of curriculum” (Personal Communication, February 27,
2013)? In these dialogues, SCAD contributed to the learning environment by offering American
expertise, which provided leverage when establishing a campus on foreign soil.
In direct correlation with the 3+3+4 reform, the academic programs at SCAD Hong Kong
mirrored the undergraduate curriculum in the U.S. Originally, students were forced to enroll in
“general education requirements [and] foundations programs, and it could be a year and a half
before they get into their major classes,” whereas students at Hong Kong public universities,
enrolled in major classes from the beginning (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
Within the new four-year curriculum, students were realigned to the SCAD model, which
benefited SCAD, and its product, in a number of ways.
Because of the 3+3+4 reform, SCAD Hong Kong was able to matriculate additional
students. The institution enrolled two graduating classes and experienced an influx of
admissions due to transfer students. While the term transfer is common in the U.S., the concept
remained somewhat unknown in Hong Kong. With the new curriculum structure along with the
development of additional academic degrees, SCAD enrolled a few students in 2012 who wanted
to change from the original course of study. This transition proved noteworthy since, prior to the
educational reform, this type of change was not possible. As a result, the new policy generated a
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small increase in admission figures. Enrollment numbers grew and, consequently, student
interest in SCAD improved as well.
In addition to the 3+3+4 reform, SCAD expanded its international presence with
employers and featured its programs in Hong Kong as the “mecca of all things digital and
progressive” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). “We have to constantly reinvent
it,” one administrator noted of the promotional goal for marketing SCAD Hong Kong and its
respective academic programs (Personal Communication, March 27, 2013). Until the arrival of
the latest campus, many of these newer disciplines did not exist in Asia. SCAD reached out to
international industry partners to bridge the gap with talented students and hiring opportunities.
Companies such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton had worked with SCAD in
the past and were familiar with the caliber of its programs, so they wanted to hire skillful, artistic
students. SCAD could build these connections into its promotional campaign by educating its
prospective students about the built-in demand for its graduates from important industry leaders.
When expressing the connection with Yves Saint Laurent, one administrator said, “We had
already sponsored projects with them so they were excited about us coming out there” (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). The familiarity proved noteworthy in further expanding its
connections for internships, entry-level positions, and other employment opportunities for
alumni. With a large number of Asian students anticipating work in Asia after graduation, the
ability to network within the field was promising for the careers of SCAD students. This
example demonstrates how SCAD made use of a group of people who were not directly
affiliated with its students or staff to highlight the value of its degree. This is yet another
illustration of the connections among various elements of the 7P marketing framework within
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SCAD’s overall marketing strategy, as SCAD used carefully selected people to promote its
product.
As additional markets became more familiar with SCAD’s message across Asia, the
recruitment teams changed methods and adjusted the distribution model for prospective outreach.
Materials went beyond Hong Kong and mainland China, and, rather than limiting the
international brochures to Asia, collateral needed to be translated into alternative languages and
to reach an even larger distance. In order to accommodate these changes, creative teams
specifically responded to the markets in South Korea and Australia.
Beyond Hong Kong and China, several SCAD administrators mentioned the importance
of creating a pamphlet to showcase its degree programs to other Asian countries, particularly
South Korea. Twenty percent of the undergraduate Asian students enrolled at SCAD in fall 2012
were Korean (SCAD: 2012-13 Fact Book, 2013). While this population had recently learned of
the university, prospective students were particularly interested in the U.S.-based campuses,
rather than the Hong Kong campus. As a result, administrators took some of the marketing
strategies being used in Hong Kong and replicated them in Korea, which they believed would
prove successful, even if Korean students ultimately enrolled in Savannah (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). Korean students eventually became more familiar with the
brand and looked into the degree offerings stateside. This recognized SCAD’s interest in
creating a global product with international brand recognition.
In addition to the Korean expansion, recruiters noticed a number of prospective students
from Australia. One administrator explained, “A lot of Hong Kong families vacation in
Australia—have second homes in Australia and vice versa—so Australia, as it turns out, has
been an opportunity for us” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). This new market
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segment expanded the field of prospective SCAD students. To date, approximately 60% of
Oceania students are Australian, and, by opening a campus that was geographically closer to
Australia, SCAD’s enrollment numbers could dramatically increase (SCAD: 2012-13 Fact Book,
2013, p.23). However, although this is an attractive market to SCAD, Australia’s conflicting
school schedule makes it difficult to recruit such students (Personal Communication, February
26, 2013). Without significant changes to the Australian schedule, SCAD faces similar
challenges in reaching the Australian market as it did in Hong Kong prior to the 3+3+4 reform.
SCAD is still determining how best to educate potential Australian students about the value of its
product despite this key difference in schedule.
The 3+3+4 reform resulted in the further expansion of enrollment and marketing efforts.
Each of these efforts further educated prospective talent about SCAD’s resources and stretched
the original market from Hong Kong and China to Asia and Australia. This development
supported the advancement of the campus in three years, and, as SCAD continues to increase
enrollment figures, the numbers could increase.
In-person Events. Once the renovated building was completed, all marketing events that
had previously taken place at SCAD’s temporary gallery were relocated to SCAD’s permanent
facility, giving the institution an opportunity to make use of its carefully designed physical space
as yet another component of its marketing campaign. In addition, SCAD implemented a revised
version of a program it titled “SCAD Days,” which functioned as day-long open houses at its
new location (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
Although SCAD had invited prospective students and parents to attend SCAD Days prior
to 2010, the lack of familiarity with this concept among Asian students as well as the lack of a
permanent physical space limited the success of this program. Previously, SCAD Days had
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functioned as one-day promotional events which included a full-day itinerary of activities such
as visiting different buildings and meeting with professors, giving SCAD the opportunity to
highlight the strengths of its people, product and physical space in a personal setting. This
formal event required advanced registration and full-day participation. However, although
SCAD saw this as an opportunity to provide a comprehensive introduction to its programs, Asian
students did not understand this type of event. Prospective Asian students were more
accustomed to an “Open Day,” which one SCAD administrator described as a situation in which
prospective students would “visit seven schools in one day” without advanced registration
(Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). Not accustomed to SCAD’s system, Asian
students did not realize they had to register in advance, nor would they stay for the entire
program, so they left confused by the unfamiliar standards. After recognizing this important
difference in the two models, SCAD offered multiple open house dates and still offered a total
open house “where anyone interested in any field can come with their parents, talk with
professors, talk with students, things like that, and so that model is definitely different than
what’s been done by other universities,” explained a SCAD administrator (Personal
Communication, February 27, 2013). While the recruiting program focused on the American
model, the improved structure exemplified the unique SCAD experience. In order to stay current
with the Hong Kong customs and traditions, SCAD created a hybrid method which incorporated
the Asian influence on an American degree.
In addition to this new approach, the institution amended the admissions process per
government regulations. In order to remain in good standing and receive accreditation from the
local educational agency, SCAD transitioned the location of admissions processing. Originally,
SCAD Savannah reviewed all applications for SCAD Hong Kong. After further analysis, the
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agency suggested that the admissions committee remain in Hong Kong, and SCAD acquiesced.
One administrator examined that situation when saying, “I think if we had our druthers, we
probably would have retained part of the committee here (Savannah), but we signed up to play
by their rules, and this is what their rules were” (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013).
These efforts put SCAD Hong Kong in excellent standing with the accreditation board,
highlighting the importance of recognizing key groups of people even when not directly
affiliated with the school or its students, as well as the need to abide by local requirements for
the promotional and regulatory process. In addition, parents appreciated hand-signed acceptance
letters (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013), rather than those with computer-generated
stamps. Almost immediately, SCAD Hong Kong benefitted from on-site control by the
government. While the local management maintained SCAD’s quality of programs and services,
culture also played into the regulatory enrollment process.
Print Materials. After opening SCAD Hong Kong in September 2010, the institution
continued to build on its promotional momentum. Its updated campaign publicized domestic and
international honors, generated a significant amount of publicity within Hong Kong, and
showcased a written tribute to explain the efforts of SCAD Hong Kong and the successful
development of its international branch campus. Most importantly, SCAD heavily promoted its
HKCAAVQ accreditation, which showed that “[SCAD] programs are at least as good as the big
eight institutions” (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013), and ultimately led to students’
becoming eligible for Hong Kong financial aid. All of these publicity efforts served to highlight
the growing strength and value of its product within the Hong Kong market.
The creative team launched one particularly unconventional idea and did not anticipate
the overwhelming result. SCAD wrapped the Star Ferry, which connects Kowloon to Central
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Hong Kong and is visible to millions of people and skyscrapers overlooking the harbor on a daily
basis. Describing this as “one of the best projects,” a SCAD administrator went on to disclose
the approach by “continuing to look for things that are not obvious but rather cutting-edge”
(Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). Another administrator referred to the ferry as “a
visible symbol of Hong Kong” and a result, “seeing the power behind the brand” (Personal
Communication, February 26, 2013). While SCAD appreciated the initial publicity, the Travel
Channel completed a piece on Hong Kong, featuring the footage of SCAD’s specially wrapped
ferry (Personal Communication, February 26, 2013). SCAD could not have planned for this
opportunity, and the Star Ferry undertaking initiated a powerful promotional campaign with
significant results. This example featured the name and allowed people to inquire about SCAD
as a product which allowed the final campaign to further explain SCAD’s connection to Hong
Kong and its traditional roots.
Nestled in the neighborhood of Sham Shui Po, SCAD Hong Kong established itself
approximately 20 minutes from central Hong Kong. To give back to the city, SCAD unfolded an
ethnography project to showcase the work of SCAD students involved in photography, graphic
design, and historical preservation (Personal Communication, February 27, 2013). Students
collaborated on a project which took over two years and eventually launched in conjunction with
the 2012 Chinese New Year. The book Tilting the Lens (2011) depicts the blend of old and new.
A senior administrator explained the location as “the imaginative use of limited space, the
adaptation of ancient customs and business practices to a dynamic 21
st
century urban
environment,” while a student explained, “It is one of the poorest districts of Hong Kong, per
capita, but holds a deep cultural heritage and rich built environment. Sham Shui Po celebrates its
past while standing poised for investment, ideas and innovation” (Tilting the Lens, 2011, pps. 8
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 118
and 11). This spirit demonstrates the sense of development brought by SCAD Hong Kong. This
book functions as a visual display of the history of SCAD’s new location, while also serving as a
marketing tool to prospective students, educators, and the masses, since the book is available
through retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This approach represented a great
opportunity to showcase academic programs and student talent while providing a look at the
district where all three elements came together. Each campaign informed the community and
spread the work of SCAD Hong Kong.
In September 2010, SCAD Hong Kong opened its doors to enrolled students who were
interested in pursuing a career in art and design. Since then, the recruitment and marketing
strategies have changed. Supplementary techniques built off the original to find additional ways
to inform more students about the product, events and additional publicity materials. First, the
expansion of the product flourished with the unveiling of the new building, implementation of
the 3+3+4 reform, and broadening of its international presence beyond Hong Kong and China.
The marketing and publicity changed when SCAD tailored its visitation days to reflect more of a
hybrid model between the Hong Kong norm and its American traditions. This updated campaign
further enhanced the brand with educational colleagues and employers to reach yet another
segment of the market. Although these combined strategies were launched after the initial
opening of SCAD Hong Kong, the impact continues to strengthen and expand SCAD Hong
Kong’s degree programs.
To answer the research questions guiding this study, the researcher set out to identify the
best practices for creating and marketing an international branch campus. SCAD created and
developed marketing and recruitment strategies to align with the institution’s mission and Hong
Kong’s educational environment. Each research question involved components of the 7P
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marketing framework to better analyze the procedures required for international expansion. The
following table outlines how the 7P marketing framework concepts align with the themes
discovered through this research.
Table 1
7P Marketing Framework Concepts Align with International Branch Campus Establishment
Product Market Opportunities: Aligned majors to the areas of employer demand
Student Interest: Confirmed insight from focus groups lead by three groups of students: 1)
Matriculated; 2) Accepted but not enrolled; and 3) Enrolled college students in other art and
design programs in Hong Kong
Institutional culture: 1) Encompassed the “one university” mindset; 2) Focused on assessment
and oversea proceedings with the Education Bureau, SACS, and HKCAAVQ; and 3) Dedicated to
the students/clients through surveys and focus group insight
Industry need: Selected digital arts programs which aligned with hiring Hong Kong companies
Physical space: 1) Preserved the history of the former magistracy building; and 2) Adapted to the
versatility of the 14 academic programs within a single structure
Marketing Campaign: Pre-Launch activities focused on SCAD’s brand and utilizing the same
student approaches
Product Education: Initial: 1) Promoted the “four schools, one SCAD” model which based its
branch campus on the American degree program; and 2) Featured as SCAD, The University of
Creative Careers; Update: 1) Responded to the 3+3+4 reform where SCAD degree was consistent
with Hong Kong post-secondary structure; 2) Mirrored the undergraduate curriculum in the U.S.;
and 3) Influenced admissions figures with the acceptance of transfer students
In-Person Events: Initial: 1) Created the SCAD public gallery in Hong Kong; 2) Partnered with
the secondary school system; and 3) Participated in college expos and professional trade shows;
Update: 1) Revamped SCAD days to provide a hybrid model between traditional Asian practices
and the American recruitment model
Print Materials: Initial: Wrote press releases to draw attention to the activities surrounding
SCAD Hong Kong ; Update: 1) Received accreditation from SACS and HKCAAVQ; 2)
Developed signage placed on the Star Ferry; and 3) Marketed the book, Tilting the Lens
Price Not evaluated

