Dive Brief:
- Studies show higher education institutions are responding to a number of forms of competition with a focus on branding.
- InMotionNow, a provider of work management solutions for marketing and creative departments, has identified four key factors driving brand investment, including student and faculty recruitment, both of which are increasing competitive.
- New funding opportunities through partnerships with businesses has also created new categories of communication materials, and some schools are facing increasing pressure to protect and promote their sports brands.
Dive Insight:
InMotionNow creates an automation process for the administrative side of design work, letting teams spend more time actually creating. Colleges and universities that are not feeling any pressure to distinguish their brand should be. They are all competing for a smaller potential pool of high school graduates simply because of demographic trends, and faculty and staff, especially in schools struggling with tight budgets and threats of funding cuts, may have better options in industry or the corporate world. Branding helps identify the uniqueness of an institution and signals to prospective students, faculty, and partners about why they should choose that school.