Research On Online-to-Offline (O2O) Marketing Strategy At Survival Stage Of Bei Chen Education Training School

As the world enters a new century with emerging innovative science and technology,Chinese people are more enthusiast about English learning.In China,English has not only become one of the necessary skills for social survival and communication among young adults,but also become one of the increasing investments of Chinese families in children’s education with the ever rising national income in China.Moreover,English is still one of the three major subjects of China’s college entrance examination,and more and more parents send their children to English training institutions for tutoring services.In this context,tens of thousands of English training institutions,such as New Oriental,leader of local player,have emerged in off-campus English training market.However,the quality and operation condition of these players are different.In this so-called “blue ocean” market,fierce competition and unseen reefs are the true pictures.From a perspective of marketing,even New Oriental,the industry leader,has to face two fabrics of pressure: ruthless price war among players for new blood and competition in building the so-called “education ecosphere” online and offline and a closed marketing loop.Unfortunately,huge investment of manpower and financial resources for price war cannot ensure true profits,and blindly expanding campus online and offline is not guarantee for revenue at all.Bei Chen Education Training School(hereinafter referred to as “Bei Chen”)is a new comer in China’s English training market.Having investigated the local market and estimated the prospect of the local market,Bei Chen settled in the schooling area of Shuangliu District,Chengdu.Bei Chen had planned a complete set of English training products and other related services and developed a seemingly perfect marketing program before its settlement.The real market,however,is far grimmer than planned.Bei Chen suffers blow in a row in its actual practice.In order to help Bei Chen cope with its survival crisis,this paper takes marketing as a breakthrough point to pin point a practical road for Bei Chen.Firstly,the macro environment of China’s English training market and the micro marketing environment in which Bei Chen is operating now are analyzed.Secondly,the specific marketing plight of Bei Chen and the external and internal causes of its marketing problems are analyzed.Thirdly,in view of the current situation of the complicated and blurred product categories of Bei Chen,suggestion about focus strategy by Bei Chen’s operation stages is put forward in this paper.At the survival stage,Bei Chen should focus its segment market on“rigid needs” of English training;At the development stage,Bei Chen should add the category of overseas study English training(IELTS/TOEFL)with a full consideration of market demand and its own strength;At the growth stage,Bei Chen should add a new category,practical English for adults,to meet the specific demand of adult students based on the lifelong learning concept.Meanwhile,more suggestions about products highlights(listening/speaking English and writing English)are offered in this paper for Bei Chen to emphasize each category on its training services.In this way,Bei Chen can build up a complete product chain focusing on the “rigid demand” for English training of all age groups from primary school to adult students.Fourthly,4C marketing strategies specially for Bei Chen’s survival stage are discussed in this paper based on the O2 O marketing theory and the marketing theory of 4Cs,of which the target customers of Bei Chen are re-defined,the methods of saving marketing costs online and offline for Bei Chen are discussed,steps of offering more convenient services for customers and communicating with customers more effectively and efficiently are analyzed.Then,suggestions for Bei Chen to implement those marketing strategies are given from three aspects(organizational resources,support of cooperation culture and management of executive force)with a rational consideration of the possible toughest barrier for Bei Chen to implement those marketing strategies.Finally,space for further study is summarized in this paper,and an outlook for further research,especially for how to practice those marketing strategies better in the future is contributed herein.