Marketing*Strategy*Plan*Joe*Carty*|*Morgan*Holzberger*|*Becca*Mulhill*|*Bre*Murray*|*Zach*Rudio*

S p r i n g * 2 0 1 5 *

******

Table of Contents

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….3

Background & Introduction……………………………………………………….………………4

Situation Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………4

Macro-Environment……………………………………………………………………….4

Market Assessment………………………………………………………………………..7

Customers…………………………………………………………………………………7

Competitive Analysis……………………………………………………………………..7

Internal Situation Analysis……………………………………………………………….10

Organization……………………………………………………………………...10

Current Marketing Strategy……………………………………………………...11

SWOT Analysis…………………………………………………………………….……11

Marketing Objectives………………………………………………………………………...….12

Target Markets & Positioning……………………………………………………………………13

Marketing Plan…………………………………………………………………………………...14

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….20

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………20

References………………………………………………………………………………………..25

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Executive Summary LOI English was established in 2009 in Whitefish, Montana to teach English one-on-one over

Skype. They customize in personalized lesson plans, focusing on students by guaranteeing 80

percent of each class is the student speaking and practicing their English. With large markets in

Brazil, Spain and a recent loss of market share in Russia, LOI English is hoping to substitute

losses by entering the South Korean market. With an established presence in 124 countries, it is

imperative that LOI English strengthens and expands these relationships.

LOI English’s current focus is to find new markets, South Korea specifically, boost sales in

current markets and pursue non-traditional avenues due to a limited marketing budget. To boost

current sales in the United States market, LOI English will target business professionals by using

non-traditional avenues, including partnerships. With three main customer categories of

professional adults, students and children, it is crucial to reach each market in a specific, unique

way. Increasing the professional adults market will primarily take place in the United States,

with hopes of expanding into South Korea to expand both the student and children customer

base.

To reinvigorate LOI English’s brand presence, this plan will establish key partnerships to enter

into, key ways to enter the market in South Korea and a fiercer social media and branding

strategy. With a limited budget and human resources, it is recommended that LOI English

provide an internship opportunity, for credit, for a University of Montana School of Business

Administration student. Hiring a student as a social media intern will provide LOI English with

fresh ideas for social media strategy and allow key human resources to focus on other areas of

business.

Through four key recommendations and a full in-depth analysis of current practices, this plan

will highlight areas to focus on moving forward. Establishing a perception of LOI English in

relation to its competition was also an important factor in moving forward to hone in on the

competitive advantage LOI English has to offer.

Background & Introduction With an attachment to teaching language after living in Argentina in 2009, Teauna Brosseau-

Peters wasn’t ready to stop upon arrival back in the United States. Wanting to keep in touch with

private students from Argentina and keep teaching, Teauna knew she needed a solution. This was

when Paul Peters built their first website with Teauna as the teacher; she could now continue

teaching and remain in contact with her previous students. LOI English took off from there and it

quickly needed a second teacher; Teauna recruited a teacher she knew from Argentina and she

remains one of its best teachers today.

Once LOI English continued growing with no slowing in sight, Paul quit his job to focus on LOI

English and take the business to its full potential; in October of 2010, LOI English has

incorporated as an LLC in the United States. Its logo, best described as a red circle with a small

orange circle on the upper edge, is a logo to which Teauna has grown rather attached. When she

would walk the streets in Buenos Aires, she noticed circle tiles encompassing a smaller tile in the

middle were rather common and she always became fascinated with them and take pictures. She

mentioned there has been discussion about a logo change, but her attachment for its current logo

and the memory of Buenos Aires is not fading anytime soon.

Situation Analysis

Macro-Environment

Current Situation

LOI English is currently active in 124 different countries around the globe. This means that there

are a tremendous amount of external factors and trends to consider when analyzing the external

factors affecting LOI English. Due to the short scope of this project and for the purpose of this

document we will only focus on the most pressing issues facing the company at the moment.

