Marketing and interdependence of schools

Based on an analysis of the promotional and informational activities of different types of schools in a single municipality in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, as well as the perceptions of their managers, the aim was to identify the presence, or absence, of a competitive teaching environment resulting from the tension between supply and demand for educational services. Observing the dynamics of communication management and school relations, we analyzed the proximity or distance of this educational network from the universal trend of commodification of education, guided by the choice of school by parents and students, the selection of the most valuable suppliers in the market, and the search for the most advantageous students for schools. The approach to the logic of management action and the marketing strategies of schools, particularly in terms of promotional activities, actors involved, and resources allocated, allowed for a better understanding of the phenomenon of school marketing in this particular context.