A strategic approach to university branding is the need of the hour in today's highly competitive higher education market (HEM).

It is estimated that approximately 2 million Indian students will be pursuing higher education abroad by 2025. This increased outflow of students calls for the university to be strategic and future-ready.

At the heart of a well-branded university lies a seamlessly integrated system design that fosters a desire for learning, builds value, and creates a positive shift in perception.

Hence, prospective students fail to realize the fact that CUSAT is a 
world-ranking university, recognised by the Times Higher Education World Ranking, with a specific focus on higher education, research on applied science, technology, industry, humanities and commerce. This situation necessitates a multifaceted strategy for university branding.

Unlike any other entity branding, a university branding highly relies on its culture, academic prowess of the faculty within and outside the classroom, and overall experience it offers to its students.

Universities are centres of excellence, playing a powerful role in shaping the socio-economic landscape.

By nurturing and supporting students stepping on their entrepreneurial journeys, universities become catalysts for economic development. For example, a top-tier incubation center that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship can significantly enhance a university's brand equity.

Establishing a strong brand architecture is pivotal for uniquely positioning a university brand, and creating a distinctive identity.

This involves building a positive brand perception by effectively communicating both tangible and intangible benefits, and establishing an emotional connect with the audience. Strategizing the actions to position it and regularly measuring outcomes helps identify necessary iterations, ensuring the brand remains impactful.

Setting a strong brand communication framework translates its unique positioning to society.

Focusing on communicating the unique aspects of a university helps differentiate it as an intensely collaborative and engaging institution among the public. And, creating a strong relationship with stakeholders enhances brand affinity, loyalty and advocacy.

Choosing the right mix of communication mediums (offline and online) helps reach the target audience effectively.

Developing long-term and integrated communication strategies helps stay consistent across all touch points of a prospective student and faculty. Ensuring the messages align with the brand persona and values is significant. 

Adapting a data-driven method to measure and monitor brand performance is key.

According to our analysis, this offers an in-depth understanding of variables that impact the brand performance and helps identify key result areas. Tracking the key metrics provides actionable insights for reiteration and restrategising, this aids in elevating brand performance.

Furthermore, implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all branding activities is necessary to ensure quality and consistency. Similarly, enhancing brand awareness, recognition and loyalty among stakeholders such as students, faculty, alumni, and industry partners is influential in today’s changing learning landscape.

Extending strategic alliances with industry links through empowering workshops, inspiring talks from industry veterans would be game-changing.

Ultimately aiming for a positive word of mouth in academia, industry and particularly in HEM.

Our Perspective

Our approach was aimed to strategically enhance the experience of key stakeholders, by carefully designing and implementing a system that would improve various aspects such as culture, operational efficiency, and infrastructure.

As a result, it opened up a captivating environment for students and faculty. This strategic revamp was not only intended to improve day-to-day operations but also to enhance its overall reputation and positioning, in the hearts of society.

Strategic Benefits of System Design

If we view a university as a system design, its various components such as academics, culture, infrastructure, and management are distinct elements within this system.

Each area of functioning is interconnected, and the effectiveness of the entire system depends on this link.  A well-designed system aims to optimise these interconnections to maximize outcomes. When different units of the university system collaborate flawlessly, it enhances the experience of all the stakeholders.

A thoughtfully curated system design serves as a bridge between students and the university, students and faculty, and students and their aspirations, thereby boosting their overall satisfaction.

Subsequently, students feel more empowered, helping them adapt to new challenges and cultivate a positive growth mindset, enabling them to attain their full potential. Happier students regard the university as a source of pride. This emotional connection can foster greater loyalty and engagement.

Over time, this opens up new opportunities for the university in the global market, resulting in industry partnerships and favour, increased admissions, and placements. Moreover, it fosters a new synergy between the university and its students, leading to innovations, talent acquisition and investments.

A Research-driven Methodology

Our intensive and exploratory research focused on comprehensive perception analysis, which enabled us to derive a brand philosophy rooted in Knowledge, Culture, Humanity, and Sustainability.

This philosophy emerged through a text analysis method that involved mapping the perceptions of key stakeholders. We conducted one-to-one interactions with students, alumni, faculty, and staff, distilling major emotional responses.

Additionally, we examined content from digital assets, including websites, social media handles, publications, and news media. These efforts identified four fundamental aspects that guided further development.

What We Leveraged

Our emphasis was to build 
an environment fostering a transformational relationship amongst students, alumni, leadership, management, industries, etc.

This helps enhance brand affinity and loyalty among the stakeholders. We also re-imagined the design of eco-friendly interactive spaces as part of culture design, for hosting experiential events that promote innovation, creativity and a growth mindset. 

Our Impact

The newly designed culture changed the way the University was perceived by its major stakeholders. Our partnership with CUSAT was an engaging and enlightening experience for the Bblewrap team.