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Review
. 2023 Jun 3;9(6):e16825.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16825. eCollection 2023 Jun.

University brand: A systematic literature review

Xiao Yaping  1 , Nguyen Thi Thu Huong  2 , Nguyen Hoang Nam  3 , Phan Dinh Quyet  4 , Cao Tuan Khanh  5 , Dao Thi Ha Anh  6
Affiliations
Review

University brand: A systematic literature review

Xiao Yaping et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Despite its significant role, brand management is an oft-overlooked and challenging aspect in the development of academic institutions, especially in higher education context. Based on a systematic review of journal articles from various sources including ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight and SpringerLink during the 2000-2021 period, the authors of this paper seek to identify, evaluate, and analyze university brand. After careful consideration of academic publications based on their relevance for the research objectives, 43 articles have been included in this comprehensive and integrative review. Special attention is paid to the theories underlying brand management, brand positioning, brand identity of a higher education institution, marketing strategies, as well as implications for management, students, and staff. Moreover, some valuable lessons which a university can learn from a company in marketing are identified. Thereby, the competitive advantages of a university would be firmly enhanced. It is our hope that this paper will explore a new path for further research and provide another perspective for administrators, authors and practitioners in the area of university brand.

Keywords: Brand management; Brand positioning; Higher education marketing; University brand; University identification.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Number of articles used by journal.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Evolution of the number of reviewed articles over time.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Countries studied in university brand.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
University brand influence.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    1. Fazli-Salehi R., Esfidani M.R., Torres I.M., et al. Antecedents of students' identification with university brands: a study on public universities in Iran. Asia Pac. J. Mark. Logist. 2019;31(4):830–854.
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    1. Balaji M., Roy S.K., Sadeque S. Antecedents and consequences of university brand identification. J. Bus. Res. 2016;69(8):3023–3032.
    1. Eldegwy A., Elsharnouby T.H., Kortam W. How sociable is your university brand? An empirical investigation of university social augmenters' brand equity. Int. J. Educ. Manag. 2018;32(5):912–930.

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