Marketing tactics and parents' loyalty: the mediating role of school image

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how marketing tactics can enhance parents' loyalty in the educational context. Building on extant research, it proposes an integrated framework in which perceived marketing tactics are related to school image, which in turn is related to parents' loyalty.Design/methodology/approachFive marketing tactics are selected. A questionnaire is constructed, and data are collected from 1,200 parents of schoolchildren studying in 60 elementary schools in Taiwan. A multiple regression analysis is conducted to analyze the data.FindingsThe results show that the selected marketing tactics all significantly and meaningfully predicted the perception of school image, however promotion tactics were the most effective strategy. In addition school image is an effective predictor of parents' behavior. Finally school image mediates the relationship between marketing tactics and parents' loyalty.Originality/valueThe finding suggests that school administrators can use marketing tactics in order to enhance school image that in turn leads to parents' school choice and word‐of‐mouth.