Some of the recent political actions taking place around the world, specifically concerning

Russia and other European powers, have put a large enrollment strain on the company. Students

hoping to take classes remotely have seen increased prices anywhere from 15 percent up to 100

percent depending on which area of the world they are trying to access content (Brosseau-Peters,

2015). These increases in price have been largely due to fluctuations in their local currency value

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compared to the value of the US dollar. LOI English is hoping to counter these recent shifts

through increased marketing aimed at highlighting the many benefits its service provides. As we

discuss in the Competition section of this document, LOI English has distinct advantages over

much of its competition, but those advantages need to be properly voiced to LOI English’s target

markets.

Summary of Crucial Trends

The largest external factor facing LOI English is the fall of the Ruble in Russia. According to

LOI English, Russia was the company’s second largest market. Due to the recent political actions

taken by Russian officials, the value of its national currency sharply declined in 2014. LOI

English hopes to make up for this shrinking market through expansion into South Korea and

another few select countries. The company is seeing similar enrollment dips in its largest market,

Brazil, due to its falling national currency. The key short-term challenge we will help solve is

where LOI English should look instead to replace those lost customers. Looking into the future,

the company would like to be able to provide cheaper services to customers who are now unable

to access English classes due to the decisions of their governing body. LOI English is also

hoping to attract more customers within the US, primarily in undergraduate student programs.

(Brosseau-Peters, 2015)

Cultural Domain

Luckily, LOI English has made its service easy to access, regardless of the lifestyle of its

potential customer. If a potential customer has heard of the company, they can access its

offerings. Requiring only connection to the Internet and the Skype application, LOI English

maintains an advantage over competitors who require software downloads. Culturally, almost

every country in the world now values the ability to speak English. For better or worse, English

is becoming the global language. LOI English is poised to help the world achieve that goal.

Demographic Domain

The ability to articulate ideas and share experiences through a common language is becoming

increasingly important. LOI English’s target client can range anywhere from a young child to an

experienced international business professional to an elderly person hoping to expand their

knowledge through technology. We expect the target market to include students and

professionals with some expendable income and the desire to either travel or earn more money

based on international markets. The country of origin for the ideal customer is, for all intents and

purposes, irrelevant.

Economic Domain

The largest economic factor LOI English must recognize is the constant changes in foreign

currencies. When a foreign currency experiences a dip in value, LOI English’s customers see an

increase in the cost of the company’s services and offerings. With its top two markets currently

seeing dips in currency value, this is easily the most important external factor affecting LOI

English. In order to counter this trend, LOI English will need to find ways to increase awareness

and customer volume in all other markets to even the blow. It can be assumed that there will

always be an issue of this type - but hopefully not magnitude - affecting LOI English due to its

presence in many varying global economies.

Legal/Political Domain

The recent and future political actions taken by Russia are the most concerning legal and

political factors for LOI English. Potential sanctions, embargos, and the (hopefully small) threat

of war within the country makes Russia a nightmare with which to conduct business. As

previously stated, finding other markets with which LOI English can replace the lost Russian

market is critical.

Technological Domain

LOI English has distinct advantages over its competitors in a few key areas - class size, the

amount of potential instructors seeking employment with the company, and usability. The use of

simple, accessible technology gives LOI English a leg-up by providing customers with one of the

most widely known communication applications, Skype. By providing clients with one-on-one

classes and an online platform for course materials, LOI English can provide all of its essential

services from one place. Skype is a global company providing one of the best free

communication platforms available to anyone regardless of income, age, or geographic location.

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These two factors, coupled with the overwhelming demand by global English teachers to work

for the company, give LOI English a tremendous advantage.

Market Assessment

Customers

LOI English has three types of customers: professionals, students and children; what binds them

together is their need to learn the English language. These professionals, between the ages of 26-

50, are university educated and need the flexibility of class times LOI English provides.

