Branding In Higher Education Research Articles

Positioning university as a brand: distinctions between the brand promise of Russell Group, 1994 Group, University Alliance, and Million+ universities

Branding is now widely used by higher education (HE) institutions, yet questions still surround the transference of private sector concepts to a university context. This article reports on findings from studies that investigated the brand promises of four UK universities – one from each of the HE ‘mission groups’. The evidence indicated that, contrary to existing published presumptions, there is considerable potential for the application of branding in HE, but in differing and nuanced ways. Clear branding themes emerged across the cases such as environment, experiences, aspiration, and global positioning. While these enabled the universities to position their brands with distinction, the overriding method used across the cases – and the key point of differentiation – proved to be the presence of a core brand promise.

Leadership and branding in business schools: a Bourdieusian analysis

This paper explores the growth of corporate branding in higher education (HE) and its use by academic and professional managers as a mechanism for not only enhancing institutional reputation but also for facilitating internal culture change. It uses Bourdieu's framework of field, capital and habitus to analyse case studies of branding in two English business schools from the perspectives of academics, management and professional staff and students. The findings reveal a number of tensions and inconsistencies between the experiences of these groups that highlight the contested nature of branding in HE. In an era of rankings, metrics and student fees, it is suggested that branding has become an important means through which HE leaders and managers (re)negotiate the perceived value of different forms of capital and their relative positions within the field. Whilst branding operates at a largely ideological level it has a material effect on the allocation of power and resources within institutions. This is an important development in a sector that has typically privileged scientific capital and contributes towards an understanding of the ways in which leadership is ‘distributed’ within universities.

Swayed by the logo and name: does university branding work?

Over the last decade, many universities attempted to improve their public image by changing their corporate visual identity (CVI) and/or name. Despite the prevalence of such practices, little research has been conducted into their effectiveness. The research reported here focused upon one facet of the higher education branding debate, that of the effectiveness of CVI in influencing observers' perceptions of a university and, by association, its lecturers. A secondary question concerned the name. Photographs of two lecturers (M/F) were placed into controlled digital simulations of a university foyer featuring systematically varied CVI and name. Using a range of measures and a large-sample Internet survey of n = 888, we found that CVI and name affected respondents' perceptions of university lecturers. However, the enhancement was exclusively upon perceptions of the male lecturer, and strongly favored traditional, heraldic CVI, with a secondary naming effect.

The communication of global citizenship through Public Service Announcements: a US study

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) provide a rare opportunity for American universities to brand their university to a diverse audience of viewers. Research on branding has been in the corporate world for decades, but there is still work to be done with regard to branding higher education in order to fully conceptualize the factors of significance in determining a strong institutional brand. This paper looks to address the issues of branding in higher education by exploring the themes present in PSAs aired by American universities. In study one, researchers examined current PSAs employed by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision schools of varying academic rank to evaluate the differences in messaging approaches. In study two, the researchers conducted a framework analysis to generate an understanding of what role international themes play in PSAs of ‘high-ranking’ institutions. This study shows the emergence of a ‘global citizenship’ theme in communications originating from higher ranked institutions in the USA.

Universities as Brands

This paper is about how to go about to improve educational professionalism, and to test the validity of branding theories in the educational domain for its possible adoption or adaptation to the requirements of universities. Being brands are the hallmarks of the highest performing universities around the world. One of the indications of success of a brand is the good reputation of an institution. The idea of branding in higher education is closely connected to the value of distinctiveness. In times of financial austerity, universities are being encouraged to create more distinct brand identities and stand out from the crowd. To most universities it is not yet clear how to be able to stand out in a marketplace where all competitors offer the same basic service, i.e. teaching and research. Basically a brand is the vehicle which enables a university to achieve its most important strategic goals through being memorable, authentic, and clear about what it has to offer to the people that are considered its stakeholders.

What is the Secret of Successful University Brands?

