The application of an innovative model to measure university brand image. Differences between English, Spanish and Portuguese undergraduate students

Abstract

Research on the role brand image plays in higher education (HE) suggests that it is crucial to understand students’ perceptions of their university. This study builds on existing empirical work by Alcaide-Pulido, Alves, and Gutierrez-Villar (2017 Alcaide-Pulido, P., Alves, H., & Gutiérrez-Villar, B. (2017). Development of a model to analyze HEI image: A case based on a private and a public university. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 27(2), 162–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841241.2017.1388330[Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) exploring themes of national and international recognition, economic value, university campus facilities, and external communications and values. It employs a structural equation modelling approach with Partial Least Squares (PLS) and Decision Trees Analysis through a sample of 624 undergraduate students from England, Spain, and Portugal. The findings highlight areas of commonality as well as differences between the different cultures and nationalities examined as part of the study. They show areas that brand managers from each country should concentrate on, making recommendations that could help to shape the marketing direction of universities in each of the nations included in the research. The English and Portuguese should prioritise communication to students through their institutional website, whereas Spaniards should attend to ethical values and social responsibility. Economic value is an aspect that Spanish and English universities should focus on. Spaniards and English agree that campus facilities are important, whereas class size is key for Portuguese. Finally, Portuguese students’ highly value the national recognition of their university.