Exploring the Brand Promise in a University Context 
Furey, S., Parsons, C. and Springer, P. 
Abstract submitted 30th November 2010 
Conference track: Corporate Branding, Reputation, Image and Identity 
 
Introduction and purpose 
The increasing marketisation and globalisation of higher education is well documented. As higher 
education systems have expanded, putting pressure on the public purse, the need for universities to 
develop new income streams has become more acute. International competition for funding and 
students has also intensified. Against this background, the drive for distinctiveness and clear market 
positioning has fuelled interest in the use of brand strategies. 
This study examines the concept of ?brand promises? in UK universities, and poses the question: 
?To what extent can the manifestations of the ?brand promise? be identified and categorised, to 
determine its potential for application within a university context??  
The investigation seeks to determine what is meant when the term brand promise is used. It offers 
insight into the composition of brand promises, and establishes how university brand promises can 
be ? and have been - identified and categorised.  
 
Mapping the territory 
The paper begins by mapping out the theoretical ideas and territory that frame this study. This 
presents a complex challenge, since very little brand management and services marketing literature 
addresses the prevalent contexts of a brand promise. A carefully crafted web of conceptual ideas is 
proposed, drawn from the fields of brand identity, brand image, services marketing and marketing 
communications. The inherent difficulty of applying private sector notions of brand promises to the 
university sector, is recognised. 
 
Methodology and Findings 
An analysis of 85 UK university websites informed the selection of four cases. Two long-established, 
?research intensive? universities and two ?new? universities were chosen for in-depth, qualitative 
investigation, according to their ability to inform the study. Within these, 33 interviews were 
undertaken with Marketing and Communications Managers, Academics and Brand Consultants. 
Documentary evidence including prospectuses, strategic plans and brand identity guidelines, 
additionally informed the case studies.  
Although very different universities, the four case study institutions show some similarities in their 
approach to developing brand values and the brand promise. The approach can be conceptualised 
in three stages; an ?evolutionary? stage where the brand is not professionally ?managed?, an 
?engineered? stage where communications? professionals or consultants may be tasked with 
developing the brand and a ?refinement? stage where brand values and personality are reviewed. 
Over time, the dimensions of the brand promise are increasingly aligned to the university?s strategic 
goals. However these goals are typically complex and ambiguous. Particularly in research intensive 
universities, there are many tensions to negotiate; between ?heritage? and ?modernity?, ?tradition? and 
?innovation?, between establishing reputation among the elite and supporting a mass higher 
education agenda.  
 
Research outcomes  
Drawing on findings from both the website analysis and the four cases, the paper concludes with a 
conceptualisation and categorisation of the manifestations of the brand promise in UK universities. 
This supports discussion of how effective brand promises might be developed in universities, in 
practice. 
 
Address for correspondence: 
Dr. Chris Parsons 
School of Applied Management and Law 
Buckinghamshire New University 
Queen Alexandra Road 
High Wycombe 
Bucks 
HP11 2JZ 
Chris.Parsons@bucks.ac.uk