How Bow Valley College Uses Data

Challenge

Bow Valley College (BVC) has grown international enrolment numbers successfully over the last four years. However, they have identified that they would like to incrementally increase and diversify their international enrolments while ensuring that no single market accounts for more than 50% of its international population.

Solution

BVC has partnered with IDP Connect IQ to identify market demand trends from key markets to gain insights that would assist them in understanding where opportunities lie.

Objective of partnering with IDP connect IQ

• To better understand the gap between its current portfolio and demand in key international markets

• Identify quick wins for 2022 entry, primarily in program areas where BVC has academic strength

• Identify program areas where BVC should consider expanding into

• To review its brand strength, market positioning and perception relative to its competitors in key international markets

• To understand where BVC is losing market share together with influencing factors including program content, length, and other components such as co-op options, scholarships, etc.

Delivery

Provide BVC with a set of short and long-term actionable recommendations and a tailor-made marketing and engagement plan to help build brand awareness and relationships in key markets. IDP Connect IQ combined data from prospective student searches, counsellor interviews and desk-based research.

How will you use these findings?

• These findings will be used as part of a comprehensive strategy to evaluate program mix and new program development to ensure BVC aligns its program portfolio with market demands

• To benchmark BVC against Canadian competitors to identify the current and desired market position

• To develop and implement market entry strategies

What strategies have you or will you implement from these findings?

• Raise brand awareness through increased market briefings and engagement

• Tailor messaging to meet the unique needs of our audience (e.g. employment in Alberta, alumni success)

• Leverage various communication channels where our potential students interact more regularly (e.g. social media)

What impressed you about the research?

• IDP Connect IQ had the ability to provide both high-level and macro-level data for a country and can also drill down and analyse demand trends at the subject level

• The data showed spikes in searches for programs unique to BVC outside of the market trends and have in turn helped us identify unique opportunities for our institution

• The trend analysis or timeline (monthly) of data ensures that we have a holistic understanding of interest. With these timelines we are also able to clearly identify and plot environmental factors that impact applications or enrolments (e.g. March 2020, WHO declares global pandemic)

• The most important piece of the report for BVC was the analysis of the data and accompanying recommendations

• The honest feedback from IDP counsellors about the BVC brand, engagement, programs, etc. will help us better tailor our recruitment strategy for potential students

Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience with IDP Connect IQ? Data, and specifically data analysis, is what drives the BVC international recruitment strategy. Accessing IDP Connect IQ’s robust, high-quality data set combined with analysis and market insights is essential to ensure a sustainable international recruitment strategy.