Professionals want to improve their English for work, travel, or schooling opportunities. Students

are often graduate students preparing for TOEFL or IELTS tests. Children, making up the final

target market, fall between the ages of 4 to 18 whose parents purchase classes. These parents are

often bilingual and purchase these classes to offer their children the same advantage. (Brosseau-

Peters, T. LOI English. [PowerPoint]. 2015)

Competitive Analysis

The top competitors for LOI English are Open English, English First. According to LOI, Open

English holds the largest market share in Central and South America. From our online findings,

it appears that English First holds a large share of the market in the U.S. and Japan. LOI English

has emphasized a greater focus on expanding its U.S. market and discovering or expanding a

new international market.

Currently, LOI English is priced higher than most of its competitors, but maintains a competitive

advantage in the quality of lessons and teachers available. All English classes are taught one-on-

one and personalized to the students needs. Each professor takes detailed notes and homework is

individually assigned. Other competitors focus mainly on group classes with English First being

the only other one to offer a few private classes. Open English emphasizes smaller groups than

its competition while English First struggles with enough teachers to fulfill its demand and

therefore teaches in large groups.

With a focus on the U.S. market, specifically business professionals, LOI English has a unique

opportunity to gain traction and expand its market share in this growing industry. No other

competitor offers the quality of teaching and student attention. Even though its prices are

significantly higher, it will be able to reach markets that its competitors cannot, especially within

today’s globalized corporate economy.

Open English

The main webpage for Open English appears in Spanish. It is a very professional looking

website, but does not include any pricing information. This is a tactic used to make customers fill

out an information request form to learn more. Open English can then use their information to

send out marketing materials. LOI's website is fairly basic and includes and promotional video

on the homepage and a similar menu. LOI, however, makes all pricing information available.

Open English has the advantage of being a larger company, owning the largest market share in

Latin America as well as being endorsed by several major media outlets. This may be an

opportunity for LOI to seek some of these media endorsements. This would add accreditation to

its services.

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English First: Englishtown

The main webpage for English First shows a few promotions and an entry form for consumers to

receive more information. This is similar to Open English except the form is immediately

available. It's pricing structure is a bit confusing because it is not clear exactly what is available

at each price. English first holds a large market share in several Asian countries. It maintains a

competitive advantage by offering 41 language centers around the world. This provides a

physical location for many students to be able to learn in person or online, giving them more

flexibility and options than its competitors. They offer both group and private classes whereas

LOI English only offers private classes, maintaining a competitive advantage through

personalized instruction.

Competitor Pricing Promotion Method Quality

LOI English

1 class: $24.99* 5 classes: $22.99* 10 classes: $21.99* 40 classes: $19.99*

*Cost per class

First class free; occasional sales

One-on-one Skype lessons;

after hours; detailed notes

Personalized lesson plan

Open English Not available online N/a

Small group classes; live 24/7; native

English teachers

Easy-to-use website; personal advisors

English First: Englishtown

$99 for 9 months unlimited, 1 group

class, 1 private class

$1 for 14 days, $69 after for

unlimited and 20 group classes

Group and private classes;

online study materials

Personalized lesson plan; on-

site language centers

Competitor Target Market Customers Channels

Competitive Advantage

LOI English

U.S., Brazil, Spain, Japan,

Germany, Italy, South

Korea

Professional adults,

students and children

Facebook, VK, Twitter, Blog, email, Google search, Naver, Viva Mundo,

website

High-end market segment; one-on-one lessons, high

quality; 80% student speaking

Open English

U.S., Latin America (currently 250,000 students)

Corporations and business professionals

Word-of-mouth, YouTube, Facebook,

Twitter

Endorsed by many large media outlets

English First: Englishtown

Worldwide; larger market share in Asia

Children, students and professional

adults

Website, Facebook,

Twitter, YouTube

41 language centers worldwide, opportunities for students to study English abroad

Internal Situation Analysis

Organization

Even with rapid growth, it has remained small in numbers with three official employees; Paul

Peters, CEO or GM; Luke Peters, Social Media and Marketing; and Teauna Brosseau-Peters,

business development, education, human resources and bookkeeper. Additional employees

include, Kate, educational director, curriculum development, hiring and teachers manager;

Daniel, programmer; Hugo, financial advisor and 30 contract employees working as teachers.

