A second engagement with a trusted partner
ALX, a leading technology and professional training provider under the African Leadership Group and a long-standing partner of Derz, sought to launch a new learning program for younger learners in Ethiopia.
To inform the design and positioning of the offering, ALX needed to understand how prospective university students, parents, and other stakeholders perceive higher education and alternative learning pathways. The goal was to identify the audiences most likely to engage with the program and uncover the key motivations, expectations, and concerns that would shape its adoption.
Three complementary research methods
We outlined three main approaches to address ALX's questions:
- Trend analysis: Understanding macro, micro, and sector-specific trends in Ethiopian higher education, including the increasing prevalence of digital courses and programs
- User and customer research: Interviews and card-sorting exercises with school administrators, students, and parents to capture hopes, wishes, and concerns about ALX's offering and how it resonates
- Price mapping: Benchmarking ALX's proposed market entry price against comparable offerings in Addis Ababa
The project concluded by defining user profiles, outlining customer personas, and reviewing how marketing messages resonate with target groups. Comprehensive recommendations included insights on positioning, approach, and the additional support required to ensure the program's content thrives in the local context.
The findings directly informed ALX's go-to-market strategy for the Pathways product in Ethiopia.