Standing out through branding

WHAT do you do when you want to buy a new car? You think about features that suit your needs and criteria that fit your budget. You consider aesthetics, comfort, reliability, fuel consumption, resale value, incentives and financing options.

For those looking for a university, choosing the right place to study involves a similar process. With so many choices available, prospective learners will want to look for an institution that can best fulfil their individual needs.

For universities, standing out from the crowd means developing a unique brand that can set one apart from others, especially in today’s competitive higher education landscape.

But what is branding? Some may say that the logo is the most important element of branding as it is essentially the face of a company. But branding goes beyond the logo.

In the words of Alina Wheeler in Designing Brand Identity, “Brand is the promise, the big idea, the expectations that reside in each customer’s mind about a product, service or company. Branding is about making an emotional connection.” Convincing prospective learners that Open University Malaysia (OUM) is their university of choice involves assuring them that their decision to study with us will be a worthy investment.

Making that decision is significant to every learner, not only financially, but also in terms of time and effort. For working adults, who make up the majority of open and distance learners, the right institution must be able to fulfil criteria specific to their needs, such as:

l Industry-relevant academic programmes that can add value to their career

l Flexible arrangements that will suit various lifestyles and fit their daily commitments

l The right technological tools and applications to help them learn on the go l Learner-friendly and convenient access to facilities, learning materials, resources and support services l Excellent valueadded features, such as Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) that awards credit for their prior learning

When learners come to OUM, we want them to know that we understand the value of their investment.

We understand that building a great brand is a continuous process, which involves giving learners the brand experience that reinforces who we are. Like Nike, one of the most successful brands in the world, we too believe that “there is no finish line”.

And for that, we will continue to find ways to truly make our brand a unique one. Prof Datuk Dr Mansor Fadzil is president and vice-chancellor of OUM.

Making that decision is significant to every learner, not only financially, but also in terms of time and effort. For working adults, who make up the majority of open and distance learners, the right institution must be able to fulfil criteria specific to their needs.