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 120
Table 1, continued
Place Global Expansion: Expanded SCAD’s presence as a “global university”
Culture: Environment: 1) Accepted freedom of speech concern for art and design students; 2)
Allowed SCAD to set-up as a foreign entity rather than a partnership with another university; and
3) Managed the brand independently; Practices: 1) Transferred American practices to SCAD’s
Hong Kong campus; 2) Printed promotional materials in English; and 3) Developed a bilingual
brochure to appeal to three generations
Market Opportunities: 1) Aligned with governmental plan to transition Hong Kong into an
education hub; 2) Recognized a sustainable location rather than financial governmental support;
and 3) Connected SCAD’s academic programs with educational, governmental pillars and
employer demands
Student Interest: Confirmed insight from focus groups lead by three groups of students: 1)
Matriculated; 2) Accepted but not enrolled; and 3) Enrolled college students in other art and
design programs in Hong Kong
Industry need: 1) Selected digital arts programs which aligned with hiring Hong Kong
companies; and 2) Developed a digital media niche for art and design students in Hong Kong
Physical space: 1) Preserved the history of the former magistracy building; and 2) Adapted to the
versatility of the 14 programs
Promotion Government Regulations: Hinged on the course registration for each of the 14 degree programs
Marketing Campaign: Pre-Launch activities (Timing & Audience) including the process
involving the Education Bureau registered all 14 of SCAD’s academic programs which opened the
door for promotional activity
Industry need: Administrators selected digital arts programs which aligned with hiring Hong
Kong companies
Product Education: Initial: 1) Promoted the “four schools, one SCAD” model which based its
branch campus on the American degree program; and 2) Featured as SCAD, The University of
Creative Careers; Update: 1) Expanded international presence among industry partners to bridge
the gap with talented students and hiring opportunities
In-Person Events: Update: Revamp of its SCAD days to provide a hybrid model between
traditional Asian practices and the American recruitment model
Print Materials: Initial: Illustrated a written campaign by press releases and social media
communications to prospective students; Update: Signage promotion with the SCAD Ferry

