Building Relationships of Brand Community in Higher Education: A Strategic Framework for University Advancement
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Building Relationships of Brand Community in Higher Education: A Strategic Framework for University Advancement Received (in revised form): February 1, 2006
James H. McAlexander James H. McAlexander is Professor of Marketing in the College of Business at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
Harold F. Koenig Harold F. Koenig Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Marketing Program in the College of Business at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
John W. Schouten John W. Schouten is Associate Professor at the University of Portland. McAlexander and Schouten are co-founders of Ethos Market Research.
Abstract Loyal alumni are a mainstay of financial support for many universities. This empirical study of university alumni situates the emerging theory of brand community within the world of university development and advancement. The study measures key relationships that one would expect to find in a healthy university brand community. Most importantly, this research demonstrates the powerful contribution that understanding and managing brand community can make Author’s Contact Address: James H. McAlexander Oregon State University College of Business Box 408, 200 Bexell Corvallis, Oregon Phone: + 541 737 3182 (office) Fax: + 541 737 4890 E-mail: [email protected]
to those interested in the advancement of higher education. We find that integration within a university brand community explains important loyaltyrelated behaviors such as future donations to the university and the purchase and display of university logo merchandise. International Journal of Educational Advancement (2006) 6, 107–118 doi:10.1057/palgrave.ijea.2150015
Keywords: branding, higher education marketing, institutional advancement
Introduction
In higher education, we often extol the virtues of membership or participation in our “academic communities.” In
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT. VOL.6 NO.2 107–118 © 2006 PALGRAVE MACMILLAN LTD. ISSN 1744–6503 $30.00 www.palgrave-journals.com/ijea
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James H. McAlexander, Harold F. Koenig and John W. Schouten
using the term community, we acknowledge special characteristics of our experiences in academia. As members of academic communities we are interdependent. We have common goals and values. We identify with specific localities and institutions with levels of pride and occasional chagrin that reveal the depth of their meaning in our lives. We support and nurture fellow community members as we share meaningful ideas and experiences. In addition to the regular denizens of university campuses— students, staff, and faculty—we also recognize our interdependence with other members of a broader academic community that includes alumni, parents, prospective students, businesses, fans of our athletic teams, and others who engage with our universities in various ways. The lexicon of community nicely complements the interests of development officers, alumni relations directors, and others who work to build support for higher education. Terms and expr
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