With a company valuing employee empowerment and mutual respect, a lot of autonomy and

trust exists; Teauna puts it simply by saying “we only hire people that we would like to hang out

with;” (email) their management style and business philosophy fall hand-in-hand. Contract

teachers of LOI English are offered good pay, respect and a flexible work environment allowing

them to work from home, during personal travels or while raising children. LOI English has big

aspirations for growth, hoping to be the best-integrated method for learning a language on a

worldwide scale, all based from here at home, Montana.

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Although its current market share is unknown, an estimated ⅔ of the global population are

English language learners with an online market of 1.3 billion people. LOI English currently has

500 students with 2014 sales around $550,000 and their current marketing budget is around

$1,900 monthly, or $22,800 on a yearly scale. Although it has allocated its budget on a month to

month basis, and are hoping to reallocate certain funds, rather than increase spending for new

initiatives.

Current Marketing Strategy

LOI English uses a combination of channels

including: Facebook, Twitter, VK, blog, Naver, Viva

Mundo and Google search. VK, Naver and Viva

Mundo all serve specific international markets.

LOI English is currently working to release a new

promotional video hoping for viral attraction, using

Twitter targeted campaigns and using MixPanel to

track its marketing efforts. Additionally, it is

working on a new homepage and calendar, as well as experimenting with new email

segmentation software.

Using current channels, while potentially implementing new methods, we plan to reinvigorate

these channels and use digital media to the full potential. Increasing awareness through digital

media campaigns and methods will allow LOI English to successfully reach its target market of

business professionals within the United States who may need to sharpen their business English.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

LOI English has many strengths in it’s offerings. The first class a student takes is free, allowing

the student to try the program out without having to make a long-term commitment. Five

different types of classes are taught on a one-on-one basis, allowing teachers to create

individualized lesson plans based on what each student already knows and what they still need to

learn. These teachers are also available 24/7, allowing for students to take classes whenever is

most convenient for them. In addition, there is always study materials available online. LOI

English also has had an influx of teacher applications, making it easy for them to provide quality

instructors for their students.

Weaknesses

One of the biggest weaknesses LOI English faces is a small marketing budget. There are also

barriers when marketing internationally, including differences in marketing channels; the

controls placed on them, and language differences. There is also a lack of information regarding

valuable international markets.

Opportunities

There are multiple opportunities for LOI English to expand within the United States and

internationally. They can attract both young professionals and graduate students within the US,

as well as immigrants and international students planning on moving to the US. These

opportunities are accompanied by a massive growth in the e-Learning market. There are also

multiple opportunities for partnership with companies and universities to become the official

English language-learning provider. In addition, LOI English has a massive opportunity in the

Chinese and South Korean markets as a whole due to lack of competition.

Threats

A change in currency, and the effect of that on LOI English’s profitability is one major threat.

The company also faces a threat due to growth of the e-Learning market. Not only will LOI have

to hire, manage, and pay more employees, but there will also be an increase in competition. It is

also likely the company will face many hurdles while entering new international markets.

Marketing Objectives Objective one: Increase customer base within the United States higher education market by 10

percent by creating partnerships universities and companies.

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Objective two: Increase demand within South Korea by 200% to substitute losses in Russia by

using Korean private schools and consulting firms.

Objective three: Increase business professional customer base within the United States through

partnerships and contracts with willing companies and educational institutions within a year of

plan implementation.

Target Markets & Positioning Markets with high growth potential and a wide consumer base are essential to LOI English’s

ability to replace lost customers in their Russian market. By aiming at the following markets, the

company can gain access into segments with both high future growth potential and disposable

income to spend on furthering their English proficiency.

