Strategic Planning Process

Stacey Rainey

Over the next several months, Middlebury Interactive will be undergoing a comprehensive strategic planning process.  Currently Jay, Jamie, Chad and I are researching the market size, historical and projected growth, competitive landscape, trends/policy implications and other relevant factors as we seek to make the most informed decisions possible about our future focus areas and growth plan.

I talked a bit about this at both All Company Meetings and had fantastic small group discussions during which employees from a cross section of our company put forth new ideas for consideration.  There is a great deal of research suggesting that the best ideas a company comes up with are generated from within, from the teams talking to customers, creating products and running operations.  This means you! I want to hear about the things you wish we could do for our customers, the products you think present a great market opportunity or that would give us a competitive edge.

Here is a sampling of ideas raised during the small group discussions.  All will be considered in the strategic planning process, so let’s aim to push the envelope a bit and go well beyond this list on each call.

K-12

·         Expand elementary with more courses (lower grades)

·         Refresh existing elementary courses

·         Add more games - mainly directed at the mini games within courses a la the old Aventa puzzles, bingo etc

o    Specific comment that these should be created by game designers, not teachers.

·         Offer PD for existing language teachers who aren’t truly fluent or need improvement (continuing ed credits)

·         Certificate program for K12 teachers

·         Dual credit programs in HS

·         Language courses for non-native English speakers - for Chinese kids learning English

·         Content in language (math, science in Spanish)

o    Some suggestion that we'd have to partner with a textbook publisher on this

o    Primary market in elementary, esp private schools.  Could have double use as ramp in for ELL course

o    Louisiana - large grant for french immersion program funded by fed/state/french gov't?

·         Programs for heritage speakers with gaps in grammar, formal/informal, slang, spelling, poor writing

o    How to level this?

o    Need for adaptive course that students test out of areas of strength and into areas of weakness.

o    Primary need is currently in Spanish, kids who would be bored (and disruptive in Spanish 1, but could not pass the AP test)

  

Higher Ed

·         Use Fluency in HE

o    Do this with introductory courses so schools can reduce number of adjuncts and yet not force senior faculty to teach intro levels

o    Also a market at the higher levels, where e.g. Latin 4 will never run, yet an online course with lower enrollment might make it possible

·         Pursue Community College Market (especially with the lesser taught languages?)

Consumer

·         Travel & Business - launch & promote

·         More apps for sale

·         Direct to consumer for all courses

·         Portuguese in Gale series with Olympics coming up, lots of internal Portuguese speakers

Corp Training

·         Trade specific courses – Spanish for Nursing, Criminal Justice, Latin for science, biology, law

·         Use teachers for them (lang club model)

·         Approach large benefit providers with both Gale courses, but also language club option

Summer Academies

·         Offer language clubs as post MMLA offering

Earlier today I sent out invitations to four calls taking place over the next 10 days.  Each brainstorming call will last 60 minutes and focus on a particular market 1) K-12, 2) Higher Ed, 3) Summer Academies 4) Consumer and 5) Government.  The intent is to gather ideas for future company expansion, growth or product enhancement from all quarters of Middlebury Interactive.  We will offer guiding questions to facilitate the conversation, but hope to spend most of the call listening to ideas and suggestions raised by folks across the company.  The calls will be constructive and focused on the future.

Participation is voluntary, but it is highly encouraged that you pick at least one to join.  I liken this to voting – exercise your right to have input by dialing in J

·         K-12 – Friday, January 25th from 12:30 – 1:30 ET

·         Summer Academies – Friday, January 25th from 2:30-3:30 ET

·         Higher Ed – Monday, January 28th from 11-12 ET

·         Consumer – Thursday, January 31st from 2-3 ET

All calls will use my dial in 1 888 824 5783 part code 47847479#.

Come with your ideas, the bigger and bolder the better.  No preparation necessary, just looking for your wisdom as it relates to our business.

Many thanks.  I look forward to talking with each of you.

Stacey