©2003 Harvest Communications LLC
The Brand Called U
Branding and the University Experience
Table of Contents
Introduction 01
Trends Impacting Universities 02
The Harvest University Brand Survey 05
University Brand Check List 09
Harvest’s University Brand Experience 10
Sources and References 11
Appendix 12
Contact Us 16
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U Table of Contents
©2003 Harvest Communications LLC
Introduction
From images of ivy towers and green campus lawns dotted with knapsacks and students to movies
like Animal House and Stealing Harvard, universities and colleges are inherently part of our culture.
Universities are often reflections of economic and social change and historically are intellectual
cross-roads where establishment and antiestablishment come together to question our culture.
When the G.I. Bill of 1944 added a new dimension to the American Dream, middle class Americans
saw a college education as accessible to them, a privilege no longer reserved for the wealthy. Today,
with education costs rising and federal aid diminishing, a college education once again is accessible
to fewer Americans. Only 24.4% of the American population has a Bachelor’s degree or higher
according to the official U.S. Census web site, and higher education is accessible to less than one
in four Americans.
For many students today, their college degree is an investment that requires them to incur debt before
graduating. With the financial stakes increasing, this places even more importance on the choice of the
university and the total experience of those four years. It also alters the perception of the student from
a passive participant to an active prosumer who is paying for an educational experience that will open
doors after graduation.
For the university, it brings the discipline of brand management to the forefront. Many universities
recognize that they are no longer a student body, a faculty, a sports team, or an academic program.
They are all those things and much more. They are looking for unique value propositions just like
the corporations that they cultivate for financial support. Even more important, they need to develop
distinct brand experiences that make them stand out in a competitive marketplace and create the
support of loyal alumni as lifetime brand ambassadors.
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U Introduction Page 01
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Trends Impacting Universities
The Economics of Education. A college degree now is what a high school degree was in the
70s and 80s. It’s considered a prerequisite to open the doors of most businesses – especially for
white-collar careers. The Chronicle of Education found in a study conducted in May of 2003, that
more than half the adult population of the United States feels that a four-year college degree is
essential for success in our society.1
This puts Americans in an ironic situation. On the one hand, a college education is becoming less
affordable for many. On the other hand, now more than ever, a college education is necessary in
order to enter the workforce beyond the minimum wage labor pool.
Consumers are not the only people who have been impacted by the economic downturn.
State governments are facing severe budget cuts that have reduced their budget allocations for
public universities. As a result, these universities are working with extremely tight budgets, and they
are still faced with the challenge of being competitive and offering a valuable and high-quality
education to students.
Universities with small endowments are also struggling to compete for students, faculty, new infrastructure,
and ultimately, brand recognition. The universities that position themselves distinctively now will emerge
as leading brands in the years to come.
From Education to Experience. Academic ranking is no longer the only measure of an institution’s
quality of education. A university is judged in terms of its overall offering. From the curriculum and
the quality of faculty to the personality of the student body and financial aid, today’s prospective
students evaluate universities on the total experience.
What students remember at the end of their college careers are the experiences that they have.
The friends they make. That particular seminar on American foreign policy. A professor who made
a difference.
In a marketplace where university brands face the threat of being devalued with increased competition
and reduced financial resources, success lies in their ability to differentiate their offerings and build or
maintain a strong brand image. For example, many institutions are looking to extend their brands with
study-abroad programs, distance-based learning, and active alumni networks.
1 Selingo, Jeffrey. What Americans Think About Higher Education. Chronicle Review. May 2003.
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Trends Impacting Universities (continued)
The Dynamics of Diversity. Diversity is much more than a “politically correct” buzzword; it is a factor
that many students take into consideration when choosing a university. Minority enrollment has been
increasing every year with ethnic diversity in colleges increasing overall (refer to the table below).
The percentage of White students in universities and colleges has decreased between 1995 and 2000
and the attendance of the other races has increased in the same period.