Primary: International high school students with intentions to study abroad, whose English is

not proficient for university acceptance - specifically concerning South Korea and South

America.

LOI English should target these sub-segments because they have the highest growth potential

compared to other markets. LOI English’s ability to provide teachers at all hours contributes to

increasing profits in these sub-segments. Today, the South Korean and South American

economies are developing. Although their economies are growing, LOI English must be aware of

the threat of changing currency values. Another threat, increasing awareness in a market, can

also create more competition.

Positioning: To international high school students who plan to study abroad but lack English

proficiency, LOI English offers online, flexible classes that allow these students to prepare for

the TOEFL in order to study in the United States. Students must meet a minimum TOEFL

requirement prior to enrolling at the collegiate level within the United States. By preparing for

the TOEFL test while still in high school, students eliminate the potential of having to take

summer English courses at their university. Students who do not meet the TOEFL requirement

prior to arrival are required to pay additional tuition dollars for these classes, which they could

save by using LOI English throughout their high school career.

Secondary: Non-proficient English speakers within the United States -- specifically including

(1) business professionals and (2) international students studying within the university system.

Targeting the sub-segment of business professionals, who are not proficient in English, opens an

opportunity for LOI English to help these professionals advance in their careers. Companies of

these business professionals would find this useful to help educate their employees. The second

sub-segment of international students studying within the university system provides a large

opportunity for LOI English. Some students hoping to enter the American university system are

not proficient enough to start taking extensive English courses. LOI English’s ability to provide

one-on-one classes would improve the international student's ability to learn.

Positioning: To non-proficient English speakers living within the United States, LOI English

provides online, flexible English classes that will increase students’ English proficiency and

allow them to better communicate within the workplace and university setting. Many U.S.-based

multinational corporations have overseas subsidiaries that hire local managers/employees who

may not be completely proficient in English. Examples of such needs may include call centers,

managers, or employees looking to move up within a company or travel/transfer to the U.S.

The international student population has increased by 8.4 percent over the previous academic

year. Many universities do not currently offer English programs but expect a certain level of

proficiency before admission. This justifies the need within these universities with growing

international student populations for on-site or third party English providers.

Marketing Plan Recommendation one: Partner with U.S. universities and U.S. companies to improve English of

employees and students.

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Educational Institutions

By seeking out Universities with growing international student populations, LOI English can

attempt to partner with said institutions to provide English proficiency courses. Many campus

English learning programs require a certain level of English proficiency before a student is

permitted to join the ELI program. English USA is a national organization which contracts with

universities to provide English proficiency courses to students, often without academic credit

attached. (Englishusa.org, 2015)

A search in the English USA database for programs offering ‘General English, English for

Academic Purposes, and TOEFL Preparation’ yields 107 results, including: The University of

Florida, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Montana State University, Texas Christian University,

etc.

Although the list of English USA partner institutions offering the above services is quite vast, the

number dwindles by half when you add ‘Private Instruction’ to the search parameters. This

leaves a number of institutions that would gain a distinct advantage over their current partnership

by teaming up with LOI English to supplement at least the first stages of international student

English proficiency.

Below is a cost breakdown (excluding meals plans, insurance, and residence costs) retrieved

from the University of Montana’s ELI Program webpage as well as a table comparing LOI’s

prices per class. U of M has partnered with English USA to provide the campus’ English

proficiency courses. (English Language Institute, 2015)

Spring 2015 Summer 2015 Fall 2015 Spring 2016

Tuition (Full-Time)

$3850 (18 hours/week)

$3850 (24 hours/week)

$3850 (18 hours/week)

$3850 (18 hours/week)

Tuition (One Course)

$400 (2 hour elective)

$400 (2 hour elective)

$400 (2 hour elective)

$400 (2 hour elective)

Student Fees $900 $900 $900 $900

Supplies $150-$200 $150-$200 $150-$200 $150-$200

U.S. Companies

Right Now Technologies

Right Now Technologies is a cloud based customer service provider out of Bozeman, Montana.

