Utilizing the brand ecosystem framework in designing branding strategies for higher education

Abstract

Purpose -In today's complex and highly competitive marketplace, universities and colleges, realizing a need to develop sustainable strategies, have turned to branding as a solution. However, because of their unique service characteristics, universities' branding attempts may not always result in success. The aim of this paper is to present a brand ecosystem framework in order to develop branding strategies for colleges and universities. Design/methodology/approach -The key elements of the framework include: student experiences as the driving force of the university branding strategies, academic services as the core value creation activities in delivering student learning experiences that are co-created with students and faculty, and supporting activities that are important in creating the core value. Findings -The framework suggests that both core and supporting value-creating activities are dynamically inter-related and work jointly in creating student learning experiences, and ultimately, a strong university brand. Originality/value -The paper presents the crucial elements and the relationships among them for building successful brands in higher education.

The painters behind the profile: the rise and functioning of communication departments in universities

“…This responsibility may be quite challenging due to the complexity relating to the internal organization and characteristics of universities, and the fragmented environment surrounding these organizations (Pinar et al 2011;Sands and Smith 2000).…”

The Role of Content Strategy in Social Media on Brand Post’s Popularity: A Case of Higher Education Institutions in Turkey

“…As a result of increasing competition in national and international environments and changing social contexts, higher education institutions are now driven by the need to market themselves (Alexa et al, 2012;Hemsley-Brown & Oplatka, 2006). In today's complex and highly competitive marketplace, brand management has become increasingly important (Pinar et al, 2011). Thus, higher education institutions recognize the need to embrace a sustainable brand strategy (Pinar et al, 2011) and have turned to branding in order to deal with today's global challenges (Whisman, 2009).…”

“…In today's complex and highly competitive marketplace, brand management has become increasingly important (Pinar et al, 2011). Thus, higher education institutions recognize the need to embrace a sustainable brand strategy (Pinar et al, 2011) and have turned to branding in order to deal with today's global challenges (Whisman, 2009). The importance of branding is acknowledged by higher education institutions in Turkey too, since they also operate in a highly competitive environment.…”

Evaluation of Tarbiat Modares University brand based on University Brand Ecosystem Model

“…We have considered brand of this university in order to providing a basis for analyzing student satisfaction, creating value for its brand and providing an efficient model for managing it. For this purpose we use University Brand Ecosystem Model presented by Pinar et al (2011).Design/methodology/approach -For collecting data a questionnaire was designed consisting of 63 questions which measure student satisfaction, academic activities, supporting activities, and the effect of external factors on brand of Tarbiyat Modares University. Factor analysis shows 5 questions are inappropriate therefore we removed them.…”