SIT predicts $3m from campaign

The Southern Institute of Technology forecasts that the $50,000 spent on promotions in India will earn a return of almost $3 million in course fees.

After an official information request, it has been revealed that SIT's promotional trip to India in April with cricketer John Wright cost $52,886.

Mr Wright was accompanied to India by SIT international marketing director Ken McDonald.

The figure includes travel, accommodation, meals, venue hire and advertising costs.

SIT declined to reveal if or what Mr Wright was paid as a fee for his services, citing privacy reasons.

It was also revealed that the polytechnic had a target of 180 equivalent fulltime students (efts) from India in 2010.

SIT international department manager Bharat Guha said overseas students paid course fees of $14,000 to $19,000.

A rough guide to SIT's projected income from Indian students this year can be calculated by multiplying 180 students by an average course fee of $16,500. This amounts to $2,970,000.

Mr Guha said this was a fair forecast based on the figures, although he noted that many of the Indian students enrolled in an 18-month course, meaning the figure would relate to an 18-month period.

The projected income meant that the $52,000 spent on promotional costs in India was well worth it, Mr Guha said.

The Indian and Chinese markets were the main focus for SIT's international department, he said.

SIT was in the news earlier this year for offering free English tuition, for up to six months, to Chinese students if they signed on for further studies.

Mr Guha said two Chinese students had already arrived for the English @ Zero Fees scheme and 20 more had been approv-ed.

He said the biggest challenge to marketing the scheme in China was that it seemed too good to be true.

SIT might look to extend the English @ Zero Fees scheme into Vietnam next year if it went well in China this year, Mr Guha said.

Joseph Aldridge is an SIT journalism student

- © Fairfax NZ News

Newest First

Oldest First