Right Now was bought by Oracle in 2011, and continues to provide customer service through

call centers, the web, and social media (Oracle and Right Now, 2015). Many of the jobs at Right

Now require proficiency in English. For example, one position has a knowledge requirement of

“Strong written and verbal communication skills to coordinate with local and English oriented

teams” (Oracle Recruiting, 2015). According to their Professional Development opportunities

listed on their site, there are currently none relating to language expertise (Oracle Professional

Development, 2015). When hiring from outside of the United States, or hiring non-native

English speakers, Right Now could offer LOI English courses to incoming employees that may

need assistance in perfecting their language skills, allowing them to have stronger

communications with both colleagues and with customers. In order to create this partnership,

LOI English can make the following connections:

*See appendix for more information on Right Now Technologies

Recommendation two: Hire a social media intern

Another recommendation we have for LOI English is to hire a social media intern from the U of

M School of Business. Time is extremely valuable for small businesses. Spending an hour or two

each day updating social media leaves less time to expand its operations. Adding an intern to the

LOI English team would relieve pressure from its main employees, giving them more time to

focus on the big picture instead of these tedious tasks. The internship would normally be unpaid

with an opportunity for employment at the end or some kind of benefits/compensation if

employment is unavailable. Adding an intern would have little to no cost to LOI English. Some

compensation benefits might include reimbursement for travel expenses, a small bonus upon

completion of the program, or a recommendation to future employers. The intern would be a

Marketing or International Business major at U of M and have a passion for social media and

seeking to gain experience in these fields.

LOI Course Options and Prices Avg. Student

1 Class 10 Classes 20 Classes 40 Classes 12-15 Classes/month

$24.99 $22.99/class $21.99/class $19.99/class $289/month

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*See appendix for more information on hiring an intern

Recommendation three: Recruit students from private schools and consulting firms within

South Korea.

“11.2% of international students are from South Korea. Therefore, recruiting South Korean

students can be an effective marketing strategy” (Kim, 2014). Since South Korean students are a

large part of the international market it is imperative that LOI English capitalizes on that. To

increase demand in South Korea LOI needs to target students who are searching for international

schools. This will be done by building relationships with their high schools and working with a

consulting firm.

Many students from the following

high schools apply to colleges

abroad: Ewha Girl’s Foreign

Language High School, Daewon

Foreign Language High School,

Daeil Foreign Language High

School, Myungduk Foreign

Language High School, Soul Foreign

Language High School, Hanyoung

Foreign Language High School,

Korean Minjok Leadership

Academy, Chungsim International

High School, and Soul Global High

School (Kim, 2014). To effectively

reach this segment LOI English

needs to build a relationship with these schools. Ways to reach out to these schools would be

email or phone. “When colleges hold their own college fairs, briefing sessions or presentations at

high schools, students and their parents definitely attend them” (Kim, 2014). Just as colleges

recruit students at these schools, LOI would do the same. Once the relationship is established

(Potential*Ad)*

with a counselor or someone with a similar role in the school they could have information at

college fairs, have skype presentations, and/or send over marketing materials. To further

strengthen the relationship with these schools LOI English could run special promotions on their

classes for students attending these schools. The students would get a certain number of classes

at a discounted rate which will lead to increased enrollment.

