Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/63913
eting Its ark by Tricia Bisoux To differentiate themselves from an ever-growing crowd of competitors, business schools need more than great academics —they need an edge. Many schools are exploring niche programs that may give them special claims to fame, and often, an advantage in the marketplace. educational specialties a specialty in itself, offering a variety of niche programs, called "centers," which range from arts admin- istration to supply chain management. "Brand-name MBA pro- grams are dominating the business school industry right now," says Policano. "In this environment, if you don't have a special- ized strategy, you don't have much at all." Marketing appeals based on educational cornerstones such as A sk former dean and finance professor Andrew Policano what keeps University of Wisconsin– Madison School of Business thriving, and he has a ready answer: It finds the right niche and fills it. For the last 30 years, UW–Madison has made creating stellar academics and state-of-the-art facilities simply don't pack the promotional punch they once did, now that a chorus of busi- ness schools is making the same claims to fame. Faced with a bar- rage of choices, many students are asking, "That's great, but what else have you got?" Rick Hesel, a higher education marketing consultant with Arts and Sciences Group in Baltimore, Maryland, agrees. "The management education field has witnessed a proliferation of institutions offering business degrees, from the local adult edu- cation provider to the Harvards of the world," he says. "The competition is keener and the need for differentiation all the more significant." Occupying a niche may, in fact, prove to be almost as pow- erful a lure as a brand-name reputation. Business schools are quickly learning that if they can't beat the competition at its own game, they still can prosper simply by finding a different game to play. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2001 45