EduFocal is a Jamaican company started by Gordon Swaby in March 2012.Swaby had the idea about the product in 2010, and after conducting research on the educational sector and its needs, he was able to make the company a reality two years later.According to the company's website, it is "...an online social learning community. The company is focused on using technology to enrich the learning experience outside of the classroom as well as to help ideate and innovate the way we move forward with technology in education."(EduFocal Limited, 2021)

EduFocal serves students who are preparing for PEP and CSEC examinations.They offer both a full-time online day school and evening extra lessons.Using daily interactive classes, a live homework centre, and additional features such as a learning lab, PEP library, timed practice tests and quizzes, as well as video tutorials, the company has become Jamaica's leading online learning and exam preparation platform for the target audiences of students in Grades 4 to 6 as well as those preparing for the CSEC examinations. EduFocal contracts qualified educators to prepare questions in the entire range of subject areas in the PEP curriculum as well as many in CSEC.While PEP is unique to Jamaica, the CSEC examinations are done in several other Caribbean countries such as Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. The company provides parents with regular report cards that help them keep tabs on their children's progress.(EduFocal Limited, 2021)

The company mantra of "Making Learning FUN!" is realized by their use of role-playing games (RPG).Many of their students are already familiar with RPG when playing video games.EduFocal uses a similar approach in having students 'level up' as they continue to answer questions.Students receive points that allow them to unlock rewards. They find the presentation style fun and are therefore engaged in the learning process.The EduFocal website quotes Swaby as saying, it is an "...intuitive product that isn't only cool and fun to use but also boosts students' comprehension and retention skills. EduFocal's mission is to become the premiere social learning platform in the Caribbean".(EduFocal Limited, 2021)

The company's mission involves connecting students with teachers and they also connect them with other students. Students who reach a certain level in their skills can become mentors of other students.In January 2021, the company signed a deal with Jamaica's Ministry of

Education, Youth, and Information (MOEYI) that will see EduFocal in partnership with Supreme Ventures Limited providing 5,000 students with free access to their online platform.This is to assist the government in its response to the ongoing pandemic that has forced schools to close or significantly reduce their face-to-face student interaction.(Jamaica Observer, 2021) While the company tries to ensure that its fees are affordable to the average middle-class family, it is still normally out of reach for many of Jamaica's lower middle class and working poor.Many of those children are the very ones who most need the educational support offered by the company as they are often placed in schools that have fewer resources than those attended by the children of more wealthy parents.Mr. Swaby is very concerned about this issue and has been trying to find a way to meet the needs of students whose parents may be struggling financially.

The agreement with the Supreme Ventures and the MOEYI will give access to many students whose parents would not normally be able to afford EduFocal's services.It will also allow the company to reach additional persons who may decide to sign up as paying customers after the agreement for free access comes to an end. EduFocal and their clients are affected by the technological issues that challenge the rest of the education sector including unreliable internet connections, frequent power outages in some communities, and the inability of some students to afford the devices that are suitable for the learning platform.

Swaby and his small team of five employees are always seeking new ways to reach their target audience and expand the business, especially in the rural areas of Jamaica and other Caribbean territories where the brand is not yet well known.Even though the company is already the market leader in Jamaica, they are still thinking of how best to develop their brand as some new companies are already making their presence felt in the market.

Mr. Swaby has hired you as a Marketing Consultant to help them in this effort.

Question 1 [60 marks]

a.Identify and describe the core, actual and augmented levels of the product EduFocal provides.[6 marks]

b.Outline a brief SWOT analysis of EduFocal.Student should identify and explain six items overall with at least one in each quadrant.[12 marks]

c.Given the SWOT analysis you did in the section above, outline two (2) marketing mix strategies you would recommend to Mr. Swaby as a way forward for the company in this ongoing pandemic? [10 marks]

d.Explain the management philosophy/concept being used by EduFocal.Justify your

choice with facts from the case.