Educational marketing requires systemic approach, says specialist

Marketing specialist Thales Sedenho suggests that student recruitment in the education sector must be treated as a comprehensive system rather than isolated advertising campaigns. As competition for enrollments increases, institutions must monitor the entire student journey—from initial contact to contract signing—to identify where potential interest is lost.

Data from the Inep School Census shows that Brazilian basic education ended 2025 with 46 million enrollments, a decrease from the previous year. This decline highlights the need for institutions to focus on both attraction and student retention. Sedenho notes that when the market shrinks, increasing media budgets is insufficient; instead, schools must analyze whether issues lie in web pages, customer service, campus visits, or the final closing process.

An effective strategy should encompass demand generation, attraction, conversion, service, visits, negotiation, and enrollment. Sedenho emphasizes that administrative and commercial teams must be integrated into the strategy to ensure efficient contact follow-up and process management.