When researching information about international schools students are constantly turning to the

Internet. An important online tool in South Korea for these students is consulting firms. Students

use these online consulting firms to search for schools, apply for schools, and search for multiple

international resources relating to education. A consulting firm that stands out from the rest

would be Uhak. Uhak is an online service for students who wish to study internationally. This

online firm not only works with universities, but they also cooperate with various educational

services (Kim, 2014). To work with this company, LOI English would need to purchase

advertising space on their website. Advertising on Uhak is an excellent idea, because of how

popular the site is. “[…]Uhak is one of South Korea’s largest agencies and has good brand

recognition[…]” (McAdam, 2014). The students who will be looking for schools online will

need resources to increase their English proficiency. This is where LOI English can tap into that

market. With a high traffic count on Uhak, many future students would gain exposure to LOI

English through online advertising. Referring to table 1, the cost of advertising on the website

varies on the size of the ad and the duration it will be on the site. For LOI to get a start on Uhak

it would be best to purchase the Classic Ad for $2,500 for 6 months.

AD Options AD Cost (US $)

1 month

3 months

6 months

12 months

Classic Ad C-1 - - 2,500 3,800

Premier Special

P-1 Leader board 4,000 6,000 9,800 14,800

P-2 Floating Banner 3,500 4,200 6,200 9,800

P-3 Sliding Banner 3,300 3,700 5,200 8,800

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Country Premier

CP-1 Left on Country Main Page

- 3,400 4,700 8,100

CP-2 Right on Country Main Page

- 2,400 3,400 5,800

Recommendation four: Re-branding and Social Media Strategy

Although LOI English is not in a place to go through a re-branding, these recommendations are

vital as they could have large future impacts. Implementing a re-branding and analyzing the

overall social media strategy will increase customer retention and company credibility.

Website:*Our*first*recommendation*regarding*a*reIbrand*is*a*new*website*design*that*sets*

the*tone*for*the*overall*brand*presence.*Upgrading*the*LOI*English*website*and*ensuring*

the*website*URL*matches*the*name*of*the*company*will*establish*credibility*and*minimize*

customer*confusion.**

*See*appendix*for*more*information**

*

Twitter:!Based*on*LOI*English’s*current*Twitter*strategy*and*activity,*it*seems*followers*of*

LOI*English*lack*interaction*with*the*posted*content.*Scott*Levy*discusses*retweeting*and*

states,*“Retweeting*is*one*marvelous*way*to*utilize*existing*content*to*build*your*following*

and*grow*your*brand,”*(Entrepreneur,*Levy,*2014).*He*further*explains*the*importance*of*

establishing*a*strategy*to*decide*how*often*Twitter*content*will*be*produced*within*the*

company*and*how*often*the*company*will*retweet*information*from*followers*and*friends.*

Levy*goes*on*to*say,*“some*people*recommend*that*only*20*percent*of*tweets*be*about*your*

product*or*service...I*prefer*a*50/50*split”*(Levy,*2014).*

*See*appendix*for*more*information*

*

Facebook:*Currently,*LOI*English*is*listed*as*“skypeenglishclasses.com”*on*Facebook,*which*

makes*it*difficult*for*users*searching*LOI*English.*Simply*changing*the*name*on*Facebook*

will*ensure*consumers*are*able*to*find*LOI*English*on*Facebook*and*view*content.**

Conclusion Implementation of these recommendations over the next year will increase LOI English’s brand

presence and strengthen overall brand image. With a constantly evolving market and ever-

changing marketing practices, LOI English should re-visit its strategy often to re-structure

budget and best use its resources. Establishing a strong social media presence is rather important

because it is one of the few, free ways for LOI English to maintain an online presence.

Through building key partnerships, entering the South Korean market, hiring an intern and

continually evolving social media and brand strategy, LOI English will succeed in finding new

markets, boosting sales in current markets and pursuing non-traditional avenues.

Appendix Marketing Budget

Monthly-Marketing-Budget-Breakdown- Monthly-Expense-Uhak%Ad%(C*1)% $416%

Marketing%Intern% $100%Facebook%Promotion% $500%

Other*%(Varying%by%month)% $900%Total%Monthly%Spend% $1,916%

*Other%could%include%social%media%promotion,%Google%Ad%campaign,%etc.%

%

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Survey Due to unforeseen events, we were unable to distribute the survey and gather information. We developed a survey that will best gather the information LOI English is seeking if desired in the future.

