Image and brand of a university: interplay, features of image making and potential for development

The article substantiates the necessity for work on the formation of image and brand of a university due to improvement of competition at national and international markets of labor and educational services, emerging role of modern information and communication technologies, change in behavior patterns of consumers and other target audiences. Achievement of this objective is possible within the framework of strategic management of a university with a glance to dynamism and indeterminacy of environmental factors and experience of foreign universities. The article discloses implementation of foreign experience in branding as an important marketing tool, which promotes, supports and is reflective of the unique values offered by a university to consumers and business partners. The authors describe the experience of domestic and foreign universities in the field of brand-ing. Educational services are a market category, and this condition incites the business activity of universities. University brand is created in two ways: internal and external positioning. Formation of a brand should be given according to its uniqueness and positioning. This article includes the concept of brand platform. It describes the experience of creation and brand positioning for various universities.There are reasons for rebranding and repositioning of the brand of a university: low rankings, improvement of competitiveness of a university, relationships with employers and authorities.