Performing brand identity: situating branding in discursive-ideological landscapes

Branding devices in place: Neoliberal academic event posters in a Hong Kong university

“…The article also adds to the existing critical research on HEI branding discourses, most of which focused on changing ideologies and practices about education (e.g. Mafofo and Banda, 2014;Ng, 2014Ng, , 2018Zhang and O'Halloran, 2013), by drawing more attention to research and knowledge transfer activities which are becoming increasingly central to the neoliberalization of HEIs globally.…”

“…While the marketization of European HEIs has been mainly driven by state initiatives that emphasize economic growth and competition, the process in the U.S. has often been led by NGOs and the private sector based on an ideological orientation of HE to human capital development and economic competitiveness prior to forces from the state (Slaughter and Cantwell, 2012). Heavily dependent on the West-dominated global capitalist economy, the Singaporean government has efficiently internalized and exercised neoliberal governmentality for the city-state’s socio-economic development with which local HEIs has been intertwined (Ng, 2018). The consequent rapid deregulation and corporatization of Singaporean HEIs for international competition reflects ‘the relatively early instrumentalization of HE by a paternalist-interventionist state as part of a process of fostering industrial and capitalist modernity’ (Ng, 2018: 152–153).…”

“…Heavily dependent on the West-dominated global capitalist economy, the Singaporean government has efficiently internalized and exercised neoliberal governmentality for the city-state’s socio-economic development with which local HEIs has been intertwined (Ng, 2018). The consequent rapid deregulation and corporatization of Singaporean HEIs for international competition reflects ‘the relatively early instrumentalization of HE by a paternalist-interventionist state as part of a process of fostering industrial and capitalist modernity’ (Ng, 2018: 152–153).…”

“You are your only limit”: Appropriations and valorizations of affect in university branding

“…One of the most immediate effects was the universities’ closer alignment with market‐oriented modes of organizational and competitive behaviour. Among other things, this led to a more concerted emphasis on marketing, an increased reflexivity and shifts in the linguistic and visual design of the organizations’ multimodal communication artefacts, and an intensification of marketing and branding that revolved around building brand image and relationships with stakeholders and customers (Bhalla, ; Hooi & Chang, ; Ng, ).…”

“…Such work involves harnessing and managing affect towards producing support and goodwill for, and even ownership of, the brand. While marketers can try to strategically initiate and manage brand formation, brands are co‐created products in as far as brand‐building involves stimulating and appropriating stakeholder investments of meaning and affect into the brand (Fournier, ; Holt, ; Ng, ).…”