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Indonesian Journal of Education Research (IJoER)

Open Access Journal

Navigating Competition: Evaluating the Strategic Marketing Initiatives of Private Schools in Davao City, Philippines

Florelyne S Villamor ORCID
Davao del Norte State College ROR
Philippines
villamorflorelynes@gmail.com
Marilou D Junsay ORCID
Davao del Norte State College ROR
Philippines
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  • Purpose of the study: This study evaluated the perceived effectiveness of strategic marketing initiatives used by private schools to support student recruitment, retention, educational service quality, and institutional sustainability. The evaluation was anchored in Porter’s Generic Competitive Strategies and an educational evaluation perspective that treats stakeholder evidence as a basis for judging the usefulness and contribution of institutional practices.

    Methodology: The study employed a qualitative evaluative single-case design. Six school personnel directly involved in marketing, admissions, or administration were purposively selected from two private schools in each of the three districts of Davao City. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, expert validation, and pilot testing of the interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to identify strategic practices and evaluate their perceived effectiveness, drawing on evidence from stakeholder responses, enrollment support, service quality, institutional reputation, and sustainability.

    Main Findings: The findings indicate that cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategies were perceived as effective when they responded directly to learner and parent needs. Affordability measures supported access and enrollment; program specialization and reported academic outcomes strengthened perceived institutional distinctiveness; and targeted outreach improved the relevance of school communication. Community engagement emerged as the most influential relational dimension because participants associated teacher involvement, alumni and student feedback, and community outreach with trust, word-of-mouth promotion, reputation, and sustained interest in the school. However, the evidence reflects perceived effectiveness rather than objectively measured causal effects on enrollment or educational outcomes.

    Novelty/Originality of this study: The study reframes school marketing as an evaluative concern within educational management. It extends Porter’s competitive framework by linking strategic positioning to educational quality, stakeholder responsiveness, and institutional sustainability, thereby providing a localized evidence base for private basic education in Davao City.

  • How to cite

    [1]
    F. S. Villamor and M. D. Junsay, “Navigating Competition: Evaluating the Strategic Marketing Initiatives of Private Schools in Davao City, Philippines”, Ind. Jou. Edu. Rsc, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 562–571, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.37251/ijoer.v7i4.2920.

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