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 121
Table 1, continued
People Government Regulations: Interaction between key stakeholders such as administrators,
governmental officials and local agencies
Marketing Campaign: Pre-Launch activities involving initial target audience including three
generations of individuals from Hong Kong and mainland China
Student Interest: Confirmed insight from focus groups lead by three groups of students: 1)
Matriculated; 2) Accepted but not enrolled; and 3) Enrolled college students in other art and
design programs in Hong Kong
Institutional culture: 1) Encompassed the “one university” mindset; 2) Focused on assessment;
oversea proceedings with the Education Bureau, SACS, and HKCAAVQ; and 3) Dedicated to the
students/clients through surveys and focus group insight
Industry need: 1) Selected digital arts programs which aligned with hiring Hong Kong
companies; and 2) Capitalized on employment opportunities
Product Education: Update: Altered recruitment strategies to South Korea and Australia
In-Person Events: Initial: Partnered with secondary schools system; Update 1) Revamped of its
SCAD days to provide a hybrid model between traditional Asian practices and the American
recruitment model where prospective students and its parents meet with advisors and current
students; and 2) Hand-signed acceptance letters from the local Hong Kong administrators
Print Materials: Initial: Utilized the Savannah Creative Department and hired a local, global PR
agency; Update: Received HKCAAVQ accreditation which allowed students to become eligible
for Hong Kong Financial Aid
Process Government Regulations: 1) Submitted and approved course registration by Hong Kong
Education Bureau for each of the 14 degrees; and 2) Received SACS approval
Marketing Campaign: Registered all 14 of SCAD’s academic programs which opened the door
for promotional activity
Institutional culture: 1) Encompassed the “one university” mindset; 2) Focused on assessment;
oversea proceedings with the Education Bureau, SACS, and HKCAAVQ; and 3) Dedicated to the
students/clients through surveys and focus group insight
In-Person Events: Initial: Improved communication with secondary schools; Update: Hand-
signed acceptance letters from the local Hong Kong administrators
Print Materials: Initial: 1) Utilized both the Savannah Creative Department and hired a local,
global PR agency; 2) Developed international press releases; and 3) Utilized Facebook and Twitter
as its primary main forms of communication with prospective students; Update: 1) Received
accreditation from SACS and HKCAAVQ; 2) Developed signage placed on the Star Ferry; and 3)
Marketed the book, Tilting the Lens
Physical Background/ Space: 1) Awarded a building through Hong Kong’s Revitalizing Historic
Buildings through Partnership Scheme; 2) Preserved the history of the former magistracy building;
and 3) Adapted to the versatility of the 14 academic programs within a single structure
In-Person Events: Initial: Created a temporary SCAD public gallery in Hong Kong; Update:
Closed temporary gallery to the opening of the SCAD Hong Kong campus
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 122
The chart identifies the influence of the 7P marketing framework along with its
corresponding themes. Product, people and process were seen as the primary focus of this case
study followed by place and promotion as a second tier. Physical appeared as a third tier for
international branch campus development. Each concept connected to the complex procedures
involving the creation and development of these offshore campuses.
Conclusion
Due to the lack of research involving international marketing practices within higher
education, this case study involving SCAD Hong Kong offered a single example of a university
model. Administrator interviews, document analysis from promotional materials, and
institutional observations provided in-depth information to analyze and from which to draw
conclusions to answer the research questions. SCAD Hong Kong created an international
campus and implemented marketing strategies to enroll undergraduate and graduate students.
The university’s staff members’ attention to detail, their ability to understand and meet Hong
Kong’s governmental requirements and the leadership of the leading administrator made this
offshore campus possible.
Throughout the data analysis, it was apparent that SCAD administrators understood its
purpose in Hong Kong as well as the relationship with the home location’s mission and academic
programs. Guided by the leading administrator in Hong Kong, along with the university
initiatives department in Savannah, these leaders established creditability and interest in
becoming successful in Hong Kong. While the 7P strategy was influential in the development,
six prominent marketing factors—including product, place, promotion, people, process, and
physical—significantly contributed to the institution’s development. Each segment allowed
SCAD Hong Kong to showcase its value to a new marketplace and recruit both undergraduate
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 123
and graduate students. As seen in the research, creative strategies and techniques guide the
future of the SCAD brand in Asia and beyond. Chapter Five presents a summary and analysis of
the findings and provides recommendations.