Percentage of Number of People Number of People Percentage of the
Total Population of (in Millions) Attending College Population of 18-23
18-23 Year Olds (in Millions) Year Olds by Race
1995 2000 1995 2000 1995 2000 1995 2000
Total Population 100% 100% 20.8 22.8 12.3 14.5 59% 64%
Whites 67% 67% 13.94 15.3 10.6 10.3 76% 67%
Blacks 14% 14% 2.9 3.2 1.4 1.22 48% 48.5%
Hispanics 14% 14% 2.9 3.2 0.99 1.55 34% 38%
Asians 4% 4% 0.83 0.9 0.72 0.859 87% 94%
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education
The number of international students in U.S. colleges and universities has also been increasing
dramatically, despite the increase in visa restrictions after the events of September 11th. Increase in
diversity is not just restricted to ethnic or geographical diversity. Colleges and universities have also
been trying to reach out to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) community by creating
departments with courses in LGBT issues. Institutions are also going to great lengths to modify their
offerings to include students with physical, psychological, and learning disabilities.
The degree to which this diversity exists on campus varies from institution to institution. Many institutions
place a great deal of importance on maintaining diversity and also creating a sense of community on
campus. On many campuses, diversity also extends to intellectual diversity. Colleges and universities
have tried to encourage this by affiliating themselves with a wide variety of student organizations on
their campuses, from different political organizations to drama troupes and environmental groups.
Regardless of how diversity is defined, it is clear that it is an important consideration for institutions of
higher education today and part of most university agendas for the future.
Maintaining a sense of diversity and simultaneously creating a sense of community is one of the
biggest challenges universities and colleges face today. Many contentious issues have already been
brought to the forefront regarding ethnic diversity. Affirmative Action has garnered a great deal of
attention and has raised important questions in the minds of university communities. The University
of Michigan came to the forefront in the national news this past year because of its admissions policies
with regard to ethnic minorities. It brought the topic of Affirmative Action to the boardrooms of many
universities nationwide. How universities and colleges deal with different minorities, anticipate and
accommodate their needs and how they manage to create a sense of community, while respecting
the unique identities of each minority will be critical to their success.
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Trends Impacting Universities (continued)
Brandshift. If you think of universities and colleges as brands, those brands attract certain types
of students. When you think of a university brand, an Ivy League university may come to mind first.
The name Harvard conjures up images of ivy-covered buildings, intelligent students from the most
prominent American families, tradition and prestige. However, the Ivy League is only one segment
of brands in the university arena. A set of highly selective and academically challenging universities
has emerged that has similar brand perceptions as their Ivy League counterparts. For many people,
schools such as Stanford, MIT and the University of Chicago hold the same level of prestige as their
Ivy-league counterparts.
Another powerful and emerging brand in the world of higher education is the “Public Ivy.” These
are public universities that are extremely strong academically and have prestigious reputations that
are comparable to many top-tier private institutions and Ivy League schools. Universities such as
UC Berkeley, University of Michigan, University of Virginia and the University of Vermont all fall into
this category. This dispels the old belief that the only powerful university brands are the Ivy League
institutions. The world of higher education has many brands, each unique in their attributes, brand
promises, and target audiences.
A key success factor for colleges and universities will be if they can keep up with changing student
expectations of the “ideal college experience,” and manage to create and maintain a strong brand
image that differentiates them from the multitudes of other universities and colleges.
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The Harvest University Brand Survey
In June 2003, Harvest conducted an international online survey of over 35 college graduates from
urban, suburban and rural areas. Our goal was to learn what our survey participants thought of their
own university experiences, as well as to probe their perceptions of universities today.
Methodology
Our survey was emailed to survey participants in our Harvest database with an eye toward representation
of different geographies. We asked the survey participants which university/ies they attended and
when they graduated. We also asked them how they felt about their college experience, what factors
they considered most important in choosing a college, which colleges/universities fit best in each of
the categories provided, and if they would alter their earlier choices knowing what they know now.
Their insights are represented throughout this paper.
Harvest also conducted secondary research analyzing media coverage of emerging trends about
the world of higher education in the United States, as well as other studies that have been conducted
about the university market.
Survey Results
Male Female Median Age Median Year of Graduation
31.4% 68.6% 34 1993
Percentage of Percentage of
Respondents that Respondents that
Grew Up in: Currently Live in:
East 27% 64%
West 10% 9%
Midwest 24% 10%
South 10% 6%
International 29% 12%
When asked to think of institutions that fit the following categories, respondents listed the following
universities and colleges. Here are their top five responses:
Ivy League Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, tie between Columbia and Cornell
Prestigious Top-Tier Private Stanford, Georgetown, Duke, MIT, Northwestern
Public Ivies University of Michigan, UC Berkeley, tie between University of Virginia,
University of Texas at Austin and UCLA
Sports University of Michigan, Notre Dame, University of Miami, Ohio State,
tie between Florida State and University of Florida
Individualistic Oberlin, Brown, Smith, Julliard, UC Berkeley
Source: Harvest University Survey, 2003
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U The Harvest University Brand Survey Page 05
©2003 Harvest Communications LLC
The Harvest University Brand Survey (continued)
Below is a brand chart of the various categories of American universities and colleges we identified
and the institutions that best represent them.
