Babson Case Number: 051-C99 | Length: x Pages

Abstract

A college admissions advisory service, started by two Babson College graduates, wrestles with critical marketing decisions on how to boost their company's name/brand recognition. The two young entrepreneurs sell advice and counseling services to parents, high schools and to corporations who offer the services of College Coach as a benefit to their employees. The company provides services such as: determining the appropriate mix of target colleges, advice on how to maximize financial aid, practice interviews etc.

The company has grown recently and a decision must be made whether to acquire more building space or pump money into advertising and promotion. Also, the company must decide if it should continue to pursue all three market segments-- parents, high schools, and corporations. The two-year-old company's early success has been noticed by college test prep centers such as Kaplan and Princeton Review. A buyout is possible, which makes the marketing decision all the more important since tens of millions of dollars may be at stake.