The topic of branding is nothing new for any student who has stepped into a business or communications course. It is no longer just about logos or slogans, but an image, position, reputations, the “sum of experiences” from those who interact with a particular brand. Organizations, corporations, small start-ups, conglomerates are all pouring cash into the perfect brand message in order to break through all the media “clutter” or “noise”.
However, the concept of universities and colleges branding themselves is relatively new. A decade ago you’d hardly hear the term on a college campus, it would arguably be frowned upon; college is seen as an institution for higher education, not a business. Now you hear about the college brand at nearly all schools. The rise of branding on college campuses is due to a few important factors:
Universities need their brand to stand out to those applying to college in order to be competitive. They want alumni to be nostalgic about their college years, prompting them to reach deep into their pockets to support their alma mater.
So what about us, the college students, in school right now? Does this influence us or do we influence it?
There are so many new platforms and touch points with social media, YouTube, blogs, and email marketing to get the message out about a brand. It’s hard to be “heard” in an increasingly noisy digital world. And for universities, it’s more difficult than ever to manage what is communicated, because they are not the only ones sending out the messages.
Everyday thousands of students Tweet, post photos on Instagram, and share content on Facebook. For example, when the University of Wisconsin’s basketball team went to Final Four, it was trending all over the world on every type of social media. 
Websites like “I’m Shmacked” post videos with college students involved in social activities at universities’ biggest parties’, registering hundreds of thousands views, which often spread like wild fire. Universities are trying to create clear brand images that pinpoint specific messages, but there is no way they can control everything sent out by its students.
It’s great when you contemplate the power we hold as students. What we do every day is helping to shape the image of the schools we attend. Administrators and professors can brag about acclaimed business schools or high admissions standards and there is no doubt that those are important; but they aren’t what’s trending on Twitter. Think about that next time you #hashtag.
Photos Courtesy of UW-Madison Archives
