Developing a Scale to Measure University Brand Heritage: An Abstract

Reductions in government funding for higher education in the United States and the UK have increased interest in the marketing of institutions of higher education. Empirical research on the branding of these institutions, however, is still emerging, with scant research on university heritage and its impact on student choice. This inquiry examines the construct of university brand heritage. Study 1 explores the various dimensions and manifestations of university brand heritage. Study 2 utilizes exploratory factor analysis to reduce the items generated, while study 3 employs confirmatory factor analysis to assess the dimensionality. Finally, study 4 experimentally manipulates university heritage, and provides a preliminarily exploration of its consequences among a student sample. The findings are built on research in branding by examining the unique context of institutions of higher education, and provide practical guidelines for how and when to develop promotional materials that extol a university’s heritage.