What’s the best way to advertise your product in foreign countries?

[giofranchi]

Hi guys,

 

In November 2015 we will inaugurate the first edition of our new Master “Leadership in glocal design”. As you can see on its leaflet in attachment, it adresses specifically engineers and/or architects living outside Italy, who are interested in making a formative experience working for Italian design firms.

 

Germany is renowned for its engineering firms, England for its financial services firms, while Italy (hopefully) can still count on some of the best design firms in the world. And the 2015 Qs World University Ranking by Subjects puts the Politecnico of Milan at number 10 for Design. Not bad! Especially given its small financial resources compared to those of many other large universities worldwide.

 

Now, though, our masters until now have always been offered basically to Italian students, therefore we have never truly made the effort to advertise them abroad…

 

I know that many of you don’t believe in higher education, and judge it to be worse than useless… But the help I am asking for is strictly from a marketing point of view: what’s the best (and the cheapest! ;) ) way to advertise your product in foreign countries?

 

TIA, any help would be greatly appreciated! :)

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

Leadership_Glocal_Design.pdf

[constructive]

Ads on archinect and archdaily would be a good way to reach architects. You could also go to undergraduate career fairs or send emails/flyers to undergraduate architecture and engineering administrative departments.

 

I don't think the leaflet is effective yet at targeting foreign students "interested in making a formative experience working for Italian design firms". Who is teaching the courses - architecture and engineering professors? Do the courses involve seminars with industry professionals? Does it involve travel or internships? Is it for people just out of college or mid-career professionals? Given that many of the units refer to architecture, is it applicable to design and engineering generally, or just architects and building systems engineers?

 

Also I'm not sold on the degree name - how it looks on the resume is not an inconsequential concern for students. In my opinion, a degree name from a foreign university which many people aren't familiar with is not the place to make the new word "glocal". On English resumes I think it would look better as "MS Global Design Leadership".

[SpecOps]

I can't speak much of other countries, but here in the UK I know that in my profession there is a specific university that delivers Masters courses and most people go for them, even though they are not highly ranked in league tables or even well known. They do it by interacting with our professional body, which is an organisation of professionals and I'm sure there will be ones like this in your industry.

 

I would identify some of these professional bodies in other countries and engage with them, and even talk with them about tailoring courses specifically for their members. The first point of contact might be a government department responsible for that industry and skills within it, as they will probably know the relevant professional bodies.

[giofranchi]

I don't think the leaflet is effective yet at targeting foreign students "interested in making a formative experience working for Italian design firms". Who is teaching the courses - architecture and engineering professors? Do the courses involve seminars with industry professionals? Does it involve travel or internships?

 

Both university professors (30%) and professionals (70%). 300 hours of lessons + 500 hours of internship: you are right, this should be added on the leaflet! Thank you! ;)

 

Ads on archinect and archdaily would be a good way to reach architects.

 

Yes, of course we have thought about that, but unfortunately they are not exactly “cheap”…

 

Cheers,

 

Gio

[giofranchi]

I would identify some of these professional bodies in other countries and engage with them, and even talk with them about tailoring courses specifically for their members. The first point of contact might be a government department responsible for that industry and skills within it, as they will probably know the relevant professional bodies.

 

That would be very effective indeed, and it is exactly what we do in Italy. Though, it takes time to create that kind of contacts… And November 2015 is just few months away… We’ll surely do that for the second edition of this MS, but for the first one we are already too late!

 

Thank you!

 

Gio