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Chapter Five: Discussion
This study focused on how SCAD Hong Kong established its academic programs and
implemented marketing strategies to recruit prospective students. The case study recognized the
application of the 7P marketing framework which played a direct role in SCAD Hong Kong’s
marketing strategy. There are over 200 international branch campuses worldwide (Lawton &
Katsomitros, 2012), and an increasing number of institutions continue to open, yet limited
information is available regarding how the process takes place. To date, most of the research
focuses on ensuring quality and sustainability; little is known about the development of these
campuses. As globalization and internationalization continue to spread, the benefit of these
procedures and processes could serve as template for expanding institutions. The purpose of this
study was to analyze the process of generating an offshore campus and attracting both
undergraduate and graduate students to its programs.
Summary
In the first four chapters, the researcher presented the introduction, literature review,
methodology, and the results of the case study. Chapter One identified the background of
international higher education, the problem surrounding offshore campuses, and the lack of
knowledge regarding branch campus development. Between 2006 and 2009, the number of
offshore campuses expanded by 43%, illustrating the explosive growth of internationalization in
higher education (Becker, 2009). As a result, the purpose of the study acknowledged the need
for additional research and discussion. The study used the 7P marketing model to analyze and
understand how to successfully implement a marketing strategy for a newly established branch
campus such as SCAD Hong Kong. Each theme—with the exception of price, which was not
evaluated for the purpose of this study—was analyzed in each research question. However, the
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continuous use of the other six factors proved that this business-like strategy could fit the SCAD
Hong Kong model. While Chapter One provided an initial overview, Chapter Two reviewed the
details of this case study.
Chapter Two presented a comprehensive literature review pertaining to the study’s five
key factors: globalization, internationalization, international branch campuses, Hong Kong
tertiary education, and marketing. Globalization initiated the advance of international
involvement while internationalization provided alternative ways for students and institutions to
move beyond country borders (Altbach & Knight, 2007). For example, an offshore branch
campus increased access for local students where traditional programs required students to travel
to the home campus (Armstrong, 2007). These international enterprises, consequently, improved
educational offerings and gained additional monetary resources and prestige worldwide. Hong
Kong reached out to Australia, Britain, Canada, and the U.S. in order to broaden academic
programs (Postiglione, 2004). The government’s determination to become an educational hub
spurred the development of these additional campuses (Chong, 2012; Mok, 2005). Hong Kong
welcomed these entities to operate in the area, though the government requires all foreign
institutions to register their academic courses, ensuring the quality matches Hong Kong’s home
programs. This restriction includes the regulation of promotional materials for foreign programs.
All advertisements must contain the proper registration numbers, which are assigned during this
review process. Once an institution is accepted, active recruitment and advertising can
commence.
Within higher education, marketing and recruitment involve little research. For this
study, the educational framework included a business-based concept involving the 7P marketing
model. Alternative methods include the Maringe and Foskett (2002) technique, which focused
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 126
on public relations, sales, customer satisfaction, and marketing as a strategy. However, many of
the existing procedures lack information regarding the international spectrum. Singh (2012)
described the further need to comprehend the practices implemented by these universities. With
the 7Ps, Ivy describes these aspects as “controllable marketing tools that an institution uses to
produce the response it wants from its various target markets” (2008, p. 289). Maringe (2005b)
suggests that all Ps have significance to institutional marketing, although product, price, and
people emerged as the most decisive factors when choosing a university. The researcher
suggested the impact of the 7P marketing framework and this study further examined the role of
these themes.
Chapter Three outlined the methodology for this qualitative case study. This process
evaluates the procedures and provides information regarding the nature of the problem (Patton,
2002). For this study, the research reviewed the student recruitment and marketing practices for
SCAD Hong Kong. Purposeful sampling identified participants who could best articulate the
events or experiences of a particular phenomenon (Creswell, 2008). A site visit to the home
campus generated an account of the processes involving the launch of the newest campus for
SCAD. The researcher conducted interviews with university administrators, reviewed
documents, and performed observations. Next, the data was evaluated according to the 7P
marketing framework. This model split the themes into seven major categories: product, price,
place, promotion, people, process, and physical. Each component played an integral role in
establishing, developing, and marketing the SCAD Hong Kong campus. The findings were
detailed in Chapter Four. Following are the review of the analysis and concluding remarks.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 127
Research Questions
Chapter Four reported and discussed evidence to answer the overarching research
question and three sub-questions. Data collection consisted of in-person and Skype interviews,
document analysis, and general observations guided by the 7P marketing strategy, consisting of
product, price, place, promotion, process, people, and physical. The main themes are
summarized in the following section.
Overarching research question: What factors influenced the creation and
implementation of SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices for its
international branch campus? Hong Kong’s culture, the international market, and the current
and prospective student perspectives affected the procedures involved in the creative
development of SCAD’s offshore campus. Each factor contributed to the process of the campus’
development and implementation.
Local government regulations forced SCAD to follow certain steps and timelines to
establish its campus in Hong Kong. In addition, by connecting SCAD’s academic programs to
the government’s educational objectives, SCAD sought to build industry connections to highlight
the demand for students earning its degrees in fields such as digital media. This allowed SCAD
to show current and prospective students that career paths within art and design were directly
aligned with local employment opportunities. In doing so, however, SCAD needed to tailor its
marketing practices to account for the decision-making practices among students and their
families which differed from the norms in SCAD’s home market.
Sub-question 1: On what basis did SCAD Hong Kong select its initial 14 academic
programs? SCAD’s course selection was determined by its own institutional culture, available
industry opportunity, and the actual facility provided by the Hong Kong government. SCAD’s
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 128
culture was built around catering to the needs of its students. It sought to create and provide
programs which filled unmet needs for students in Hong Kong in order to generate interest and
excitement for its new campus. Student buy-in was a key element in the selection of programs to
offer, and SCAD conducted numerous student focus groups to get quantifiable feedback on its
existing and proposed degree offerings. In addition, SCAD worked to identify employment
opportunities in local art and design industries, knowing that jobs and internships would be
crucial to attracting students. Based on its connections with local businesses, SCAD recognized
that the supply of desirable graduates was not meeting the demand from local industries. SCAD
chose programs which would help students meet those needs, making them more easily
employable following graduation. However, a major constraint for SCAD was the physical
space of the building available for its use. The former magistracy offered the chance to preserve
Chinese history, but it also required that SCAD offer multidisciplinary studies which were
interchangeable throughout the building, making more efficient use of the physical space.
SCAD initially offered 14 programs for the first SCAD Hong Kong classes, and later added
another seven programs as an extension to the founding program. Each additional program was
intended to align with and build upon the previous offerings while taking into account the
evolving needs of the marketplace.
Sub-question 2: What marketing practices did SCAD Hong Kong develop to recruit
undergraduate and graduate students to its branch campuses? SCAD used the practices of
product education, in-person events, and print materials to build awareness of its new Hong
Kong campus and the value of its degree offerings. Its product education efforts were intended
to teach prospective students and families about the SCAD programs and the value they offered
within the Hong Kong market. SCAD offered full-day open houses, sent its officials to attend
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 129
college expos or trade shows, and created a temporary gallery in Central Hong Kong in order to
create in-person events where its administrators and staff could meet personally with its target
market. It also used a variety of print materials such as press releases and Chinese-language
brochures to generate interest in and awareness of its brand. As it gained experience regarding
the effectiveness of each of these strategies, over time SCAD developed alternative methods to
reach and educate its intended enrollment target.
Sub-question 3: Have SCAD Hong Kong’s recruitment and marketing strategies
changed since its inception and if so, what changes have been applied? Within a few months
of opening the Hong Kong campus, SCAD recognized the need to alter its enrollment and
marketing processes. The first year was very educational in understanding how Hong Kong
students manage the selection process and apply for college. SCAD recognized its actual
audience and the role of the 3+3+4 reform. From a marketing perspective, SCAD needed to
build off its momentum and support the 3+3+4 reform, connect with industry leaders, and
maintain its product. The actual implementation of the SCAD Hong Kong campus prompted a
few adjustment strategies.
The Hong Kong college application system involves a systematic approach a few months
prior to enrolling in college, compared to the American standard which requires months of
planning and careful consideration. For example, Hong Kong students are used to visiting
multiple campuses on a single day without advanced registration, as opposed to the SCAD Days
which required a full day of attendance and advanced planning. For SCAD to remain
competitive, administrators needed to cater to the audience. Initially, SCAD administrators
believed they could recruit students from Mainland China, which proved unfeasible due to
immigration requirements. Some students who were accepted to SCAD Hong Kong were
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 130
required to enroll in the U.S. if they wanted to pursue a SCAD degree. As a result, SCAD
needed to realign its strategy to more effectively reach its target market. Under the new 3+3+4
reform, students could change their minds and select alternative programs; an option that had not
seemed viable previously. Other Asian cities became aware of the SCAD brand and applied to
both the Hong Kong and U.S. campuses through expansive advertising efforts in Hong Kong, as
previously outlined in Sub-question 2. These examples outlined the importance of adapting the
enrollment strategies of SCAD Hong Kong to meet the evolving needs and awareness of the
marketplace.
From a marketing perspective, SCAD endorsed the 4-year American model during the
3+3+4 reform. Other universities looked to SCAD for examples and assistance during the
transition period. In addition, SCAD expanded its industry partnerships by collaborating with
luxury brands such as Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, both of which specifically demonstrated
interest in hiring SCAD students for internships and jobs. This example enhanced the
university’s brand worldwide as a notable competitor in the art and design world. As its
strategies evolved over three years, SCAD consistently monitors the environment to make sure
the mission and culture of its student-focused teaching institution are aligned with the needs of
its past, present and future students.
Discussion and Analysis
Throughout the study, SCAD administrators discussed the ways in which the university
successfully selected a global location and marketed its academic programs to the prospective
audience. Their experience focused on making use of a single, existing location instead of
working though the preliminary steps necessary to develop an entirely new remote campus.
Much of the data illustrated SCAD’s need to follow the policies and guidelines of the Hong
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 131
Kong Special Administrative Region, rather than a universal process for establishing an
international branch campus. For example, building opportunities, course registration, and the
