STUDENT-UNIVERSITY IDENTIFICATION: A BRAND PERSONALITY REFLECTIVE NARRATIVE PERSPECTIVE

This qualitative study explores student-university brand identification and brand personality to determine suitable themes for higher education institutions’ (HEIs) brand communication. Thematic analysis is done on reflective narratives from postgraduate students in a workshop at a single HEI, using Rauschnabel, Krey, Babin and Evan’s (2016) university brand personality scale (UBPS) dimensions. The study’s major findings include the following: First, it highlights students’ active congruence desire between their self-identity and brand personality. Second, brand personalities indicated by students offer insights into their student-university identifications. HEIs should recognise the importance of student involvement in co-creating brand value to differentiate HEI brands through authentic, student-inspired brand communication.