ABSTRACT
Names, logos, colors, and mascots constitute an important part of a university’s brand, to the extent that universities, similar to services marketers such as banks and restaurants, “sell” an intangible product to their potential consumers (potential students and other stakeholders), and their names and logos become important signals through which universities can communicate important attributes. To attract more students and signal the market that they are also important players in the field of higher education, universities such as Tuskegee Institute (Tuskegee, Alabama, United States) changed its name to Tuskegee University in 1985, and the University Southwestern Louisiana (Lafayette, Louisiana, United States) changed its name to the University of Louisiana. The important question is whether these name changes have been successful in increasing student enrollment or attracting other stakeholders? This chapter discusses these types of questions and signaling theory as it applies to universities and offers some plausible answers.
