Is your university brand
creating difference,
or decorating sameness?
As competition intensifies, universities are working harder than ever to stand apart. But what if the conventions used to signal distinction are actually pulling the sector closer together?
The University Brand Difference explores what really creates meaningful differentiation — and asks whether brand has been given too small a job.
Drawing on rbl’s experience partnering with more than 15 universities, alongside primary research with prospective students and brand intelligence from Tracksuit, this report examines how university brands are perceived, what shapes consideration and where new opportunities for differentiation may lie.
It combines research with 750+ high-performing prospective UK students, comparative brand testing across more than 20 institutions, qualitative research from live university projects and Tracksuit category intelligence covering awareness, consideration, associations and conversion.
Together, the evidence challenges some familiar assumptions about university branding — and points towards a bigger role for brand in creating institutional advantage.
A new perspective
on university brand.
What could brand help your university do differently?
The University Brand Difference Report is for higher education leaders who want to understand where genuine differentiation can come from — and how brand can become a more useful tool for shaping institutional choices, not simply communicating them.
Download the report to explore the evidence, challenge your assumptions and discover five practical moves from brand bland to brand value.
