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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Yousra Asaad
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND).
The dimensions and dynamics of higher education brands remain excessively informed by general principles ofbranding, with inadequate empirical testing in the specific context. This paper advances understanding of brandidentification in higher education by empirically assessing its antecedents and relating brand identification tobrand loyalty and brand support as outcome variables, moderated by time since direct experience of the university.Results of a conditional process analysis with a sample of 791 alumni indicate that recalled academic and socialexperiences significantly influence brand identification, and that brand identification is a good predictor ofalumni brand loyalty and brand support. While the direct effects of recalled academic and social experience onbrand loyalty decrease over time, the indirect effect of academic experience on loyalty via brand identificationincreases, indicating that the mediation effect of brand identification becomes stronger with the passage oftime. The study makes important theoretical contributions to the branding literature by emphasizing the mediatingrole of brand identification and by examining the moderating effects of time on these variables. The resultsalso inform marketing of higher education, suggesting that universities which focus on offering great academicexperiences to their students will be more effective in developing strong brand identification over time whichin turn leads to greater brand loyalty and brand support.
Author(s): Palmer A, Koenig-Lewis N, Asaad Y
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Business Research
Year: 2016
Volume: 69
Issue: 8
Pages: 3033-3040
Print publication date: 01/08/2016
Online publication date: 13/02/2016
Acceptance date: 01/11/2015
Date deposited: 13/01/2017
ISSN (print): 0148-2963
ISSN (electronic): 1873-7978
Publisher: Elsevier
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.018
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.018
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