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The purpose of this study is to examine how potential customers (students) of tertiary educational institutions perceive the co-branding of such institutions with hotels. This study is an attempt to provide useful insights into the variables that influence evaluation of brand alliances in service sectors, and to discuss implications for institutional and hotel reputation building. Quantitative data were collected from students of post-secondary colleges in Hong Kong by using self-administered questionnaires. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of the six alliances between tertiary educational institution brands and hotel brands. The findings suggest that consumer pre-attitudes toward brand partners and perceived brand fit are positively related to consumer evaluations of the brand alliance. In addition, brand familiarity is found to be important in moderating the relationship between perceived brand fit and consumer evaluations of the brand alliance. This study gives an additional empirical research into brand alliances in service sectors. Future research could also consider evaluating brand alliances from the perspectives of hotel customers. Marketers must carefully consider consumer perceptions of fit and the importance of brand familiarity when seeking allied partners. This study breaks from the ranks of strategic management studies of alliances focusing on the views of managers, to examine brand alliances from the customer perspective. Moreover, it has bridged the gaps between various management and marketing disciplines, showing the applicability of product branding concepts to service branding and institutional reputation building contexts.

Higher education has in the recent decade become in itself a major business. In some economies, it is an important contributor to the gross national product. This fact is true in the case of Australia. This paper discusses the commercialisation of Australian higher education in Asia and how Australian government policy has contributed to this internationalisation. In addition to addressing the policy consequences, it also examines issues surrounding the content, curricula and teaching in the programmes that are exported. Whilst the internationalisation of higher education may have led to the presence of an enterprising culture in the exporting institutions, the higher ideals of education need to be balanced.