marketing timing were significant factors in the implementation of SCAD’s campus, each of
which was heavily influenced by the local regulatory system. In other locations, facility
selection, university partnerships, and different promotional techniques may become more
significant in the creation and implementation stages due to differing local standards. However,
despite these country-specific policies, SCAD stayed true to its institutional motivations by
identifying and selecting a Hong Kong campus that featured a set of benefits similar to those of
its home campus.
The literature on the benefits of international branch campuses outlines a number of key
factors in representing a university on the global stage of higher education. SCAD identified a
potential opportunity and made arrangements to open an offshore campus which would benefit
the university in the following eight sectors: revenue, access, prestige, mobility, knowledge,
curriculum, connections, and competition (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012). This study
demonstrates how SCAD effectively established a campus and recruited students, allowing it to
maximize those benefits. By developing a new location for Asian students to enroll in and
access academic programs, SCAD generated more returns despite the new expenses to set up,
manage, and operate another facility. In addition, SCAD’s global reputation, presence, and
increasing network stretched beyond the U.S. home campus. By spreading its community to
another continent, SCAD provided its students with diversified educational, social, and
professional opportunities beyond those of students in other creative programs. The concept of
international branch campuses proved successful for SCAD in building its presence and brand
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 132
internally while, at the same time, its cross-border measures supported the academic
development sought by the government of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s higher education supply expanded with the development of SCAD’s
international branch campuses and furthered identified with the characteristics of a regional hub.
As the country continued to recognize more international partners, the government imposed
mechanisms to maintain quality while establishing a more competitive educational system. The
role of the Education Bureau and the HKCAAVQ was to regulate the non-local standards and
influence the reputation of the U.S.-based institution, as seen in this case. While this process
imposed a standard upon the community, the government changed over to the 3+3+4 reform,
comprised of six years of secondary education and four years of university training. This
mandate forced local Hong Kong schools to align with the American curriculum, similar to what
SCAD initiated in Hong Kong. SCAD recognized the opportunity to be a leader in this new
governmental arrangement prior to the opening of its international branch campus and utilized
this requirement as a way to steer by example. As seen in this case study, the other schools
looked to SCAD Hong Kong to inquire about the logistics associated with a four-year program,
and this particular educational change played into the creative strategies.
An area of opportunity for higher education institutions is to better understand and make
use of marketing. Hemsley-Brown and Oplatka (2006) identify marketing as essential in today’s
competitive market. This case study identified how SCAD’s promotional practices led students
to SCAD Hong Kong, and how its innovative ideas continue to fuel marketing efforts since the
initial opening. Through the use of progressive technology, live events, and traditional print
advertisements, SCAD communicated its message to the masses and built an international
reputation for its brand, academic programs and industry connections in Hong Kong.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 133
Physical space. Kinser and Lane (2012) described the term “foreign education outpost”
to illustrate the diversity of physical locations among international branch campuses (p.1). One
of the defining characteristics of this particular offshore campus was the fact that it was a former
governmental building awarded to SCAD by the government of Hong Kong., which led to
critical scheduling issues in the opening of its physical campus and the initiation of its “physical
presence” (Lawton & Katsomitros, 2012, p.1). This governmental project provided SCAD
access to an existing structure where alternative real estate options would have been costly due to
space constraints within the vertical city of Hong Kong.
The preparation for this renovated space represented a number of unfamiliar obstacles,
yet SCAD administration moved quickly to launch the branch campus within a specific
timeframe. During the building renovation, project completion remained critical to ensure the
arrival of its entering class (revenue), keep its commitment to government industry partners
(connections), and to maintain its international reputation (prestige) (Lawton & Katsomitros,
2012). Each factor was heavily dependent upon timely reconstruction completion.
The initial renovation fees required a significant amount of capital from SCAD’s
institutional budget. With US $32.1 million in restoration costs, SCAD needed to remain on
schedule to ensure a return on its initial investment in the form of tuition dollars (Hennock,
2010). These funds would generate additional income which would help offset the set-up costs,
so SCAD administrators were well aware of the importance of opening the new campus on time.
In addition, SCAD was working to meet obligations to its potential partners within this
new market. Hong Kong’s Educational Bureau intended to diversify its educational programs,
evolve into an education hub, and believed SCAD’s creative offerings presented something
innovative and improved from its existing institutions (Lane, 2011). In addition, the 3+3+4
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 134
reform had established a more competitive system which aligned with educational systems in
Mainland China and the U.S. (Mooney, 2008). For employers, SCAD Hong Kong provided
“skilled immigrants” (Becker, 2009, p. 5) and the local country gained a new, trained work force.
With the development of SCAD Hong Kong, the government and industry professionals would
benefit from SCAD’s timely completion efforts.
Evaluating the results of SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing efforts. The successful
establishment of SCAD Hong Kong can be attributed to its assessment of the Asian market,
interaction with all key stakeholders, and its ability to respond to change. In addition, SCAD
administrators previously launched an alternative campus in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as a study-
abroad site in Lacoste, France, which developed a familiarity and ability to interact with different
and foreign markets.
When SCAD considered different locations for an offshore campus, it ultimately focused
on Asia due to the market opportunity, student and industry interest, and the operational fit.
SCAD’s administrators recognized that a number of foreign students were deciding against
enrolling in SCAD’s U.S. location because of its distance from Asia. As a result, SCAD decided
to create a campus closer to this potential pool of students from which it could focus on local
demand (Garrett, 2002). After recognizing demand in Asia and surveying students,
administrators identified an opportunity to market the institution’s brand of digital media and
communication arts programs across cultures. In addition, students became aware of the
increasing employment partners within the creative fields and saw greater options beyond the
U.S. The new location provided ample opportunity for SCAD to showcase its programs and, by
opening a campus in Hong Kong, the institution gained operational control of its programs,
rather than partnering with a local institution. From the start, SCAD intended to feature the
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 135
universal tenets of its institution, brand, and programs at the new campus to remain consistent
across locations.
Next, SCAD maintained communication and interaction with all significant stakeholders,
both domestic and international, throughout the establishment progress. Support from these
influential sources would be vital for a successful execution of the offshore campus (Green,
Kinser & Eckel, 2008). To overcome its inexperience, SCAD hired a local law firm and
advertising agency to assist with the legal and promotional affairs it would face in Hong Kong.
Once marketing commenced, SCAD partnered with a retired local education specialist who
provided introductions to the secondary market where otherwise non-local entities might not
have access. Most importantly, SCAD abided by the requirements of the Education Bureau and
HKCAAVQ, in order to show its respect and ability to adjust to a different culture. SCAD’s
actions displayed its interest in creating a positive synergy with the governmental agencies.
In addition, SCAD conformed to local culture and practices by adapting marketing
practices from its U.S. efforts in order to meet the expectations of its new market. The institution
also used its knowledge of the impending 3+3+4 reform to establish a curriculum that would
align with Hong Kong’s new education model, giving it an early advantage over established
local competition. At the same time, SCAD expanded outreach in Hong Kong and other
countries to highlight its brand outside of its initial target market. SCAD also continued to
enhance its reputation by receiving key local accreditations, making the new campus more
attractive to potential students. These examples demonstrate how SCAD effectively used a
variety of strategies to launch its Hong Kong campus.
However, despite SCAD’s successful establishment in Hong Kong, this study also
identified several considerations which SCAD may not have fully recognized and applied as
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 136
effectively as the strategies discussed above. First, the choice of the new campus site was
strongly influenced by the timing of its availability. SCAD learned of the former governmental
building shortly before it became available and had to move quickly in order to become short
listed. As a result, SCAD did not have as much time as it might have wished to consider all of
its options. Instead, the institution chose to tailor its plans to the newly available facility, which
constrained some of its options and degree offerings. In addition, the significant investment of
$32.1 million required to renovate the building (Hennock, 2012) placed pressure on SCAD to
open its campus as quickly as possible in order to begin earning a return on its investment. None
of the administrators interviewed during this study provided much information regarding
alternative classroom options, so it is difficult to evaluate whether the cost of this location was
justified. This may also have been a result of the costly and limited real estate options in Hong
Kong, illustrating a potential disadvantage to its selection as the site of SCAD’s new campus.
Another crucial factor in the establishment of SCAD’s Hong Kong campus was its choice
of language for use in its promotional materials. SCAD’s initial decision to use English for
admissions materials did not recognize the influence of parents and grandparents on the decision-
making process of students. Many of these individuals were not as conversant with English as
their children and grandchildren, leading to less effective use of promotional materials.
Although SCAD quickly recognized its mistake and consequently created bilingual brochures
adapted to the market, this early misunderstanding demonstrates the importance of considering
all aspects of a local culture in order to create as successful a marketing strategy as possible.
Future institutions seeking to establish new locations must recognize the influence of culture and
language to ensure proper communication with their target markets.
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 137
In addition, SCAD did not immediately recognize that governmental limitations between
Mainland China and Hong Kong prohibited students in China from enrolling in an institution in
Hong Kong. As a result, SCAD’s marketing strategies targeting high school students in China
did not prove successful in recruiting those students to its new Hong Kong campus and
contributed to lower admissions figures for the entering class in Hong Kong. However, SCAD
identified its mistake and allowed admitted students from China access to SCAD’s U.S. locations
while simultaneously altering its marketing strategies for the Hong Kong branch accordingly.
This again illustrates the importance of fully understanding local customs and regulations in
crafting an effective marketing establish for an international branch campus.
Recommendations for Practice
Expanding an institution to a different continent involves several organizational processes
and decisions. Each detail must meet the expectations of the local government as well as the
home institution. In this case study, the researcher identified how creative strategies changed as
a result of the environment over three years. To further increase awareness surrounding
international recruitment and marketing practices, it would be strategic to assess the benefit of
marketing dollars, the importance of branding for the international branch campus, and the
impact of the 3+3+4 reform. Each category provides an extra opportunity to further understand
the changing environment of Hong Kong.
Within the field of globalization and internationalization, universities need to be prepared
for this fluctuating situation. Strategies must adjust accordingly to keep up with development of
