Image and Brand Awareness in Universities in Consolidation Processes

Abstract

Brand management in the university merger process is of strategic importance from several points of view. The international and national recognition of universities for students and other external stakeholders depends, among other things, on the university’s brand. In international and national rankings, consolidated and previously separate universities operate under one name. In Sweden, from the merger of University College Kalmar (HiK) and Växjö University (VxU), a consolidated university was established, which is called Linnaeus University. This is an example of shaping the identity and brand, which allowed to increase the attractiveness of the institution, which also translates into a significant increase in interest from foreign students. The aim of this article is to analyze the image and brand awareness in universities in consolidation processes. The article discusses the complexity of the image and brand awareness. The research methodology was based on qualitative research - case studies of universities in Europe.