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Reflections on a rebrand: From a campus divided to a unified university
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
4
(3),
239-250
(2019)
Abstract
Strategic brand management has never been more important in higher education than it is today. Branding is, however, particularly challenging in the context of a typical university campus. Limited budgets, relatively low understanding and appreciation for marketing and the prevalence of disparate sub-brands, all create a difficult environment in which to establish centralised branding processes and strong institutional brands. This paper provides reflections on a university rebrand that moved a university from being a divided campus to a unified one. The paper addresses the story of this rebrand, processes followed and impactful outcomes achieved as a result. The paper concludes with lessons learned and implications that may benefit other higher education marketers in the future.
Keywords: brand management; brand identity; brand personality; positioning; sub-brand
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Betsy Bugg Holloway serves as Vice President for Marketing and Communication and is also Professor of Marketing for Samford University. She has responsibility for marketing and branding initiatives across the university’s operations. Betsy previously served as the Dwight Moody Beeson Chair of Business and Hackney Family Research Fellow in Samford’s Brock School of Business. Her research interests include services marketing, consumer behaviour and reputation management, and she serves on the editorial review boards of two academic journals, Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice and Services Marketing Quarterly. Prior to her academic career, Betsy held several positions in international marketing, and was most recently the Director of International Business Development for a global pharmaceutical firm.
Laine Williams serves as Creative Director at Samford University. In this role, she manages a creative team and is responsible for the management of Samford’s brand standards, a wide array of creative projects and university publications and oversight of photographic services and university licensing and trademarks. Laine earned her BA in journalism and mass communication from Samford University, an MSE in educational leadership from Samford’s Orlean Beeson School of Education and her EdD in higher education administration from the University of Alabama. She has served in various roles in higher education marketing and communication over the past 12 years.