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Other Material Recommendation one: Right Now Technologies Contact: Greg Gianforte, Founder of Right Now Technologies Website: http://bozeman.com/contact-greg/ Twitter: @gianforte LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/greg-gianforte/0/aa/794 Phone: (406) 522-4200 Address: 136 Enterprise Blvd, Bozeman, MT Once a connection is made, the following points should be made during the pitch: - LOI English provides one-on-one lessons specifically for business professionals, taught by a native English speaker. These classes are easily tailored to the student’s language needs, whether they need to start with the basics or brush up on some of the more advanced materials. - Classes are available 24/7, which allows students to take their classes whenever works best for their schedule, allowing the student to not worry about their classes overlapping with their work schedule. - LOI English is a Montana company. Working with the company would support local business and in turn, the local economy. This will stimulate growth within Montana as a whole, creating a greater range of both technological and non-technological opportunities throughout the state. When partnering with Right Now, a wholesaling pricing strategy should be considered. This strategy could be based around the number of students or the number of classes they can take. This could have the same cost structure as when partnering with a university. Recommendation two: Hiring an intern Contact: Kathleen Tarkalson, Internship Director at University of Montana School of Business Administration Phone: (406) 243-6771 Email: kathleen.tarkalson@business.umt.edu Office: Gallagher Business Building 328 Intern Responsibilities

• Maintain all social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, VK, Blog, etc.) • Learn LOI’s marketing strategy and adapt new strategies • Work closely with all LOI’s employees • Help create promotional videos/posters/ads • Part-time (10-20 hours/week) • Help implement the recommendations from this paper

Recommendation four: Rebranding and Social Media

• The*website*URL*(skypeenglishclasses.com)*does*not*match*the*company*name,*which*can*be*confusing*and*unclear*to*customers.

• On*the*website*there*is*a*button*for*“Click*here*to*try*a*free*class,”*which*only*appears*on*English*even*when*switching*the*website*into*other*languages.*Missing*minor*details*like*this,*especially*as*an*educational*institution,*degrades*LOI*English’s*credibility*and*depletes*brand*image.*

Twitter Recommendations

• Seek*out*influencers*or*invested*parties*within*the*English*learning*industry*who*tweet*information*that*is*relevant*and*valuable*to*the*followers*of*LOI*English.*After*research*and*identifying*these*influencers,*LOI*English*should*ensure*25%*of*its*Twitter*content*is*retweets*from*these*influencers.

o Potential*influencers ! Learn*English*I*@englishpix ! SpeakIEnglish.org*I*@speak_english

• When*tweeting*content*directly*from*the*LOI*English*account,*be*sure*to*use*multiple*types*of*content*including:*videos,*photos*and*short*phrases,*tips*or*quotes.*Include*quick,*easy*to*read*content*that*does*not*require*your*follower*to*leave*Twitter*and*view*an*external*link*to*a*video*or*article.

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References

(2015). Uhak. Retrieved from http://english.uhak.com/english/index.asp

Brosseau-Peters, T. (2015, February 10). LOI English - company situation [Online Interview &

PowerPoint].

Duncan, K. (2014, Nov 28). Korean agency Uhak.com acquired by Loyalist Group. Retrieved

from http://thepienews.com/news/korean-agency-uhak-com-acquired-by-loyalist-group/

English Language Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2015, from

http://www.umt.edu/international-programs/english-language-institute/program-dates.php

(n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.englishusa.org/study-english

Oracle and RightNow. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2015, from

http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/acquisitions/rightnow/index.html

Oracle Professional Development. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2015, from

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Oracle Recruiting. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2015, from

https://oracle.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl

Y Kim. (2014, Aug 26). Suggestions on Marketing to Korean Students. Retrieved from

http://services.intead.com/blog/suggestions-on-marketing-to-korean-students