Research On The University Brand Image's Dimensions And Its Measurement System

Background and significance of the researchThe development of globalization of economy, multiplicity of politics, science and technology and intellectual economy intensifies the competition within the range of the whole world. In a sense, competition will be shown more and more in the competition of quality, efficiency and brand, who had the strong trend brand, who occupied the high spot of the competition. In recent years, the school brand image molding is gradually becoming the focus in education field after the theory of enterprise brand image.With the arrival of the era of perceptional consumption, the factors of customer purchasing decision depend not only on the product itself, but also on the comprehensive perception of the brand image. Nowadays, most of the study on the system of the university brand image focus on the aspect of brand image dimension and building, and hardly has demonstration study. Moreover, it has never have the truly studies the weight and the assessment system establishment of the university brand image's various dimensions from the student's angle. Therefore, for the university brand image's better molding, the research on this aspect has an important meaning.Structure of this paperThis paper is divided into five chapters altogether. The main contents are as follow:Chapter1:Prolegomenon.This paper mainly analyzes the necessity and status of school brand image molding in our country, meanwhile, reviews and assesses the research about brand image and school brand image, and gives definition to each other. Finally, it describes the basis of the selected topic, mainly using Biel's Brand Image 3D Model and enterprise CI research.Chapter2: Establishment of university brand image dimensions.Fistly,this chapter analyzes the function of university brand image dimensions'establishment by using the dimension resulted from the school brand image's previous research and doing some necessary adjustments. And this paper has established the university brand image dimensions system (UIS) that has two levels, in which the first dimension level mainly has: University Mind Identity System, University Behavior Identity System, University Visual Identity System, University Subject Identity System and University Personnel Identity System.Chapter3: Research on distribution of dimension weight and the establishment of assessment system. Here the paper mainly uses AHP, which is a simple and effective method to make analysis and comprehensive evaluation on complex problems that is multiple criteria, multi-factor and multi-level. The essence of AHP is dividing the complex system into various factors like university brand image dimensions, forming these factors into an orderly hierarchy structure by the dominating relation, and determines each factor's relative importance and obtains comparative judgment matrix by comparing with each other. From the largest relative eigenvalue based on judgment matrix and its vector, it can know the weight value which is the effect that these factors on objects, and then sorting based on it.This paper has determined the weight relations among each university brand image dimensions through the investigation among the university students, therefore, the system of the university brand image dimension comes to be more systematic and perfect. The research result is much different from the previous research. By the dimension and the weight system obtains from the investigation data ,we can see that the present university student think the mind, vision, subject recognition system's contribution to the school brand image is much bigger, but not the staff and the behavior recognition system. The first six dimensions are: The name and marks(0.238),the university tenet(0.1018),the advertisement and promotion(0.1016),the establishment and environmen(t0.094),the characteristic discipline(0.086)and the study style and the school motto(0.05).Chapter4: Application of assessment system. On the basis of the university brand image assessment system, this paper has carried on the brand image evaluation on Chengdu's four 211 project universities: Sichuan University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics and Southwest Jiaotong University, and provides a contrast and the model for each university's brand image construction. Evaluation results show that in University Mind Identity System UESTC and SWUFE are best; in University Behavior Identity System UESTC is first, then SCU and SWUFE is the third one;in University Visual Identity System SCU is first, then UESTC and SWUFE is the third one; in University Personnel Identity System UESTC is first, then SCU and SWUFE is the last one; in University Subject Identity System UESTC and SWJTU are best and SWUFE is the last one. Finally, from the total score of school brand image we can see SCU is first, then is UESTC, the third one is SWUFE, and the last one is SWJTU.Purpose is not evaluation but lifting ourselves at last, thus, on the basis of evaluation's each dimension score, this paper puts forward five suggestions on construction of SWUFE brand image from the student's angle as follow:1 . Thinning and strengthening communication of University Ideal Recognition System. The main method of enhancement is strengthening vision contact or holding a certain learning activity and competition.2.Perfecting University Behavior Identity System. We should give full play to the function of SWUFE schoolmates and public relations.3.Keeping pace with the times and strengthening the power of University Visual Identity System's advertisement and promotion. We should explore university's promotion resources at length, and use the above line resources like modem media and the below line resources like schoolmates and public praise to strengthen communication in many ways.4.Adhering to the policy of introduction of returned overseas personnel to promote development, and improving university staffs'quality. We should transfer teacher's advantage in experience to student group quality.5.Deepening reform and training University Subject Identity System. This aspect needs school's long-term policy support. Chapter5:Conclusion.This chapter summarizes the main work of the whole paper, and includes three parts like contribution, deficiency and the research direction in the future.Innovation of this paperThe innovations of this paper mainly have: (1) The first time using AHP in school brand image as a new field to determine the weight of its dimension ;(2)The first time establishing a university brand image assessment system, and offering a criteria for the further research on university brand image.