Ivy League
Harvard University Brown University
Top school, long tradition Small
Old money, trust fund kids Ultra-liberal, “limousine-liberals”
Most prestigious, great name Crunchy
Type A personalities Birkenstock-wearing, granola-eating
Strong alumni network Most flexible academic program
Top-Tier Private
Georgetown University Duke University
Best Catholic school in the nation Best basketball team
Strong International Relations department Southern school
Preppy, Hoyas, Strong academic reputation Not very diverse, well-rounded students
Safety-school for students applying to the Ivies Comparable to Ivy-league education
Public Ivies
University of Michigan University of Virginia
Wolverines, Go Blue Thomas Jefferson
One of the most prestigious state schools Solid
Affirmative Action Well-rounded education
Excellent Law School, Business School Conservative
Large, cold weather, diverse “Blue-blooded”
Sports Schools
Miami University University of Notre Dame
Large Top Catholic school
Sports-oriented Sports-oriented
Sunny Solid
Party school Traditional
Laid-back attitude Conservative
Individualistic Schools
Hampshire College Oberlin College
Crunchy Alternative
Liberal-arts school Ultra-liberal
Elitist Small
Small Midwest
East-coast
Source: Harvest University Survey 2003 and Princeton Review’s Best 345 Colleges of 2003.
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U The Harvest University Brand Survey
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The Harvest University Brand Survey (continued)
Key Themes from our Survey
> Making the Grade. Academics and reputation are the two most important factors in choosing a school,
with cost and location following closely behind. Our respondents ranked the quality of academics from
experience of the faculty to the depth and breadth of the curriculum as key factors in their choice of college
or university.
Overall reputation is another critical aspect for most respondents. Reputation is not just restricted to
academics, but covers many other areas of the university experience such as the personality of the student
body, quality of campus life, and most importantly, brand associations with the university or college.
> The Yin and Yang of Selection. From the survey responses and our secondary research, we find
that people use both rational and emotional drivers to choose a college or university. The rational
drivers are usually the “logical reasons” that drive people to choose a certain university. The emotional
drivers are those factors that are based on instinct, connection and sense of community.
Rational Drivers Emotional Drivers
“I chose that college because it was giving me a full ride.” “My university has a great reputation. It is known to be the
most liberal institution in the country.”
“I knew that I would have a great deal of flexibility especially “Before I came here, I met some students, and I instantly
because I wasn’t sure of my major.” clicked with them. I knew that this was the place for me.
I felt like I belonged.”
“I knew that the political science professors here are the best “Walking on campus when I visited, I knew that this was the
in the country.” place for me. I could see myself living here and calling this
my home for the next four years. It just fit.”
“I chose my college because it was as far away from home “I chose this university because I believe in its core beliefs.”
as I could get, while staying in the country.”
Source: Harvest University Survey, 2003
The degree to which rational and emotional drivers influence a person’s final decision to attend or not
attend a college varies from individual to individual. However, it is important to realize that the decision to
go to one university over another is usually made by a combination of both emotional and rational drivers.
> Infiltrating the Ivy League. A number of top-tier schools such as Stanford, MIT and the University of
Chicago seem to be perceptually infiltrating the Ivy League. These universities are often considered to
be part of the Ivy League for they possess all the attributes that the Ivies do: the prestige, the superior
academic prowess, the strong alumni network, and the world-renowned faculty. Although they technically
do not belong to the Ivy League, the quality of education they provide, and many of the brand associations
they conjure up are in keeping with those of the coveted Ivy League.
This is not to say that the Ivy League brand is getting diluted, but that the Ivy League is facing competition
from top-notch private and public colleges and universities.
