Higher Education Branding as a “Sea of Sameness” Demands Actions by Institutional Leadership and Management

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 69

Session Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

Brand building is becoming a deliberate goal for higher education (HE), although the sector lacks comprehensive theoretical models of HE branding. The development of a set of clear principles may not be easy given the complexity of HE institutions. This symposium presents empirical and theoretical perspectives that incorporate different viewpoints. In particular, the symposium objectives are: 1. Exploring conceptual and practical intersections of market and customer orientation, national/global competition in university branding, and organizational identity. 2. Identifying and elaborating theories and models relevant for exploring such intersections. 3. Presenting a range of methodological approaches—from content analysis to semiotic and visual methods, to critical discourse analysis—which lend themselves to exploring marketization, branding, and competition in higher education.

Sub Unit

• Division J - Postsecondary Education / Division J - Section 3: Organization, Management, and Leadership

Chairs

• Antigoni Papadimitriou, Johns Hopkins University

• Christopher C. Morphew, Johns Hopkins University

Papers

• Strategic Planning, Institutional Identity, and Branding in Public Comprehensive Universities - Jay R. Dee, University of Massachusetts Boston

• Extending the Theory of Academic Capitalism to Students: University Marketing of Pathways to Industry - Jarrett B. Warshaw, Florida Atlantic University

• Social Identities and Marketing: Relationship Building and Alumni Engagement in Higher Education - Noah Daniel Drezner, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Peripheral Centers: Are Education Hubs (Re)Shaping the Global Higher Education Market? The Example of Qatar - Leon Cremonini