University Branding and Measuring Brand Equity: Conceptual Framework and Empirical Studies

In highly competitive marketplace, branding and brand management have become increasingly important as organizations seek competitive advantage. As colleges and universities have faced an increased competition, university administrators have realized that relying only on external marketing and branding efforts are not sufficient strategies for building strong university brands and brand equity. Based on review of literature, this paper presents a summary of a brand ecosystem as conceptual and the results of empirical studies that utilize CBBE and brand ecosystem framework to understand university branding and measuring university brand equity. The results of the empirical studies indicate that universities are complex systems of various sub-brands that require brand management by considering all relevant dimensions in a holistic perspective in a brand ecosystem framework with their direct and indirect relationships in creating a strong university brand and brand equity. These findings offer important insights that could have strategic implications for developing successful university branding strategies.