EFFECT OF COLLEGE BRANDING ON MARKET PERFORMANCE OF PRIVATELY OWNED TVET COLLEGES IN KENYA

The intense competition has seen the higher education institutions adopt strategies to remain profitable and competitive in attracting students. Some of the activities done to this end include research, conference organization, offering career advice, financing startup companies, maintaining historic buildings and promoting sport . However, college branding has not been given much attention in the marketing of higher education institutions in Kenya and more so among private Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to establish the effect of college branding on market performance of privately owned TVET   colleges in Kenya. The study was guided by the AIDA Marketing model . The study employed descriptive survey design and involved members of the management of privately owned TVET colleges drawn from 25 counties across the country. The sample size was determined using the formula proposed by Kathuri and Pals, to select a sample size of 223 colleges for the study. Questionnaires were used to collect data after being subjected to Cronbach test for reliability. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (mainly frequencies, percentages and Chi-squares) and inferential statistics, mainly Pearson product moment correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The results revealed that there was a significant relationship between competition college branding ( β = 0.323; p < 0.05) and market performance of privately owned TVET colleges in Kenya. The study, therefore, recommended that the privately sponsored middle level TVET colleges need to rebrand themselves in order to be or remain competitive in the market. Keywords: Market performance, Mid-Level Colleges, Branding CITATION: Kenda, G., Mwaura, P., & Kiprop, S. (2020). Effect of college branding on market performance of privately owned TVET colleges in Kenya. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management , 7(2), 259 – 269.