Investigating Corporate Brand Values in Higher Education: An Abstract

Increasingly universities are viewed as “businesses” and “brands” operating in a competitive global marketplace where differentiation plays a key role in attracting students and funding. Consequently, universities and other educational institutions across the globe are looking for ways in which to distinguish themselves. from the. Corporate branding can alleviate universities from a complex set of multifaceted features, which include, amongst others, accreditation, tuition fees, positions in league tables and status in the global marketplace and reinforce an institution’s unique selling point to multiple stakeholders, such as students, academics and funders. Thus, a strong corporate brand can support, for example, charging higher tuition fees, recruiting leading academics and attracting students from underrepresented groups. Nevertheless, higher education [HE], unlike the private sector, has typically less resources to implement branding strategies and has a tendency to be internally focused, unsure what is important for their brand and stakeholders.