Branding community colleges in a competitive postsecondary market: A qualitative collective case study analysis of community college chief marketing officers

Increasingly, colleges and universities must compete for students, faculty, and financial support within a crowded marketplace. As such, postsecondary institutions should respond with a market-oriented approach, such as branding that allows organizations to connect with stakeholders on both functional and emotional levels by guiding the organization’s story. However, many institutions, particularly community colleges, have failed to establish and communicate a clear and distinct brand that stands out from competitors.
The purpose of this study was to explore community college chief marketing officers’ perceptions of and experiences with branding two-year institutions in the competitive environment. Since chief marketing officers are the primary individuals responsible for driving the institutional brand, it was also of specific interest to explore the role of this position in the management of the organizational brand, how community colleges establish and manage their brand, and what branding challenges and opportunities exist for institutions in the marketplace. This qualitative study utilized a collective case study research design, and the setting was eight public, rural-serving, medium-sized, multi-county community colleges located in North Carolina. Participants included eight purposefully selected chief marketing officers currently employed at one of the eight study institutions. Data was collected through multiple methods, including the researcher, semi-structured interviews, documents, field notes, and reflexive journaling. The constant-comparative method and open coding were used to analyze the collected data, develop categories and themes, and interpret and construct meaning. The results of the study illustrate that community colleges attempt to engage in competitive branding by emphasizing institutional brand characteristics, community college functions, and unique programs of study; however, the similarities among community college brands have made it more difficult for institutions to differentiate from postsecondary competitors. Other results from the study included: establishment and management of community colleges brands is achieved through brand consistency; community college chief marketing officers perceive oversight of the institutional brand and building internal brand commitment as their responsibility; and a number of branding challenges and opportunities exist for community colleges. A series of implications and recommendations are provided to assist community colleges in strengthening their organizational brand and improving competitive positioning within the higher education marketplace.