Topic > Positioning Strategy: Our Differential Value Proposition: Focused Differentiation and Customer Intimacy, describes our positioning strategy. For Thunderbird in Africa, our target audience is prospective students and experienced professionals from Nigeria and other neighboring African countries, who seek superior management business education to further advance their careers. Furthermore, customer segmentation will be defined by the model outlined in the implementation plan (see Annex I). This will help us segment our ideal target audience based on MBA, MS, and executive programs. The prerequisites for registration are: Minimum educational qualification: 10+2+4 =16 years; Previous experience: 5-6 years (executive education), 2-3 years (full-time MBA), 0 years (MA/MS); GMAT / GPA: 600-800 / 3:00 - 4:00. TIA will establish rigorous admissions guidelines that will ensure exclusivity and establish a quality standard that symbolizes excellence in higher management education. The initial phase of the marketing plan will focus on a niche target audience: future African entrepreneurs and executives of different companies. Thunderbird will partner with multinationals in Africa to reach the target audience defined above. This symbiotic relationship between TIA and multinationals will establish an affiliation for Thunderbird in the African business community, create an aura of exclusivity and lay the foundation of a strong Thunderbird Alumni network. We will use Global Consumer Culture Positioning (GCCP) to communicate our differential value proposition. The key benefit from our differential value proposition is Thunderbird global brand awareness in an untapped African market and the ability to access a select community of global operators...... middle of paper..... .nd Pricing poses crucial challenges to our business model. Pricing: We have established our pricing model based on premium pricing. This in itself presents a challenge as there are cheaper substitutes available on the market. Our marketing approach will need to clearly highlight the core competencies and long-term benefits associated with the premium paid, as the price difference between us and the next best alternative is significant enough to attract students. People: While our value proposition is customer intimacy that helps us connect with people on an emotional level, our niche and small market will pose a challenge in spreading positive word of mouth to a larger customer base. For this reason, training and leveraging our proven faculty/administrative staff across cultural differences in Nigeria will be a key component in driving customer acquisition.