Influence of Institutional Branding on Student Enrolment Decisions

This research aimed to find out how institutional branding affects the enrolment decisions of students in the higher education sector. The data suggest that branding is not only a promotional activity but also a strategically constructed entity that largely influences the perceptions, trust, and value judgments of the prospective students. The data confirmed that brand image, institutional reputation, and perceived quality, each, have a positive impact on perceived value and trust, which, in turn, significantly, lead to students' intention of enrolment. Trust was found to be the main factor leading to enrolment intention among all variables, with perceived value being almost similarly influential. This research paper has a far-reaching effect on existing branding literature by comprehensively addressing the issues of Brand Equity Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, thereby explaining the ways institutional branding leads to student behavior. 

The research opens up theoretical perspectives on the psychological processes involved in student decision-making by showing that perceived value and trust are mediators of the key branding relationships. It indicates that students not only act as rational decision-makers who evaluate quality and cost but also are emotional actors who get influenced by institutional identity, credibility, and relational trust. Taken practically, the research problem requires universities to brand themselves via strategies that exceed visual elements or catchphrases. Institutions need to not only develop but live the core values of transparency, quality education, and ethical governance so as to extend the trust. The university’s public image and reputation will improve through, among other things, the deepening of alumni relations, the promotion of institutional achievements, and the continuous provision of information to stakeholders. The use of digital branding services such as social media story-telling, online reputation management, and virtual campus experiences can be of great help in positioning the quality and value perceptions. Moreover, the research provides the frame for regulators and policy-makers in devising rules to ensure transparent communication between institutions and their audiences and setting the field for fair competition. Facilitating universities' need for branding projects may have a positive spillover effect on the country's higher education reputation and competitiveness worldwide. 

The study also realizes some defects. The limitation of the cross-sectional design in determining causality and the focus on Indian universities being the causes of restricted generalizability are two of these drawbacks. The next researchers may consider adding the data of different periods, comparing different countries, or including variables like digital engagement and student satisfaction to have not only a deeper but broader understanding of the branding dynamics. In conclusion, institutional branding is a multidimensional construct that powerfully influences how students perceive, evaluate, and ultimately choose higher education institutions. Effective branding grounded in trust, perceived quality, and authentic value creation can help universities differentiate themselves and sustain enrolment growth in an increasingly competitive educational marketplace.

For more detail follow link: https://jier.org/index.php/journal/article/view/3829