Chris Chapleo

What defines ‘successful’ university brands?

Purpose – Branding in universities has become an increasingly topical issue among practitioners, with some institutions committing substantial financial resources to branding activities. Although it is receiving increased academic investigation, to date this has been limited. The particular characteristics of the sector present challenges for those seeking to build brands and it therefore seems timely and appropriate to investigate the common properties of those universities perceived as having successful brands; this paper aims to do that.Design/methodology/approach – The study employs qualitative research techniques in an exploratory study, examining the institutions perceived to be “successful” in terms of brand management, and seeking to explore any commonalities of approach or circumstance.Findings – The findings and conclusions identify issues surrounding university branding activity. It was found that even among those brands considered “successful”, challenges such as lack of internal brand engagem...

Stakeholder analysis in higher education

The issue of stakeholder identification and management is relatively well understood in the literature for private sector organisations (Christopher et al 2002, Rutterford et al 2006), and its importance is increasing across all developed countries (Maassen 2000, Wit and Verhoeven 2000, Peters 1996, Kettle 2002). However, whilst stakeholder theory has been advanced in commercial arenas (Donaldson and Preston 1995), there is less research in the public and non‐profit areas (Bryson 2004), particularly with regard to universities. Stakeholder identification and management are important disciplines in terms of effective management (Mitchell et al 1997) ‘making decisions’ and planning strategy (Bryson 2004), identifying problems to be solved (Freeman 1984), and ultimately knowing who may exert their influence over the organisation (Mitchell et al 1997). Identifying and understanding the stakeholders of relevance to an organisation, and their influence or interest, is therefore of key importance to managers and policy‐makers. The aim of this paper is to investigate this gap in the literature, namely specific understanding of stakeholders and the nature of stakeholder management for universities. In this context the study focuses on the identification and prioritisation of stakeholders for a UK university, a process that may be ‘key to the success of public sector organisations’ (Bryson 2004). Whilst stakeholder identification and classification is a familiar concept, its application to the particular context of a UK university is less explored, and this paper aims to drive more effective university stakeholder management through ‘improving management, creating public value and advancing the common good’ (Bryson 2004). The paper employs a case study approach that focuses on the University of Portsmouth, a large, modern UK university.

Brands in Higher Education

Abstract This study explores the challenges of university branding and the qualities that make university branding different from commercial branding in terms of cultural issues, branding concepts and frameworks, and brands architecture. The literature about branding in the university sector is described and viewed in the context of exploratory interviews with 55 university managers. The results present the differences between university and commercial brandings as well as culture, brand concepts, and brand architecture. The study was conducted in U.K. universities, but similar issues in many other countries mean that the results are comparable internationally. Overall, the findings presented in this research offer a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complexities of higher education branding.

Brand 'infrastructure' in nonprofit organizations: Challenges to successful brand building?

The particular purpose of this study was to examine and explore the factors necessary within nonprofit organizations (NPOs) for successful branding, and challenges in their implementation. The approach was an appropriate inductive qualitative one, conducted through depth interviews with opinion formers. Although there has been some research into the variables necessary to successfully build brands, only limited work considers anything other than commercial branding contexts. The originality is that through this work both theory and practice of branding in NPOs will be better informed so that structures to support branding can be better managed. Factors considered important to branding were identified, particularly leadership, employee understanding and clear vision. It was interesting that respondents generally agreed that limited marketing budgets were not necessarily a major problem. The research also identified variables that contribute to a conceptual model of nonprofit brand management, experiential and emotional branding in particular being notable as offering possible platforms for differentiation. The work is exploratory in nature and therefore informs understanding of brand management in a nonprofit context and forms a basis for wider empirical testing.

The role of internal branding in nonprofit brand management: an empirical investigation

Internal branding refers to an organization’s attempts to persuade its staff to buy-in to the organization’s brand value and transform it into a reality. Drawing from self-determination theory and leadership theory, we seek to develop a deeper understanding of the process of internal branding in the nonprofit sector. More specifically, we propose and examine the mediating effects of the staff’s emotional brand attachment, staff service involvement, and the moderating effect of charismatic leadership on the brand orientation behavior–organizational performance relationship using data obtained from the representatives of 301 nonprofit organizations in the United Kingdom. On a general level, the findings suggest that staff emotional brand attachment and staff service involvement are linked to brand orientation and organizational performance. Moreover, charismatic leadership increases the strength of this linkage. All of these findings extend the literature on internal branding.

Challenges in delivering brand promise – focusing on municipal healthcare organisations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how healthcare professionals understand a new organisational brand and examine the ideas discussed in relation to it within healthcare organisations. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on a discursive approach that facilitates understanding how the informants perceived a new organisation brand and how that might shape their activities in the enterprise. Findings – The study identified four distinct interpretative repertoires: the organisational brand as an economic solution, the magic wand, the factory and a servant to the customer. The new brand was understood in terms of economic and business-like functions marked by external branding and its signs (logos, etc.). The brand is not communicated to patients or colleagues and the factory metaphor is applied to work practices. Hence, several potential dilemmas arise concerning the brand promise, customer expectations, economic and efficiency gains and the professional values of employees....