This paper examines branding and how the concept adds value to organizations beyond the usual focus of consumer product marketing. In particular, the focus of exploring branding conceptualizations associated with successful higher education brands in a UK context makes a contribution to a little researched but increasingly topical area. The UK focus was chosen for this initial stage with a view to later comparison with other markets such as the United States where branding of universities has a longer track record. The literature was examined and the concept of ‘successful’ brands explored. The research approach involved generating constructs to determine what underpins a successful university brand, and subsequently testing these among a larger sample of UK university ‘customers.’ Findings explore the variables that underpin successful university brands and significant relationships among these variables. Ultimately, the paper offers initial conclusions on what underpins a successful university brand and proposes variables associated with such brands.

Do UK universities communicate their brands effectively through their websites?

This paper attempts to explore the effectiveness of UK universities' websites. The area of branding in higher education has received increasing academic investigation, but little work has researched how universities demonstrate their brand promises through their websites. The quest to differentiate through branding can be challenging in the university context, however. It is argued that those institutions that have a strong distinctive image will be in a better position to face a changing future. Employing a multistage methodology, the web pages of 20 UK universities were investigated by using a combination of content and multivariable analysis. Results indicated ‘traditional values’ such as teaching and research were often well communicated in terms of online brand but ‘emotional values’ like social responsibility and the universities' environments were less consistently communicated, despite their increased topicality. It is therefore suggested that emotional values may offer a basis for possible future online differentiation.

Issues and Perspectives Related to Mobile Brand Marketing in Thai Private Higher Education

Research on m-Branding in higher education appears to be in its infancy, as little empirical research has been conducted specifically targeting branding in higher education. University branding strategy, technology issues, and stakeholder branding issues are discussed which forms the model that underpins that qualitative inquiry of six private university managers involved in university marketing practices. The definition of m-Branding was adopted and fine-tuned in this paper to mean the delivery of electronic brand media, support materials and messages to mobile devices perceived as relevant to stakeholder/student segments. In this paper, the implications for branding developments through mobile technologies are discussed; and concludes with a discussion of the future of m-Branding reflecting a useful managerial tool that requires a more integrated approach in the Thai higher education system that results from a combination of technology, software, staff development and consequent student engagement.

Compulsory Higher Education Teacher Training in Sweden: Development of a national standards framework based on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Today visible proofs of excellence in teaching and learning are increasingly important aspects of institutional branding in higher education (HE). Teaching competence is brought forward as a central aspect of the quality of programmes. Still, the induction of new university teachers is managed in many different ways. Approaches may vary according to how teaching competence is perceived; as growing from practice only, requiring formal courses or, for instance, outlined in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) movement. In Sweden, the HE Ordinance from 2002 states that to get permanent positions, lecturers should have completed Compulsory HE Teacher Training (CHETT). The size and organisation of the courses were not regulated in the Ordinance and institutional practices varied. In a three‐year project intended learning outcomes for CHETT was suggested. These outcomes are based on SoTL and linked to an estimated work‐load of 10 weeks. Based on a national survey in 2006, institutional responses to t...

Do Universities Have “Successful” Brands?

Branding in universities is a topical issue, but arguably few UK universities have fully developed “successful” brands in the manner of commercial organizations. This qualitative paper explores the opinions of 40 opinion formers on which UK universities have successful brands and the associations these brands have. Current literature on what constitutes a successful brand and current branding theory and practice in higher education is examined to give context to the work. Findings identify comparatively few institutions with “successful” brands, but those that are suggested are considered for attributes, and limited commonality is found; areas such as marketing communications, reputation, location, and public relations are all argued to be contributory to successful brands. Perhaps moreimportantly, this research identifies certain institutions worthy of closer qualitative investigation toward generating a model of successful branding in higher education.

Interpretation and Implementation of Reputation/Brand Management by UK University Leaders

Reputation and brand management are topical issues in UK higher education but previous research has often focused on marketing practitioners within higher education (HE) institutions rather than the senior strategic leaders. This paper, however, examines university chief executives'understanding, attitudes, and interpretation of reputation and brand management. Current literature on defining reputation and brand, research on branding in higher education, and the role of leaders in brand management, are examined to give context to the work. Research was conducted through interviews with vice-chancellors, principals, and rectors from a selection of 14 universities representing three different “generations” (the 1992 universities, those formed in the mid-20th century, and older institutions). While the work is exploratory in nature it does highlight this as a rapidly evolving area of perceived importance and discusses conclusions on some of the external and internal issues related to reputation and brand management in this sector.