Beyond Hogwarts: The challenge of branding a modern university
As Australian university enrollments are falling, unis now have to play harder to create compelling brands that connect with the next generation of students, staff and sponsors alike. According to Graham Harvey, senior partner at Lippincott, treating unis with the same thirst for relevance and reinvention as commercial brands is the only way higher institutions can safeguard their todays – and their tomorrows.
The Australian higher education sector is at a pivotal moment of change. In recent years, alternative pathways to success have called the value of universities into question – from the rise of cryptocurrency to an influencer economy which tells young Australians they don’t need a degree to thrive.
Digital disruption thanks to Covid has also made its mark. On-demand learning models such as online courses and masterclass provide students with more affordable, accessible and convenient options.
It’s no surprise then that Australian university enrolments have declined by 12% over the past decade – suggesting that the Federal government’s ambitious target for 55% of young people to hold a Bachelor’s degree by 2050 will not be met.
Plenty of category background and truisms. Not much breakthrough thinking in terms of the story or the visual outcomes. Lacking both gravitas and modernity, this neither fits in nor stands out.