The Interface between the Brand of Higher Education and the Influencing Factors

Abstract

The world is changing faster than ever before. Continuous changes are also affecting the higher education sector. The number of programs on offer is growing, attraction strategies are changing, and the branding and positioning of higher education institutions are gaining significance. The growing influence of social networks on personal choice cannot be ignored. Of the world’s population, 57% uses social networks and spends an average of 2.5 h a day on them. The most popular social network, Facebook, has up to 2.9 billion active users every month. Therefore, the questions arise as to which factors influence one or another consumer choice, how social networks contribute to brand awareness, and what impact brand has on the higher education sector. After systematic and comparative analysis of concepts published in the scientific literature, the analysis of brand, brand promotion concepts, and factors that increase brand awareness is performed. This study seeks to determine whether and to what extent individual factors influencing student motivation and social networking influence the distinctiveness of a higher education institution brand and how factors influencing student motivation and social networking affect the distinctiveness of higher education institutions’ brands in general. The results of this study can help higher education institutions to develop their own plans, strategies, and good practices. Research methods: systematic and comparative analysis of concepts and methods published in the scientific literature, mathematical and statistical methods, statistical processing, and expert survey.