University Branding: The Impact of University Personality on University Distinctiveness and University Identification

Abstract

The present research examines the influence of brand personality or a set of human characteristics associated with brands in a university branding context. To test the hypothesized relationships among three focal constructs (i.e., university personality, university distinctiveness, and university identification), data were collected from a survey research in Thailand. The study results reveal that the university personality dimensions of sincerity and liveliness have significant impacts on university distinctiveness and university identification while the other four dimensions (prestige, appeal, conscientiousness, and cosmopolitan) do not. In addition, university distinctiveness appears to mediate the influence of university personality on university identification. The results from this study provide a number of theoretical and managerial implications in brand personality and university branding.