The Challenge

London Business School (LBS) is one of the world’s leading business schools, offering a variety of postgraduate business degrees and executive education programmes. Its largest degree programme is the 2-year MBA. The market research brief incorporated two elements: testing new marketing concepts for the MBA programme and exploring reactions to potential marketing approaches for a new 1-year MBA which LBS was developing. The objectives included identifying which creative concept was the most motivating and appealing for each programme type, and to identify any potential refinements needed to market the new programme.

The Approach

We adopted a qualitative approach, carrying out depth interviews via videocalls with Alumni of LBS’s existing MBA and Masters in Management (MiM) programmes, spread across five continents, and also interviewed Alumni of similar programmes at other top global business schools. To supplement these, we also carried out two in-person focus groups with current LBS students in London. Four marketing routes were tested for the main MBA programme, with a further three ad concepts for the new 1-year MBA programme. Through the research, we identified key perceptions and motivations amongst the different audiences, and which messages and elements within the communication concepts were most in line with these, and therefore had the greatest appeal to potential applicants.  

The Results

The research led to further discussion and development of both the MBA marketing route and the new course offer at LBS. The new course is set to launch in 2025.

Testimonial

“DJS carried out in-depth discussions with our alumni and potential students to dig into the nuances of the marketing routes being developed. LBS alumni are very engaged and passionate about the LBS offer, and DJS dug into their opinions to identify what does and does not resonate with them, in potential marketing routes for the MBA programmes. We have worked with DJS on a wide range of projects over the years and know they understand LBS, our students and our market”

Insight Manager, London Business School