progress. This advancement was discussed in detail throughout Chapter Four. While this study
did not look at the marketing budget specifically, one would imagine SCAD incurred a
significant expense to complete the Star Ferry campaign. A future case study would examine
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 138
how each marketing dollar spent translated to student enrollment figures. Without this analysis,
an institution could not certainly quantify its enrollment success rate and determine the bottom
line. An additional study could appraise international branch campuses’ brands and their impact
on familiarity with different markets. These findings could offer insight into which marketing
practices functioned as planned and afforded financial success. While the financial research
would be important, the effects of the governmental reform prove to be an ongoing discussion.
After 2015, an additional study could review the marketing practices, once a four-year
institution becomes standard within Hong Kong’s educational system. Until 2012,
administrators educated students on the Americanized model, rather than the traditional three-
year model to which Hong Kong students and parents were more accustomed. By adapting to
governmental policies, SCAD Hong Kong legitimized its American-based offerings by
showcasing familiarity within the art and design sector.
Although the dissertation accounted for the examination of one branch campus in Hong
Kong, the investigator identified additional areas of research surrounding international branch
campuses which will be discussed in the next section. These future studies would add breadth
and depth to an evolving field, especially when results are benchmarked. With over 200 offshore
campuses functioning away from their home base, a comprehensive appraisal of recruitment and
marketing strategies could provide insight as to the impact of such practices and their necessity
within foreign marketplaces. Further studies offer more awareness into the challenges
surrounding the creation and development of marketing techniques within new cultures and
countries.
This case study examined how SCAD Hong Kong established its 14 academic programs
and analyzed its marketing practices through the lens of the 7P marketing framework. The
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 139
research suggested one institution’s perception; this study does not intend to provide all the
answers for other four-year institutions looking to expand to Hong Kong or other areas in Asia.
Additional research entails expanding this area of international higher education and the
developmental process. By understanding the practices and procedures by location or education
hub, the findings could generate themes and eventual theories about these offshore branch
campuses.
This case study demonstrated several best practices for administrators who may try to
produce an international branch campus and recruit prospective students. The three crucial
recommendations involve the local government, the institutional programs, and the impact of
globalization and internationalization. In order to attain success on foreign soil, an institution
must understand the importance of policies and procedures regarding the political and regulatory
environment of the government. The university must adhere to all requests and deadlines,
staying on positive terms to demonstrate dedication to its programs. This plan allows for the
local government and foreign institution to maintain a rewarding relationship. Once established,
administrators must assess the academic programs to ensure quality control and continually
evaluate the effectiveness of the existing marketing efforts. By discussing ongoing and future
opportunities with employers and industry connections, the demand for such degrees remains
attractive to prospective candidates and alumni. This feature will affect the long-term effects of
globalization and internationalization. Institutional sustainability remains an important topic of
discussion, particularly for international branch campuses, and the longevity of the institution
relies heavily on the relationships with students, employers, and the government. Each
individual fills an important role in the creative practices, ultimately affecting the marketing and
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 140
institutional recognition, both domestically and worldwide. Administrators must understand the
power of their brand to remain successful.
Recommendations for Research
While research on international branch campuses has grown over the last decade, much
of the available findings address the quantity of offshore campuses, their benefits and challenges,
and their suggested reasons for closure. To further understand the breadth and depth of this
subject matter, additional case studies are needed to comprehend this developing field. In this
section, the researcher provides recommendations for research.
This case study focused on the recruiting and marketing practices of one international
branch campus in Hong Kong. With over 200 branch campuses, additional research is needed to
examine the progression of offshore campuses. In looking at the overarching question,
international higher education administrators could benefit from the findings of four topics: 1)
international marketing practices, 2) government requirements, 3) program sustainability, and 4)
alumni expectations. Each subject examines the long-term benefit associated with a branch
campus. Due to the infancy of such programs, this information could help generate a best
practices model.
Aside from the work of Lipka (2012) and Singh (2012) and the respective experiences at
UOWD in Dubai and UNLV Singapore, different case studies could benchmark with other
international branch campuses to review how the marketing of home campus practices or
traditions fit within different countries. Additionally, researchers can investigate campuses by
location and compare the responses of different cultures. Within marketing techniques, it would
be constructive to learn about the impact of technology within foreign locations. The
government regulates internet access in some countries and, subsequently, fails to showcase the
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 141
complete university message, especially in the case of SCAD Hong Kong and its digital media
proficiencies. This regulation could vastly affect the creative campaign for this type of
institution. SCAD administrators utilized the revitalization of an old government building to
showcase its product. However, how would physical classroom space or facilities align with
marketing strategies for alternatives offshore campuses? The scope of this study did not include
an explanation, though the property and real estate challenges could be evaluated to learn more
about the expensive start-up fees associated with international branch campuses. Each
recruitment and marketing practice can be further dissected to comprehend the complexities in
developing and enrolling students for a new campus.
In the development of any offshore location, government regulations for non-local
entities remain an important factor. In some cases, this aspect can inhibit the purpose or goal of
the additional campus, as seen in the case of SCAD Hong Kong. Political and regulatory
environment places parameters on the affiliation and should be acknowledged as an initial factor
when contemplating location. These barriers need to be recognized and addressed early in the
process in order to avoid potentially damaging mistakes throughout the process.
In addition to the national requirements, program selection and influence represents
another key component of the institution’s central mission. Careful considerations of programs
need to be reviewed since only a fraction of the home campus academic programs are offered.
Limited resources and/or facilities often guide this discussion, though additional research
provides extensive reasoning to administrators. This dissertation focused on the practices
implemented by staff, yet a comprehensive review of student, alumni, and employer feedback
could provide responses beyond this study. Perceptions among enrolled students and alumni
would shed light on individual expectations and whether or not they have been met. Student and
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 142
alumni buy-in remains critical for long-term sustainability. Alternatively, employers from digital
media industries can provide insight into whether the curriculum meets hiring manager demands.
In this study, much focus evolved around industry connections relating to internship or job
opportunities, yet a factual account of such data would propose noteworthy data for recruitment
and marketing purposes. In addition to the review of subject matter, more case studies would be
beneficial to address the types of practices utilized by international branch campuses.
The 7P marketing framework served as an analytical framework for this study and
provided an effective means of evaluating the marketing strategy of higher education institutions.
Ivy (2008) referred to the marketing factors that make up the 7P framework as “controllable
marketing tools” that colleges used to differentiate their programs from the competition (p. 289).
Each section of this study used specific factors from this framework to analyze the motivations
and effectiveness of the methods used by SCAD to establish its international branch campus in
Hong Kong. While this study did not significantly address the component of price, all seven
factors can be used by future researchers to evaluate, and possibly improve, potential marketing
strategies used in both the business and educational sectors.
With the increase of cross-border education such as online education and branch
campuses, institutions must recognize the importance of marketing strategies in successfully
implementing these programs and in distinguishing themselves from the competition. In a world
increasingly marked by an overwhelming variety of choices and advertising, colleges and
universities must be selective and intentional in marketing of their products. Instead of selecting
all possible programs available at a home campus, branch campuses must focus on the
institution’s central mission or niche products and local host market opportunities. Next, price
concerns can determine the affordability and sustainability of an offshore campus, especially in
ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 143
cases when funding comes from a governmental subsidy. Place provides insight into the
economic, political, and regulatory environment of a new culture and market as well as into the
languages and traditions which affect the potential market. An analysis of promotion must take
into account an increasing use of social media and technology and the importance of aligning
marketing campaigns and practices more fully with the business sector. The physical concept
reviews the actual classroom space or real estate available for instruction. Additionally and
perhaps most importantly, the element of people within the 7P framework refers to key internal
and external stakeholders, prospective students and their families, senior administrators, faculty,
staff, and government officials who prove critical to the successful establishment of any such
campus. Each factor demonstrates the implications of an institution or business practice and
should be considered by institutions when trying to reach a particular target market in a cost-
efficient manner. Due to the risky nature of these offshore campuses, other institutions should
evaluate the sustainability of these ventures by utilizing business concepts that have been
executed and proven by organizations for decades. With rising tuition costs and diminishing
resources, the field of academia can benefit from practical application of these economic
strategies.
International branch campuses choose to expand for multiple reasons. However, the way
in which these universities present their programs to prospective students was not addressed until
recently. Additional research can examine the implications of marketing, government
regulations, program sustainability, and stakeholder impact, and offer insight into the complexity
regarding the creation and development of marketing techniques within new environments.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 144
Conclusion
As additional international branch campuses open, the expansion of globalization and
internationalization will continue to flourish. New universities will consider opening their doors
overseas and rely on the frontrunners for examples. The existing research discusses the
monetary benefits, and more importantly, the challenges to consider when establishing a new
campus. The results of this dissertation indicate that SCAD Hong Kong unknowingly utilized
elements of the 7P marketing framework to develop its academic degree offerings and establish
marketing practices to recruit undergraduate and graduate students. These strategies aligned
with both American and Chinese techniques and continue to progress within the educational
sector of Hong Kong as a result of the 3+3+4 educational reform.
In 2009, SCAD Hong Kong received a building to develop an international branch
campus, and by September 2010, the institution had achieved this goal. Now in its fourth year,
SCAD Hong Kong reflects a rising four-year model of higher education because of its ability to
respond to the local culture. Recently, SCAD Hong Kong added another seven academic
programs to its curriculum, bringing the total to 21 programs across 14 disciplines. This is
another example of SCAD’s success in continuing to provide more options for its students. The
future of SCAD in Asia will depend on its ever-evolving response to the market opportunities,
governmental policies, and changes to the education models in Hong Kong.