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U The Harvest University Brand Survey
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The Harvest University Brand Survey (continued)
> Brand Perceptions: From Prestigious to Party. From our survey results, we clearly find that each
college and university in this country has specific attributes which differentiate it from other institutions.
Americans, and often those from other countries, have strong perceptions regarding each university
and college. From an image of an elite, east-coast private school to a beer-guzzling party school,
every person familiar with the world of higher education in the U.S. has an opinion on colleges and
universities nationwide. This is just another anecdotal reminder that universities and colleges are
perceived as brands, each with their own attributes, perceptions and stereotypes.
> Geographic Influence. Identification of universities beyond the Ivy League is largely influenced by
geography, i.e. people who have grown up in a particular region tend to identify and classify universities
from that region into the various buckets. For instance, a person from the West Coast would identify
the Claremont Colleges as individualistic schools, whereas someone from the East Coast would
associate with Hampshire if they were to think of an individualistic college.
> The Power of Experience. The Harvest University Survey results indicate that 60% of the respondents
were disappointed by some part of their college or university experience. However, only 37% of the
total number of respondents claimed that they would choose to attend another college or university
if they could go back and make the choice again. This implies that though a significant portion of
students find one or more disappointing elements in their college experience, most of them would still
attend the same university or college. This illustrates the importance that students place on the overall
experience and that when they are out in the world as brand ambassadors what they will articulate
is the brand experience.
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University Brand Check List
Understand Your Brand. Since people have many pre-conceived notions of colleges or universities,
it becomes necessary for universities to understand the perceptions that people have regarding their
brands. By stepping into your target audience’s shoes and looking at your brand experience from their
perspective, you’ll be able to better understand the needs of your key audiences.
Build Brand Gauges. Gauge your brand image by auditing your students and alumni periodically.
Surveys and in-depth interviews or focus groups in key recruiting regions could provide critical insight
regarding people’s perceptions of the university.
Create a Lifecycle from Brand Awareness to Lifetime Loyalty. Have you looked at the “customer
lifecycle” of your university brand? From recruiting to the actual college experience to alumni programming
and development, is there a cohesive, consistent and distinct experience? Is there one area of the
lifecycle where your experience is strongest or weakest? Is your alumni network a powerful attribute
or is it disconnected from the newly minted students who are looking for jobs? Identifying the gaps in
your brand lifecycle will attract better students, nourish a richer overall student experience and create
alumni who are your brand ambassadors.
View the Student as Prosumer. Gone are the days when students were at the mercy of universities
and colleges. Now students are increasingly savvy. They know that they are shelling out big bucks
to attend these universities and in return, they expect to be treated as customers. If universities and
colleges want to remain competitive in today’s climate, they need to adopt a customer-centric view
regarding the students they admit and behave like a company that tries to satisfy its customer’s needs.
Create Alumni who are Brand Ambassadors. With budget cuts and economic pressures, all eyes
are on endowments in the higher education industry. A university’s alumni are a critical audience for
raising money. Moreover alumni that are successful, prominent and accessible are vital to building
a strong brand image for a university. The way universities engage the participation of their alumni
is key to the success of their images as brands.
Balance “Inclusivity” with Exclusivity. Successful university brands will strike the balance of
inclusivity– a tolerance, respect and understanding towards different communities –with an aura
of exclusivity that clearly communicates the universities distinct brand values.
Embrace the Power of One. Universities should borrow a page from the marketing books and follow
the mantra of one integrated brand voice to articulate their brand values and unique value proposition.
From their emails and brochures to their websites, there should be one consistent and distinctive voice
in all their marketing communications. Admission teams and alumni outreach programs should all
work from the same university brand platform. Once branding is beyond the logo standards and at the
level of true brand experience that encompasses the entire marketing lifecycle, then you’re on your
way to building and sustaining a unique and powerful brand asset.
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Harvest’s University Brand Experience
Harvest’s CEO, Carey Earle has been an active alumni leader of her alma mater American University
since she graduated in 1988. Today, she is Vice President of the American University Alumni
Association and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the School of Communication.
Harvest recently developed the communications theme and direct marketing materials for two
inaugural alumni events in New York and Los Angeles featuring prominent alumni in the
communications field.
Harvest recently worked with the Harvard Business School’s Women’s Association to develop
a new identity for their communication to their alumni.
Harvest’s principals have taught marketing courses at American University, NYU’s Stern School
of Business and Marymount Manhattan College.
