Why Marketing and Brand Positioning Matter in Higher Education
Approximately 98 percent of colleges and universities appear similar to students and employers, which is problematic in today’s educational climate. These institutions need help with declining enrollments, increased discounting, and negative financial trends.
The core issue is more than merely planning; while some universities manage it adequately, most struggle with garnering support from key stakeholders and faculty. This lack of buy-in often leads to resistance to change. Additionally, institutions frequently fail in three key areas:
- Differentiation: Institutions offer the same programs and courses as their competitors.
- Measurement: Using correct metrics, such as focusing solely on student enrollment numbers without considering student satisfaction or post-graduation employment rates, can lead to focusing on the right objectives and potentially damaging the institution’s reputation.
- Execution: Resistance emerges when change is implemented without involving those affected or without proper change management structures in place. By emphasizing the importance of involving all stakeholders in the change process, you can make them feel valued and integral to the success of the marketing and brand positioning efforts. Marketing and brand positioning address a critical question: What makes our institution uniquely appealing to our customers compared to our competitors in the market? This could relate to why students enroll, why employers hire our graduates, or what attracts donations and grants. By stressing the unique appeal of your institution, you can instill a sense of pride and confidence in your audience about your institution’s offerings.
Effective brand positioning starts with strategic market research to understand how your brand is currently perceived. It involves defining what your institution stands for and highlighting the benefits it offers to its community.
A strong brand position, when effectively implemented, can be aspirational, realistic, and reflective of your institution’s goals. This strategic marketing plan can enhance brand awareness and reputation, increase student applications and enrollment, boost fundraising efforts, and secure more grants and appropriations from foundations and government entities. These potential benefits should inspire optimism about the future of your institution.
The core issue is more than merely planning; while some universities manage it adequately, most struggle with garnering support from key stakeholders and faculty. This lack of buy-in often leads to resistance to change. Additionally, institutions frequently fail in three key areas:
Advantages of Effective Marketing and Brand Positioning in Higher Education
Effective marketing and brand positioning can significantly benefit a higher education institution by:
- Boosting the number of student applications and enrollments, effectively filling the enrollment pipeline.
- Enhancing fundraising efforts and increasing bequests from alums and other potential donors.
- Attracting top-tier faculty and staff due to the institution's outstanding reputation.
- Securing substantial grants and government funding for both existing and notable new programs.
- Earning "free" publicity in higher education publications, positioning your institution and its faculty as leading field experts.
- Achieving higher rankings in prestigious lists such as U.S. News & World Report and other important educational rankings in desired categories.
Indicators That Your Brand Positioning Requires Enhancement
Several signs suggest that a higher education institution’s marketing and brand positioning strategies may need to catch up. Often, these issues stem from longstanding practices that were either overlooked or deemed too costly to address through marketing research—though it need not be expensive if appropriately conducted. These warning signs indicate that your institution is not operating optimally, potentially jeopardizing its financial stability.
Signs Your Brand Positioning Needs Refinement
- Enrollment Applications: There has been a noticeable decline in student applications, particularly from the specific demographic you aim to attract.
- Yield Rate: There needs to be more consistency between the expectations set by your promotional materials and the experience of your campus, as reported by prospective students and donors.
- Fundraising: Your development team needs help to secure funds for new programs and initiatives.
- Fuzzy Perceptions: Asking ten faculty and staff members to define your institution's brand yields ten different answers, sometimes none.
- Inconsistent Messaging: Different schools or colleges within your institution use varied logos, or your website features inconsistent colors and fonts.
- Features vs. Benefits: Your communications focus more on institutional features than clearly outlining the benefits to prospective students and donors, leaving them to figure out, 'What is in it for me? '
Best Practices for Marketing and Brand Positioning in Higher Education
To effectively fill enrollment pipelines and create value for students, alums, and donors, higher education institutions should adhere to several marketing and brand positioning best practices:
Brand Positioning Best Practices:
- External Market Research: Conduct thorough external market research to gain a deep understanding of your current brand positioning, including associations, strengths, and weaknesses as perceived by your key audiences.
