THE ROLE OF HEI BRANDS AS KEY DRIVERS FOR STUDENTS AND RECRUITERS’ CHOICES IN A COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE: EXPLORING BRAND ATTRIBUTES AS PERCEIVED BY STAKEHOLDERS (INSTITUTION, STUDENTS AND RECRUITERS)

In recent years there has been a sharp increase of competition in the higher education sector, particularly from the private sector. Given the budgetary constraints of families but also of HEIs (Higher Education Institutions), one of the main challenges faced by this competitive market is to combat the decline in student numbers. At the same time, unemployment rates of fresh graduates are critical when the labour market faces profound challenges and cannot absorb most of the new graduates. Students now deal with a career perspective marked by uncertainty. In this context, knowledge of the labour market coupled with the existence of a strong and recognized HEI brand can make a difference on students’ choices of courses and institutions, but also, and more importantly, on the recruitment choices made by companies. The purpose of this paper is to describe the attributes of a HEI brand as perceived by three different stakeholders: institution (top management, teaching and non-teaching staff), students and recruiters. Specifically, it seeks to understand which characteristics of the HEI dictate students’ choices and which brand attributes are most valued by the labour market when recruiting. Regarding methodological decisions, this research presents a case study of a private HEI offering marketing courses, whereby seven dimensions were analysed: changes in education, sustainability, attractiveness, importance of using marketing strategies, brand attributes, elements of students’ choices, relationships with the labour market. Data collection was based on two techniques: eight interviews to internal and external stakeholders and one focus group with students. Two different interview guides were designed: one adjusted to interview internal stakeholders (lecturers, staff and top management) and one adjusted to interview recruiters from companies that had previously hired graduate students from this HEI. The focus group included nine graduate students from different academic years and encompassed projective techniques that allowed us to explore students’ feelings and associations with the HEI brand, including word associations, imagery associations, and personifications. This study contributes to deepen our knowledge regarding HEI’s relationships with different stakeholders, particularly with organizations from the labour market. By exploring, understanding and interpreting perceptions and brand associations of different groups of stakeholders regarding the HEI brand, institutions are better equipped to create positive, lasting and well-planned relationships with their students but also with companies that ultimately play an utterly important role in deciding to hire students graduated from an HEI.