Advertising and Branding Strategies for Sector Specific Academic Programmes in India

Abstract

This thesis explores the historical trajectory of development and contemporary landscape of higher education in India, with a special focus on how the persona and the brand of a university is created. Key policies such the UGC Act, AICTE Act, National Education Policy 2020, have shaped the present higher education sector. The emergence of sectoral universities, departing from the traditional multi-sectoral format of universities occurred to address the issue of the industry demanding a highly specialized workforce. Owing to the increasing demand for higher education, universities face stiff competition with others and have to focus on institutional branding to maintain competitiveness. The study examines the perspectives of students and institutional stakeholders regarding various aspects of higher education, including quality, structural features, persona, communication, and information sources, offering insights into areas of convergence and divergence in preferences across sectoral and non-sectoral Universities. newline