An exploration of the effect of servicescape on student institution choice in UK universities

In recent years there has been increased discussion of the subjective, emotional and sociological factors influencing student choice of university. However, there is a dearth of information exploring what constitutes these feelings. This exploratory paper uses the conceptual model of the servicescape to provide insight into the emotional factors driving student choice. In-depth interviews with prospective students revealed that first impressions really do count. Students are deterred by poor physical environments and excited by enthusiastic staff and students. Most significantly, the study revealed the necessity of a restorative servicescape to provide both a sense of escape and feeling of belonging. This paper contributes to broadening the application of the servicescape model and to a greater understanding of the impact of the environment on prospective students, and creates an opportunity to inform policy by providing university marketing decision makers with a better understanding of what constitutes the university environment and what makes it appealing to prospective students.

Contemporary thought in higher education marketing

The global increase in the demand for higher education, an escalation in student consumerism and an increased focus on the ‘end product’ in a revenue-generating market has led to a shift in the HE landscape and a corresponding marketization of the way universities operate. With increased global competition, universities are searching for a unique definition of what they offer in order to differentiate themselves and attract students (Chapleo, 2007; HemsleyBrown & Goonawardana, 2007). An incremental shift in funding from government to graduates has changed university debates on learning, teaching and issues of ‘the student experience’, as students continue to develop a strong voice within the sector. These fundamental changes have underpinned a rapid evolution in the nature of management of higher education and have forced universities to adopt many commercial practices and implement them in what are increasingly quasi-commercial organizations (Becher & Trowler, 2001). This marketization of HE is, however, often contentious and for some challenges the very essence of what HE is for. Simply adopting the principles and approaches of the market may be theoretically and practically uncomfortable, and refined bespoke approaches are frequently called for. Some argue that sector specific marketing understanding has struggled to keep pace with the rapid change in the sector. Indeed, taking an overall view of the submissions in this special edition it may be argued that ‘traditional’ marketing theory and approaches no longer have sufficient capacity to explain the behavior and decisions of students in particular, and that models to help provide a holistic offering that meets evolving needs are lacking. Clearly, the issues and challenges of twenty-first century HE are significant. Universities operate in an increasingly uncertain environment, with macro forces moving with increasing speed, complexity and risk. The interactions between changes in academic identity, teaching and the curriculum; and secondly, on student identities and their impact on teaching and assessment, and their consequent learning outcomes, underpin fundamental challenges on the HE sector. Universities also continue to face increasing cost pressure across all areas of activity and investment is needed if they are to continue delivering the same standard of education. The debates around marketing of HE are therefore timely and significant. Discussions around many issues including branding, corporate communication, identity, the student voice and reputation take place at the most senior levels in universities across Europe and globally. There is a need for identification and evaluation of latest theory and best practice. This issue of Journal of Marketing for Higher Education therefore focuses on ‘Contemporary Thought in Higher Education Marketing’ and comprises papers that explore issues of current and future relevance in this ever-changing sector. The papers in this special edition span a number of issues that are at the heart of all that is contemporary in higher education marketing. The core themes that emerge at a macro level are brand (inevitably linked with reputation and image), application of models that allow greater understanding or new marketing approaches, aspects of consumer behavior in the HE context, and discursive thought that challenges the reader to evaluate perceptions or assumptions around the marketization of HE. Within this, it is pleasing to see the application

Higher Education Brands and Data

Branding in higher education is highly topical; in recent years there has been a trend among most U.K. universities to seek to employ the techniques of branding, often expending considerable sums in the process. Whilst branding activity in U.K. higher education is arguably as relevant as in the commercial world (Roper & Davies, 2007), it is a sector that does not suit a simplistic application of commercial approaches without some understanding of the particular qualities of the higher education “market.”

What is the Secret of Successful University Brands

This paper examines branding and how the concept adds value to organizations beyond the usual focus of consumer product marketing. In particular, the focus of exploring branding conceptualizations associated with successful higher education brands in a UK context makes a contribution to a little researched but increasingly topical area. The UK focus was chosen for this initial stage with a view to later comparison with other markets such as the United States where branding of universities has a longer track record. The literature was examined and the concept of ‘successful’ brands explored. The research approach involved generating constructs to determine what underpins a successful university brand, and subsequently testing these among a larger sample of UK university ‘customers.’ Findings explore the variables that underpin successful university brands and significant relationships among these variables. Ultimately, the paper offers initial conclusions on what underpins a successful university brand and proposes variables associated with such brands.