Selling college: a longitudinal study of American college football bowl game public service announcements

Abstract

Using ideological analysis as a frame, researchers analyzed institutionally created commercials (PSAs) that appeared in 28 U.S. college football bowl games over a seven-year period (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009) to better understand the universities' brands as represented in these advertisements. They found many common elements such as showing traditional architectural elements (e.g., clock towers, grounds), highlighting areas of institutional excellence (e.g. rankings), and connecting attendance to the achievement of grandiose goals (e.g., "changing the world"). In spite of these similarities, there were also areas of difference (e.g., unique topographies, alumni) to differentiate institutions from one another. In addition, even though consistency is a hallmark of successful brands, some institutions shifted their narratives from year to year. Future research should explore the effects of these differences on the development of the brand, the role these advertisements play in the larger marketing campaigns, and if these spots contribute to students' expectations of the institutions.

What's for Sale at Canadian Universities? A Mixed‐Methods Analysis of Promotional Strategies

“…Combined, these symbols communicated to outsiders that these were ‘serious’ academic institutions. Again, this is a finding consistent with the existing American higher education marketing literature (Harris, ; Tobolowsky and Lowery, ), where academic rigour has been found to be a commonly touted institutional characteristic.…”

“…Research also finds that academic rigour is touted through the announcement of prestigious academic awards, grants and fellowships acquired by institutional members (Harris, ; Pizarro Milian and Davidson, ), as well as espoused through mission statements which cite institutional ambitions to conduct world‐class research (James and Huisman, ; Kuenssberg, ; Creamer and Ghoston, ; Giusepponi and Tavoletti, ). Rigour is often complemented within promotional materials with what Tobolowsky and Lowery () term as notions of a ‘rich’ life, consisting of a more holistic and enriching experience—including athletics and other social activities (also see Hite and Yearwood, ; Clayton et al ., ; Davidson, ). The overarching story that emerges from the literature is that higher education organisations market themselves by promising a ‘complete’ experience, rather than simple labour market success.…”

“…First, the images and words contained in promotional materials ‘play a substantial role in shaping how students think about the college experience’ (Hartley and Morphew, , p. 673). These perceptions are consequential, serving as a ‘promise of a specific experience’ which, if unfulfilled, can lead to resentment among students and a discontinuation of their studies (Moore, , p. 58; Tobolowsky and Lowery, ). Second, promotional tactics provide useful insight into the ‘survival’ strategies enacted by Canadian universities.…”

Revenue generation capacity of college football programs during the 2008 global financial crisis

“…However, the BLR results indicated that FMA had no statistical effects on donations, highlighting the negative effects of the 2008 global financial crisis, especially for younger college football programmes that have not yet developed a large pool of alumni to count on for donations. Second are the discussions relating to FMA and brand revenues which were positively associated (0.256, p < 0.01)validating previous studies that attest to how college football brands may be enhanced and built through winning traditions (Harris, 2009;Tripathi, 2015;Tobolowsky and Lowery, 2014). The BLR results indicated that FMA had a positive statistical effect on branding, indicating the benefits of longevity that come as a result of being well known.…”

Legitimacy at the ‘Margins’: Promotional Strategies in the Canadian For-Profit College Sector

“…PSE organizations have also been found to showcase orthodox physical features. Tobolowsky and Lowery (2014), for example, found that university commercials typically "showed expansive, beautifully manicured, and lush campus grounds, which provided the lure of curb appeal" (p. 85). As Saichaie and Morphew (2014) argue, the degree of consistency in depictions of physical facilities displayed across promotional materials is a "testament to the institutionalized notion of what prestigious colleges and universities look like" (p. 525).…”