Low Customer-Based Brand Equity of School of Medicine - Liang State University

Abstract

Higher education is a unique industry that considers branding as important function to create competitive advantage for universities. Better brand position definitely have impact on their recruitment performance and brand plays important role in connecting a higher educational institution with its prospective students, students and graduates. According to Keller (2013), brand equity is the value that consumers associate with a brand. There are two different approaches to the concept of brand equity: firm-based brand equity (FBBE) and customer-based brand equity (CBBE). Whereas FBBE measures the whole esteem of a brand as an isolated asset, the CBBE is utilized to depict the value that brands create to customers. This thesis applies Problem Solving in Organizations (PSO) process focuses on identifying and solving the business problem of LSU - SOM based on a qualitative research approach with the in-depth interview technique. The symptom of LSU – SOM related to low number of students enrolled in the School from 2018 to 2020. From there, it laid establishment for the advance investigation on possible problems of the existing symptom. The literature review and the interview with the key School Administrators indicate that Liang State University – School of Medicine (LSU – SOM)’s customer-based brand equity is low and currently is at the bottom of the CBBE pyramid. In other words, for a long time, the students and their parents are not aware of LSU – SOM brand and therefore, the competitive advantages and the values of the School are not in students and parents ‘mind by effective marketing communication efforts. As a result, prospective students and parents prefer to study in other medical schools rather than LSU – SOM.

After the main problem “Low Customer – Based Brand Equity” has been determined, the main cause “Lack of Effective Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) Plan” is found based on the combination of literature review and in-depth interviews. At that point, the alternative solution “Creating the IMC Plan with Personal Selling, Advertising, Sale Promotion and Public Relations” is developed and chosen in order to solve main problem of the School for better result in student enrolment.