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U Harvest’s University Brand Experience Page 10
©2003 Harvest Communications LLC
Sources and References
The Princeton Review. The Best 345 Colleges –The Smart Student’s Guide to Colleges. 2003 Edition.
Random House, Inc. New York.
Yale Daily News Staff. Insider’s Guide to the Colleges 2003 – Students on Campus Tell You
What You Really Want to Know. St. Martin’s Griffin. New York.
Winter, Greg. July 2003. Top Colleges’ Change on Aid Could Help the Middle Class. New York Times.
Online Sources
Tan, Patricia. September 2001. Branding Lessons at the World’s Top Universities. Brandspeak.
Brandchannel.
Lombardi, John. September 2000. How Classifications Can Help Colleges. The Chronicle Review.
Jacobson, Jennifer. July 2003. Help Not Wanted. The Chronicle Review.
Rooney, Megan. November 2002. A Surge of Students. The Chronicle Review.
Selingo, Jeffrey. May 2003. What Americans Think About Higher Education. Special Report of the Chronicle
of Higher Education.
Hoover, Eric. November 2002. The Changing Environment for College Admissions. The Chronicle Review.
http://chronicle.com
www.census.gov
http://guide.georgetown.edu/redesign2001/branding/draft_report.htm
www.brandchannel.com
www.usnews.com
www.unesco.org
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©2003 Harvest Communications LLC
Appendix
Harvest University Survey
Harvest Survey: The University as a Brand
www.thinkharvest.com
Your responses to this survey will be confidential. Your answers will be used as one component of the research that Harvest is
conducting for a white paper that focuses on the branding of universities and colleges. If you’d like to receive this white paper,
please respond yes to that question at the end of this survey. Thank you for your time.
The first part of this survey is for anyone who has attended a college or university. The second part of the survey is for
professionals who do work or have worked at a university or college in any capacity.
Part I: Perceptions of Universities and Colleges
(1) Where did you grow up?
(2) Where do you currently live?
(3) Are you male/female?
(4) Which college(s)/university(ies) did you attend?
(5) What year(s) did you graduate?
(6) Which factor/factors do you think distinguish your university/college from others?
(7) What was/is the most important factor(s) to you in choosing a university/college?
(8) What was most important to you about your college experience(s)?
(9) Was there anything that was disappointing to you about your college experience?
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Appendix (continued)
(10) Name the colleges/universities that you think of first that fit in the following categories?
• Ivy-League
• Prestigious Top-Tier Private Schools
• “Public Ivies” (Public Schools with Prestigious Reputations)
• Sports Schools
• Individualistic Schools
(11) Which words would you use to describe/characterize the following universities/colleges and the “typical” students
who choose them?
• American University
• Brown University
• Duke University
• Hampshire College
• Harvard University
• Georgetown University
• Miami University
• University of Michigan
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Virginia
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Appendix (continued)
(12) Which universities/colleges come to your mind as being distinct or being unique? If so, which ones and why?
(13) Are you active in your university/college alumni network?
(14) Knowing what you know now, if you could go back and choose a college, which one would you choose and why?
(15) Is there a university/college that has successfully re-branded itself and changed the perceptions that people had of it?
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Appendix (continued)
Part II: Professionals Working at Universities/Colleges
(16) What do you think is the biggest challenge that universities/colleges face in recruiting and retaining students?
(17) What are the factors that you think most influence students today in choosing a university/college?
How do you think this has changed in the last 10 years?
(18) If you think of universities/colleges as a brand, what brands do you think are most valuable in the current market? Why?
(19) Are there any university/college brands that are in danger of being devalued? If so, which ones and why?
(20) When you think of universities/colleges with powerful alumni networks, which come to mind?
Receive the white paper? If you would like to receive a copy of this white paper when it is complete,
please write your email here.
If you have any additional thoughts or comments, please feel free to let us know.
Thank you for participating in the survey.
Please email your completed survey to Carey Earle at cearle@thinkharvest.com.
Harvest Communications LLC The Brand Called U Appendix (continued) Page 15
©2003 Harvest Communications LLC
Contact Us
Harvest Communications LLC
222 Fifth Avenue, Floor 4
New York, NY 10001
Telephone 212 651 8660
Telefax 212 683 9304
info@thinkharvest.com
www.thinkharvest.com
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