Branding for university – When it comes to appealing the student, the university with a well respectable brand has tremendous benefits. But it takes more than just a catchy slogan and logo to stand out from the crowd. University must market them as never before. Costs also rise sharply and business courses boom, students and their families ever more ingenious in the search for the value of money. With more than 300 institutions in the United Kingdom are competing for half a million students and great risks.
In the rapidly changing market, branding for the university is much more than just a logo. But what does this mean for students and the role of university brand in general?
These questions form the basis of the guardian roundtable recently, in collaboration with a brand consultant. The roundtable participants were unanimous of the fundamental values for the universities including the future employability, academic integrity; perhaps above all, the value of the student experience. However, the customer is not only for students but their parents too. One delegate spoke for all: “In the difficult economic situation, parent open day by asking more questions and more nimble than the applicants while sitting with their head down.
The roundtable agreed that a successful brand doubles the public depends on several important paths: the student certificate positively; synergy between branding and marketing. Get academics on the side with linking success in the market for academic freedom. Although it involves academics like herding cats and it can be done. Without a consensus at the university, branding or re-branding can be ineffective.
However, academics do not like to think of students as customers. They had refused to think of themselves as part of the brand business. As explained by one of the participants, the learning process and interactive way that did not buy a commercial product. Academic freedom, however, has often pointed associated success in one delegate market, but get this message can be difficult to cross into academics. Some shareholders to round table have a story about the university administration or the club, which has a point blank refusal to accept the slogan of change, or the crests. It may be attached to health care and projects for the university brand identity associated with the legacy of success, although the senior management of the university wants to change it. There is no place for this sub-brand, a sports club with the old badge, the colleges with tying their own but each university does not require central vision to determine the internal and others, and the participants were told. That’s all about branding for the university.
