From First Encounter to Future Expectations: How Brand Touchpoints Shape Student Brand Evangelism Through Institutional Reputation

Intensifying competition in private higher education necessitates understanding how student experiences translate into brand outcomes. While prior studies focused on isolated interactions, limited research has examined how multi-stage brand touchpoints collectively shape student brand evangelism and its underlying mechanisms. Addressing this gap, this study examines how pre-admission, during-course, and student-perceived post-graduation touchpoints influence brand evangelism via institutional reputation. Data from 375 Indonesian private higher education institutions' students were analysed using PLS-SEM. Findings show all three touchpoints significantly influence evangelism, with pre-admission touchpoints having the strongest direct effect. Perceived post-graduation touchpoints contribute most to institutional reputation, which positively influences evangelism and mediates cumulative student experiences. The study extends customer-brand relationship theory by showing that relationship formation begins before enrolment, introducing a student lifecycle-based model, and positioning reputation as a key mechanism transforming experiential value into advocacy. Practically, private universities should strategically orchestrate coherent touchpoints to build reputational capital and foster student-driven advocacy in competitive emerging markets.