7 Identity and Brand
Do not underestimate the power of identity and brand; many potential students prioritize brand before anything else.
Key Questions
What aspects of your institution’s identity and brand are particularly unique or valuable?
How can you leverage your brand and identity using the assets you identified?
Experiential aspects of our entire value chain will impact the competitive advantage of our brand. How do we design our services around student satisfaction?
Examples
EGYPT
American University in Cairo is Egypt’s Global University. In 2018-2019 the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy launched the world’s first fully online Digital Media Diploma in Arabic via the Kamal Adham Center. A success story of sorts, this one-year cohort-based diploma leveraged a market and skills gap as well as built on AUC’s brand and locale.
UNITED STATES
Idahoans are known for being independent and hard-working. This identity aligns well with the characteristics needed to be successful as an online student. The Idaho State Board of Education is launching a new digital campus called Online Idaho. This new venture could leverage Idaho’s unique identity to attract students who see in themselves or who want to align themselves with these positive character traits.
INDIA
Global University Systems Indian institutes have not yet ventured into 100% online courses. However, both institutes have successfully adopted blended methods of teaching for the last three years. In 2020, they both received the QS-IGAUGE E-LEAD certification. E-LEAD certification is awarded to institutes based on their technological competencies. Both GUS India institutes received 150 out of 150, which means both are fully equipped according to E-LEAD parameters.