Higher education as object for corporate and nation branding: between equality and flagships

Abstract

Branding has become an important issue within higher education. The use of core value statements and visions are expressions of this. To be a successful brand, organisations must also make sure they are different from others. However, in both the scholarly discourse and in political rhetoric, the Nordic model highlights equal access to education and opportunities for all. Values such as egalitarianism and diversity may be difficult to fit into a frame of reference where excellence is at the centre. Historically higher education has also been an important part of nation branding initiatives. This paper asks how different branding perspectives (corporate branding and nation branding) are matched and harmonised with respect to higher education in two Nordic countries. The study shows that there is a lack of harmonisation between nation branding and corporate branding, and that the discourse on excellence is not conducive to differentiation at the organisational level.

Evidence of hybrid institutional logics in the US public research university

“…To cite by way of example the issue of university marketing, we see the relevance of our findings to experiences of both Nordic and Australian universities. There, recent research has shown how the confluence of different value systems has brought about conflict and compromise (Onsman, 2008;Sataøen, 2015).…”

Branding Higher Education: The Case of Malaysian Higher Education Promotion on The Internet

“…Moreover, promoting national higher education has recently become a very important part of nation branding for many countries. As claimed by Sataøen (2015), "different higher learning institutions become part of nation branding practices as they are used to promote the country for foreign students, employees and other stakeholders". Nation branding is widely referred to as a very complex and controversial concept, which sometimes has a negative aspect to it, being criticised for overemphasising the importance of commercialisation and marketing practices (Dinnie, 2015).…”

“…According to Dinnie, sectors such as tourism, investment or education could be the main focus of nation branding initiatives. Education is indeed considered by many authors as an important part of nation branding (Sataøen, 2015;Gade, 2014). With globalisation forcing the higher education sector to transform and become more competitive, reputation and branding in higher education start to play a vital role.…”

Nation branding for education and research: Could Greece become a beacon?

“…However, it seems that it can be used on other sectors, in this case on the education and research, where the research is limited. Sataøen (2015) argues that countries which have adopted the Nordic model, which highlights equal access to education and opportunities for all, can be quite attractive since it creates the nation branding of a country which it is a country which fosters and supports free education. In addition to this, Sataøen (2015) refers to how different branding perspectives (corporate branding and nation branding) are matched and harmonized with respect to higher education in two Nordic countries, while universities are competing each other so to attract more funds, better personnel and more students from abroad.…”

“…A recent paper (Sataøen, 2015) refers to the fact that branding has become an important issue within higher education but also among other educational institutes, such as research centers. The same rule applies for nations which seek not only to excel on education but also to attract a high volume of students, researchers and other academic staff, so as to improve the academic quality of their institutions but also to attract students who will pay fees and contribute on the local economy (Drori et al, 2013).…”