Before joining the staff at Griffith College ten years ago,
I had the benefit of being a student here. In the time I have worked
for the college, Griffith has grown from a student population of 500 to
over 8,000. In the education sector, we say with some pride that we are
an undoubted success.

As the numbers attending the college have grown, so has the main
campus on the South Circular Road. In recent years we have invested
over €50 million on infrastructure and developments, including a new
bar and restaurant, new halls of residence and a state of the art
conference centre due to open soon.

As a past student of Griffith, I would see myself as being student
focused and this reflects the college ethos. When marketing the
college, we always look to put the student first and it is not just a
case of getting bums on seats.

We provide a wide range of courses and see ourselves as an
alternative to mainstream education and a college that looks after its
students. From a marketing perspective, it is selling this message and
these qualities that are paramount and this runs through all streams of
our marketing.

Marketing a third level institution comes in many forms. Our obvious
target market comprises second level students, their parents, guidance
counsellors and those wishing to complete a part-time academic or
professional course.

We utilise press, outdoor, radio, internet and TV advertising at
crucial times of the year. We also decided to hire PR agency Pembroke
Communications to enhance our relationship with the relevant media.

The key times of the year for a third level institution are
obviously when people are making their mind up about which college to
attend and this is usually CAO time in January and in August when
people get their results.

We need to stand out and make ourselves different from all the other
noise at this time and this is a real challenge, as the likes of UCD
and DCU have far bigger marketing budgets than we would have.

Our strategy is to position Griffith as a young vibrant college with
high standards and a caring attitude towards our staff and students. We
are not a faceless college, but one that provides something different
and an education that one would not get elsewhere.

The college has gone from being a last resort in the eyes of some to
a first option in the eyes of many. It is due to word of mouth and the
development of niche BA courses in photography, fashion design and
interior architecture as well as established courses such as
journalism, design and law.

Promoting Griffith is a broader canvass than just advertising and PR
and as a result we need to influence the influencers. We go directly to
guidance counsellors and host a training day for guidance teachers and
attend expos.

In relation to sponsorship, it is an area where we must tread
carefully. Our sponsorship of the Setanta Sports coverage of the
schools rugby makes sense as it hits our target market of second level
students across Leinster. We will look at similar targeted sponsorships
as they arise.

As we have expanded, the emphasis is on getting the branding right.
With campuses in Cork, Dublin and Limerick, plus our presence in
Karachi and Moscow, we are now Griffith College as opposed to Griffith
College Dublin.

An institution with 8,000 students needs to maintain that personal
touch. It is a much different challenge now than ten years ago but we
must not lose sight of what made us a success. Catering for the new
demand and promoting new courses means we have to make sure the new
message is communicated.

Our policy has been to diversify, to grow and expand. As the number
of students sitting the Leaving Cert fell, it was felt that private
colleges would suffer. In fact, the reverse has happened and we have
experienced massive growth, with a 27 per cent increase in full-time
applications. In many respects, clear and concise marketing has helped
achieve this.

Almost 12 per cent of our students come from overseas, so marketing
the college is broader than just Irish media. It requires a strong
overseas network with an international office and agents working on our
behalf. Griffith is a multicultural place to study, with students from
Europe, India and China.

In future, we will have to update our marketing strategy for an
expanding college and a competitive and changing marketplace. The
internet has become a more popular avenue for us. Keeping the message
simple and being proud of your product is more than half the battle.