University Challenge: Stand Out from the Crowd
A senior executive within the Higher Education system recently stated that ‘running a university is now more complex than running an FTSE 100 company.’ A fair call given the scale of resources to be managed. But if universities are now being run like businesses, why aren’t they yet branding like one?
With the introduction of tuition fees and the ‘lifting of the cap’ on student numbers, universities are in an environment of intense competition to attract the brightest students and staff. On top of this, due to the rich talent and larger fees that can be charged, international students are being increasingly targeted.
The growing competition between universities means that students are no longer just short-term pupils, they are potentially life-long customers with an ever-growing number of choices, and they are increasingly aware of their value. Now more than ever it is crucial for universities to develop a strong brand to differentiate themselves from the competition.
Few universities can boast an academic reputation so compelling that additional marketing to attract talent isn’t required. To stand out from the crowd universities need to develop distinctive and outwardly engaging identities which identify them as an attractive option to the student segments they are targeting. Crucial to this is a deep understanding of student needs and clarity on the type of experience you want your students and staff to enjoy.
A unique identity must build on fact if it is to operate with integrity. The development of a unique proposition should therefore start with an examination of the distinctive and differentiating assets at the university’s disposal and include both the tangible and intangible.
What is unique about the location and characteristics of the city the university is part of? Do certain buildings have architectural merit and the campus something special about it? Are there historical characters or academics who have helped develop the university’s culture and academic approach? Are there alumni whose achievements help define the university’s reputation? Are there disciplines in which the university excels, or ones which enjoy valuable relationships with corporate partners? Is the teaching approach distinctive? Is the university pioneering innovative ways of working, international alliances or a unique approach to pastoral care?
The skill in developing a compelling proposition is to distil down such interrelated elements of uniqueness to create a simple, compelling and easy to understand proposition. Every decision, every investment, every hire can be guided by this understanding, until its consistency in execution over time brings the proposition to life.
Once decided upon, it will be important to consider the role the physical environment plays in communicating the university brand. Both the inside and outside of buildings are powerful communicators and therefore provide a substantial opportunity to emphasise and embed the brand message. forward thinking inc have developed a programme which measures how effectively a given physical environment communicates a brand, capturing how strongly the values an organisation wishes to portray are felt and understood by respondents. The objective is to deliver a unique experience for those within a building. Key to this will be exhibiting the right ‘brand behaviours,’ as with companies, a university’s people have a very real impact on brand perceptions and so all staff must be on brief. This synergy will then work to deliver an experience with your unique flavour. People talk and buildings talk. Do you know what they are saying?