Investigating the effects of personalisation in email on student choice
Purpose: The higher education sector has become competitive, and HEI marketers must compete for student recruitment. In this regard, the conceptualisation of personalised content as grounded in knowledge of student customer journey and its delivery through email can be important for HEI marketers. The current thesis aims to examine this in relation to student enrolment intentions by understanding the student enrolment journey and the variables influencing it. Method: The research was designed to investigate the impact of personalisation in email on student choice of HEIs. A between-subject online survey experiment was designed, and participants were exposed to personalised and non-personalised email conditions. Student HEI choice was measured as student ‘intention to enrol’. Findings: The study did not find significant differences between the personalised and non-personalised email conditions. This bears both theoretical and practical implications. It highlights the need for a deeper investigation of the concept in the higher education space. Value: The research furthers knowledge on the significance of personalisation in email in the higher education marketing context. It provides a method for marketing practitioners to define and deliver personalisation in the higher education space. In doing so, the study provides evidence for the importance of personalisation in the higher education industry, supporting the need for further examination of why and how students enrol.
Personalisation, Higher education marketing, Student choice, Email marketing, Student decision-making behaviour
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