Online and Offline Marketing Strategies by Indian Colleges and Universities: A Comparative Analysis of Students’ Perception

Abstract

Marketing strategies globally are passing through an evolution stage with the intervention of social media. It is imperative to explore the shift in the Indian education industry, which is dominated by techno-savvy consumers who are equipped with quick access to information available through both online and offline communication media. The focus of this study is to investigate comparative preference of source of information in the process of decision-making for choice of admissions in colleges and universities in India. Findings of responses from 255 students recently admitted to first year undergraduate programs evidently reveal the emerging role of online marketing techniques. The study reveals that the role of offline marketing techniques is significant and integral in the process of decision-making in the choice for college/university admission.