From Community Voice to Marketing Strategy: The Feeder-School Ecosystem as Basis for a Consumer-Centered Marketing Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65166/mt4em434Keywords:
consumer behavior, feeder schools, Facebook discourse, higher education marketing, thematic content analysis, school choice drivers, Laguna, Philippines, brand trust, community resonance, university marketing strategyAbstract
Competition among higher-education institutions in Laguna, Philippines has intensified, increasing the strategic importance of understanding how families and students define educational value in digitally mediated environments. This study examined how feeder-school social-media discourse reflects emotional and cognitive drivers of higher-education choice and how these insights can be translated into university marketing strategy. Guided by consumer-behavior theory and social-media engagement literature, the study used qualitative thematic content analysis of publicly accessible Facebook posts and comment threads from five highly active feeder schools during Academic Year 2024–2025. Schools were selected purposively from a broader feeder network using a Pareto-informed criterion focusing on sustained page activity and visible community engagement. The analysis yielded five integrative themes: Community Belonging and Safety, Creativity and Cultural Expression, Academic Excellence and Collaboration, Leadership and Civic Responsibility, and Integrity and Partnership. Across schools, discourse emphasized relational trust and safety, identity and self-expression, visible achievement and teamwork, youth agency and civic service, and credibility anchored in professional recognition and partnerships. These recurring value signals suggest that feeder-school communities function as cultural ecosystems that shape the evaluative lens families apply when assessing universities. Building on the thematic synthesis, the study proposed a Consumer-Centered Marketing Framework (CCMF) that maps feeder-school values (source meanings) into consumer triggers and corresponding marketing design responses, culminating in outcomes such as strengthened trust, resonance, and recruitment performance. The framework offers actionable guidance for private universities seeking more community-aligned, evidence-aware, and authentic digital positioning.
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