Higher education and innovation in the non-profit sector

Abstract

The present study draws the attention to the still persistent problem of application of strategic marketing, targeted marketing communications, in the nonprofit sector, primarily to non-governmental, non-profit organizations, with its focus on the specifics of the present times. Marketing communications represent a set of tools for commercial and non-commercial communication with the market the common goal of which is to support the company’s marketing strategy in conjunction with the need to inform and influence consumers as effectively as possible. However, it is necessary for the non-profit entities to become fully aware that without professional marketing experts, they cannot achieve their victories in an increasingly concurrent struggle. Here, the role of higher education plays an essential role then, with an important aspect being the increasing permeability between the general (academic) and vocational training that helps universities reach new target groups and thus better meet the labor market expectations and demands. A part of the contribution is, based on the results of research surveys on the one hand with non-governmental, nonprofit organizations in continuity with the reflection of the perception of students of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, also the presentation of one of the options for the development of innovation activities in marketing and marketing communications in continuity with the creative approach of the students of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at Tomas Bata University in Zlin. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.