ESTABLISHING AN INTERNATIONAL BRANCH CAMPUS 145
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Appendix
Interview Protocol by 7P Marketing Framework Factors
Introduction 1. Please describe your role in the creation and implementation of
marketing and recruitment strategies of SCAD Hong Kong?
Product 2. What factors went into choosing the academic programs initially
offered at SCAD Hong Kong?
3. Did culture affect the marketing strategies? How so? Did you
have different marketing practices for students from other parts of the
world?
Price 4. What influenced the marketing and recruiting strategies? Did
technology contribute to this process? How so?
Place 5. How did SCAD identify Hong Kong as the location for its branch
campus?
Promotion 6. What institutional characteristics did SCAD Hong Kong want to
highlight and how did they educate the marketplace about its
offerings?
Place 7. How did SCAD Hong Kong identify its audience for the initial
class? Was it the same for undergraduate and graduate programs?
Did each academic program target different populations?
8. What challenges did SCAD Hong Kong face in recruiting
undergraduate students? In recruiting graduate students?
Process 9. How did SCAD Hong Kong create and implement the original
marketing and recruitment techniques for undergraduates? For
graduate students?
10. Please describe any of SCAD’s marketing and recruiting
practices which changed in the last three years.
Physical 11. Does the 3+3+4 reform affect these practices? How so?

