Business schools are much more than programmes and teaching. They are hubs of innovation and are often thriving communities. They provide talent, research, leadership development – the list goes on. This is why they can be the perfect match for corporate partnerships.
Business school collaborations with corporations can lead to amazing opportunities on both sides. They can lead to internships, research projects, executive training, funding, and much more. Indeed, there are many ways in which business schools can market their strengths in a way that attracts these partnerships, and some are outlined below.
Firstly, it is vital to clearly define what you can actually offer a company if they were to become a partner. Before reaching out to companies, know what your most valuable assets are. These could be future talent in the form of graduates, faculty expertise and research, executive education and training, events and alumni networks, and of course your school’s reputation and brand.
Rather than presenting these as separate pieces, you can even bundle them into partnership options. A company might collaborate on research, recruit students, and sponsor events at the same time. This makes the value of working with your school easier to understand.
It’s also important to match your message to real business needs. Most companies are looking to hire strong employees, develop leaders, keep up with digital change, gain market insights, or strengthen their brand and social impact.
Your outreach should connect directly to these priorities. A tech firm might care about data skills and innovation projects, while a retail brand may be more interested in leadership training and consumer research. Be specific about what you can do and how it helps.
A great way to entice corporate partners is by focusing on how your school could help companies succeed. For example, faculty research could help potential corporate partners understand markets and the business landscape.
Students also bring new ideas and hold great potential to be future employees – they’re a pool of new talent that could ensure companies thrive in the future. Partnerships between higher education institutions and employers play a critical role in addressing rising workforce demand, and these collaborations can provide businesses with a dependable pipeline of talent.
Events held between business schools and corporate partners can also help companies build networks and visibility. A prominent partnership between a well-known business school and a company can give valuable exposure to both parties within new influential circles.
Using real examples makes your message more convincing. Rankings and statistics are useful, but stories show real impact. So, share examples of student projects that have been particularly successful, or research from your faculty that has helped shaped a business decision.
You can also share stories about how leadership programmes have resulted in managers advancing their careers, or how alumni who built successful companies with your school’s support have gone on to achieve great things. These stories show that your school creates results beyond the classroom, and highlights how your business school can be a thriving network of opportunity for a corporate partner.
Aside from what you can offer on a practical perspective, it’s incredibly important to make it easy for companies to work with you, and to want to build long-term relationships with your school.
Even interested partners may hesitate if they’re not sure how to get started. A clear partnerships webpage, an easy, single point of contact, and simple explanations of available collaboration options can make the whole process as smooth as possible.
It’s true that the strongest partnerships grow over time, and it’s ok to start small. A company might start by hiring students, then move into executive education, and later collaborate on research. By presenting your school as a long-term partner rather than a one-time service provider, you position yourself as part of the company’s ongoing success.
In the end, marketing your business school to corporate partners isn’t about listing features. It’s about clearly showing how you help businesses achieve their goals. When you connect your strengths to real needs, share meaningful examples, and make collaboration easy, you create partnerships that last.
When schools communicate their value in simple, practical ways, they don’t just attract partners, they become essential to how companies develop talent, ideas, and leadership for the future.
For more information on how PR can support attracting corporate partners, get in touch today.
Olivia is experienced in delivering targeted media visibility for her clients through her relationships with key journalists and editors, from important dedicated trade press such as Global Education Times, BusinessBecause, HR Director and Finance Monthly to major international media like The Financial Times, VICE and Forbes. This helps her to consistently understand trends in the media agenda and effectively capitalise on them for her clients.