ABSTRACT
This chapter is co-written by two authors, with the first ‘half’ by a marketing academic and former practitioner, and the second by a Director of a respected higher education marketing consultancy. The distinct difference in style and viewpoint is intended to add to the chapter’s scope and impact. Initially, brand performance and brand equity in academic and practice contexts are examined and the link to the role of reputation and rankings is explored through the academic lens. This section ends by summarizing contributions in the literature. The perspective of the practitioner is then explored, with personal insights from a UK agency on terminology, approaches and challenges. This moves into a specific case study from a UK university. The authors conclude that brand and reputation in HE are of great significance, and although clarity is increasing, there are still conceptual and practical challenges in assessing brands in the sector. This chapter is clear in its aim to blend academic and practice views to offer a thought provoking and challenging assessment of branding in modern HE.