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This study utilizes the 7P marketing framework (Ivy, 2008) to analyze the developmental process and the marketing and recruitment strategies necessary to successfully develop an international branch campus. The purpose of this study was to examine how Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Hong Kong’s branch campus established 14 academic programs and implemented strategies to recruit both undergraduate and graduate students. Specifically, the study analyzed the factors that influenced the establishment and promotion of SCAD’s international branch campus, how SCAD Hong Kong selected academic programs, the marketing practices SCAD Hong Kong developed and how SCAD Hong Kong’s strategies changed since inception. This case study used qualitative techniques including interviews, observations, and data analysis in order to understand the SCAD administrator perspective. Findings reveal that SCAD Hong Kong’s marketing and recruitment practices were most influenced by the culture and open environment of Hong Kong, the significant market opportunities which made it a financially sustainable location, and the selection of academic programs that aligned with Hong Kong’s educational pillars and the needs and interests of prospective students. This case study used these findings to highlight the practices and procedures used by SCAD Hong Kong that could be used by other institutions for further development of their own international branch campuses.

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Creator Opgenorth, Lauren Thomas (author)

Core Title Establishing and marketing an international branch campus: a case study of Savannah College of Art and Design Hong Kong

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education

Publication Date 02/18/2014

Defense Date 11/13/2013

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Higher education,Hong Kong,international branch campus,OAI-PMH Harvest

Format application/pdf (imt)

Language English

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Advisor Robison, Mark Power (committee chair), Diamond, Michael A. (committee member), Tobey, Patricia Elaine (committee member)

Creator Email ltopgenorth@gmail.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-362841

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