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Branding a state university: doing it right

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  • Ruby Roy Dholakia
  • Linda A. Acciardo

Abstract

Shrinking financial support from governments and forecast declines in the college-going population have combined to exert tremendous pressure on institutions of higher learning. Branding as a strategy has become more popular as a way of differentiating an institution from its competition, but the complexity of higher education makes branding an even more difficult task than in traditional, commercial contexts. This paper describes the process adopted by a particular state university in the USA to navigate the branding terrain. Armed with research evidence, the university defined a brand position and implemented it through creative executions that resonated with diverse stakeholders. The paper suggests that the branding process, by taking several factors into account, generated a successful branding campaign measured in terms of receptivity to communication messages, but still does not answer the difficult questions about the role of branding in higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Ruby Roy Dholakia & Linda A. Acciardo, 2014. "Branding a state university: doing it right," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 144-163, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jmkthe:v:24:y:2014:i:1:p:144-163
    DOI: 10.1080/08841241.2014.916775
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Irene C. L. Ng & Jeannie Forbes, 2009. "Education as Service: The Understanding of University Experience Through the Service Logic," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 38-64, May.
    2. Vásquez, Consuelo & Sergi, Viviane & Cordelier, Benoit, 2013. "From being branded to doing branding: Studying representation practices from a communication-centered approach," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 135-146.
    3. Brandi A. Watkins & William J. Gonzenbach, 2013. "Assessing university brand personality through logos: an analysis of the use of academics and athletics in university branding," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 15-33, June.
    4. Michael J. Clayton & Kevin V. Cavanagh & Matt Hettche, 2012. "Institutional branding: a content analysis of public service announcements from American universities," Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(2), pages 182-205, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wilson, Elizabeth J. & Elliot, Esi A., 2016. "Brand meaning in higher education: Leaving the shallows via deep metaphors," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 3058-3068.
    2. Dennis, Charles & Papagiannidis, Savvas & Alamanos, Eleftherios & Bourlakis, Michael, 2016. "The role of brand attachment strength in higher education," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 3049-3057.

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