- Brand Positioning Statement: Develop a simple and memorable brand positioning statement. This concise sentence should clearly describe what your institution represents and why it matters to your target audiences.
- Core Messaging: Expand on your positioning statement with core messaging that details your institution's unique features and benefits. It would typically help to have tailored core messages for each significant audience.
- Visual Identity: Establish a "visual identity" that consistently represents your institution's brand. This generally includes a main logo, a structured logo system for sub-brands, a primary and secondary color palette, and designated fonts.
- Brand Implementation Plan: Formulate a clear brand implementation plan outlining the creative strategy, execution, and marketing tactics to communicate your brand positioning effectively to your key audiences.
- Follow-Up Research: Conduct follow-up research 1-2 years after launching a branding campaign to verify that your brand positioning accurately conveys the intended message and to make adjustments if necessary.
Client Benefits and Achievements with Accreditation Expert Consulting
Our unique processes and methodologies have significantly boosted enrollment and fundraising for numerous colleges and universities through enhanced brand positioning. We have supported institutions in several key areas:
Brand Positioning Best Practices:
- Market Research and Brand Messaging: We conducted market research and developed brand positioning and core messaging that enhanced enrollment and advancement communications, leading to increased engagement.
- Brand Architecture and Visual Identity: We created a comprehensive brand architecture framework and visual identity, including logos, color palettes, and fonts. This ensured a consistent and professional appearance across all institutional communications.
- Strategic Marketing Implementation: We formulated and executed a strategic marketing plan that introduced the brand positioning to key audiences such as prospective students, parents, alums, and donors. This approach significantly boosted enrollments and donations.
- Website and Marketing Material Audit: After auditing an institution's website and marketing materials to pinpoint areas for better brand communication, the implemented enhancements led to marked increases in enrollment and donations.
Discover more examples in our client case studies
Marketing and Brand Positioning FAQs:
Why is strong branding and positioning important for higher education institutions?
Strong branding and positioning are crucial because they help tell your institution’s story in a genuine, consistent, and aspirational manner. This approach provides a unified language and visual imagery across your institution. It ensures consistency across all platforms, clarifying your identity and the value you offer to prospective students and other stakeholders.
What is the difference between branding and positioning?
Although often used interchangeably, branding and positioning are distinct concepts. Positioning involves differentiating your institution in the minds of your target audience—students, parents, faculty, employers, etc.—to stand out from other choices in the market. Branding, on the other hand, involves using specific elements like logos, taglines, and slogans to communicate that unique position and evoke the expected experience of your institution.
What services are typically provided in a brand positioning project?
A typical brand positioning project for our clients might include conducting market research, creating a positioning statement, designing critical messages tailored to different audiences, establishing a visual identity, and developing a marketing implementation plan. The specific deliverables can vary based on the institution’s needs.
How crucial is market research in effective brand positioning?
Market research is vital for robust brand positioning. It helps understand whether the perceptions of your institution’s leaders align with those of external audiences, whose views ultimately drive business results.
Is market research expensive?
Market research can be simple and inexpensive. Depending on your institution’s budget, timing, and objectives, it can range from simple stakeholder interviews to extensive surveys across broad audiences. For instance, a small-scale market research project could involve conducting interviews with a few key stakeholders, which can be relatively affordable. On the other hand, a large-scale project that includes surveys across a wide range of audiences might require a larger budget. However, effective market research can often be conducted relatively cheaply, providing crucial insights for understanding your brand’s positioning.
Does brand positioning involve creating a new logo?
Developing a new visual identity, including a main logo, sub-logos, and color palettes, is often part of a brand positioning project. However, some clients may focus on refining their brand messaging while maintaining their visual identity.
How long does a brand positioning project take?
A typical brand positioning project takes at least eight weeks to complete. However, a comprehensive strategic branding project that begins with market research and culminates in an implementation plan could take 12 to 18 months. The implementation phase is usually the most time-intensive part of the process, but it’s worth the effort for the long-term benefits it brings to your institution’s brand.
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