Asian Research Thesis Index

Abstract

Brand equity has been realized as central to the marketing of any business including services of higher education institutions (HEIs). Being the direct recipients, students grow firsthand experience about the higher education institution’s brand and therefore, develop specific knowledge about it. Hence, the aim of this study is to enrich the understanding of student’s brand knowledge and its effect on brand equity and to further develop a typology of higher education institutions. This offers the HEIs the capacity to diagnose and solve problems that may help in maximizing the value of their brands. The study encompasses the customer-based brand equity perspective, which concentrated on the effect of two dimensions of brand knowledge that is brand awareness and brand image on brand equity. The study further focused on the relationship of brand knowledge with brand equity in developing a typology of HEIs. For this purpose, a cross-sectional analytical study conducted to verify the proposed model from a population that comprised of the major universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Using simple random and stratified sampling techniques, the data collected through 42 items survey questionnaire from a sample of 765 students of 12 HEIs. The instrument was adopted from the measures already certified as good, used successfully in different studies, and implemented after establishing the validity and reliability of the scales to suit the setting. The Pearson’s correlation and multiple-regression analyses conducted to test the hypotheses in the model. The results offered empirical proof partially validating the outcomes of previous studies with image related factors of brand knowledge deemed more significant than awareness related factors. Further, a four quadrant strategic typology identified and categorized based on the suggested framework. The study of typology development was an instant success however, with slightly unexpected results as only two typologies identified by the study results. Except for three HEIs all of the remaining Institutions were placed in the “champs” category in the typology which is by far the best category in the typology. The limitation and future directions for research are also discussed.

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