International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE) August Edition - International Journals

1. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
8
Brand Strategies of Jordanian Education
Dr. Firas Abu-Qaued
School of Business, Middle East University, Jordan-Amman, E-mail: sajedmohd@hotmail.com
Abstract
This article reports on an exploratory investigation into the brand strategy of the educational service providers in
Jordan, and thereby contributes to the limited research into brand strategy in both the education sector, and in
the Middle-Eastern countries. The study demonstrates the extent to which the evolution of
competitive strategy and brand strategy are interwoven, as well as generates a range of insights into successful
brand strategies in this marketplace. It specifically responds to calls from other researchers for additional
research into brand strategy in the service sector in general, and the online educational service industry more
specifically. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 12 managers with responsibility for
branding and/or marketing of education. The interviews explored respondents' views on the nature of
brand strategy and components of brand strategy, such as brand positioning, brand personality, brand identity,
brand values, brand architecture and education strategy. The discussion and conclusions summarize key findings
under the following themes: perspective on and control of brand strategy, branding as a competitive tool, re-
branding, brand values and brand education strategies.
1. Introduction
This article seeks to contribute to the literature on brand strategy by examining the development of the brand
strategy of the four education providers in Jordan. Chan-Olmsteda and Jamison (2001) suggest that the education
industry is of particular interest because of the globalization of educational services and the consequences for
strategic alliances and competitive strategies. This article focuses specifically on the consequences of such a
challenging, global and competitive environment for brand strategy.
Brand and brand strategy are widely acknowledged to influence consumer behavior, to create shareholder value
(Madden et al. 2006) and impact profits (Keller 2002). Osler (2003) views brand strategy as the translation of the
business strategy for the marketplace. However, despite the important role of the service sector in many
economies, the branding of services has received less attention than the branding of products. De Chernatony
and Segal-Horn (2003) suggest that this lack of attention and consequent lack of services branding knowledge
has led to a paucity of successful services brands. A number of authors suggest that there is scope for more
research into branding in the service sector (Berry 2000; Moorthi 2002). With the increasing recognition of the
importance of a service orientation to marketing, the need for such research is becoming ever more pressing
(Brodie 2009). This article seeks to make a modest contribution to the understanding of brand strategy in a
service context that has previously received limited attention, the education industry.
There is a stream of research into the competitive structure and strategies of the education industry (Singh,
2006). Singh (2006) suggests that new disruptive technologies, new customer segments, deregulation and
globalization have made this a difficult market in which to work. Singh (2006, p. #) suggests that 'there is little
differentiation between product offerings'. More specifically in the education private sector, although
Karjaluoto et al. (2005) found brand to be one of the four key influential factors in affecting consumer choice,
Martensen (2007) found that brands were not able to turn tweens into loyal customers who will recommend the
private sector education to friends. Together these findings support the proposition that branding in the education
sector is both important and challenging. Both Karjaluoto et al. (2005) and Martensen (2007) call for more
research into branding in this sector.
This article also contributes to knowledge of brand strategy in the Middle East. There is limited research
on marketing, more specifically branding, in Middle-Eastern countries, and how this interfaces with, and is
influenced by, processes, challenges and approaches in the global marketplace.
This article then seeks to contribute to the literature on brand strategy by providing a sector-based case study,
and documenting the evolution of brand strategy and associated brand tactics within a competitive environment.
From a managerial perspective, this article provides business practitioners with examples of the evolution and
unfolding of service brand strategies, illustrating some of the tactics adopted by different companies in one
sector. The next section of this article briefly reviews the key characteristics of service branding, draws together
definitions of brand strategy and related concepts, as well as summarizes the limited previous research
on marketing and branding in the education sector, and on brand strategy in the Middle East. The next section
discusses the research design and data collection adopted in this research. This is followed by a section that
reports findings. The discussion and conclusion sections draw out the key insights from this research and offer
recommendations for further research.
2. Literature Review
Branding or brand strategy focuses on the use of brands to achieve the brand owners' objectives. Branding

2. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
9
creates value through the provision of a compelling and consistent offer (the brand promise), backed by a
positive customer experience (the brand experience) that will satisfy customers and encourage them to return.
This provides an opportunity for building brand relationships, which in turn deliver repeat business, allowing the
business to charge premium prices, consolidate the brand positioning and make it more difficult for competitors
to launch a successful challenge. The branding process influences consumer behavior, creates shareholder value
and builds the value of the brand to the business or its brand equity (de Chernatony & McDonald 2003; Kapferer
2008).
Although the education service sector has dominated the economy of most advanced capitalist societies for many
years, the branding of these services has only recently started to receive the attention that it deserves. Berry
(2000) argues that branding plays a special role in education service organizations because strong brands enable
customers to better visualize and understand intangible services. Brand reduces customer's perceived monetary,
social or safety risk in buying services, which are difficult to evaluate before a purchase. With services, the
source of customer-value creation is the company (rather than the product). Accordingly, service and customer
experience of service delivery play a pivotal role in determining customer value and, in turn, brand formation
(Berry 2000; Brodie 2009).
As with service brands, the customers buy the company brand (Berry 2000), and there is a tight coupling
between service branding and corporate branding. Xie and Boggs (2006) define corporate branding in terms of
the opportunity for building enhanced trust and relationships:
Corporate branding facilitates customers' desire to look deeper into the brand and evaluate the
nature of the firm. Trust in the products and a brand the firm offers predisposes customers to
accept its claims about other products and services. (Xie & Boggs 2006, p. #)
The increasing importance of corporate brands brings in its wake greater emphasis on aligning what an
organization says, believes and does, or, to put it another way, integrated brand, communications and
experience strategies (Walstrom et al. 2008). The leading brand consultants interviewed by de Chernatony and
Dall'Olmo Riley (1998) emphasized the importance of clear, shared and owned brand values; through shared
values there is a greater likelihood of commitment, internal loyalty, clearer brand understanding and consistent
brand delivery across all stakeholders. Walstrom et al. (2008) suggest that an important means of strengthening
the corporate brand is through the reduction of the number of sub-brands.
Although service brands and branding are beginning to receive more attention, a number of authors suggest that
there is scope for more research into branding in the service sector (Berry 2000; O'Loughlin & Szmigin 2007). In
particular, as different service sectors provide different service experiences, it is important to seek an
understanding of the nature of brand, and in particular the brand-development process and brand strategies, in a
variety of different contexts.
Clear and agreed upon definitions of concepts such as brand image, brand personality, brand identity, brand
architecture, brand values, brand preference and brand choice would be a sound basis for research into branding
and brand strategy. Unfortunately, some of these brand terms overlap, and different authorities take them to
mean different things (Ambler & Barwise 1998; Stern 2006). Most significantly, for this study, some authorities
discuss brand strategy without defining it (Schreiber 2002; Wu & Ardley 2007). Furthermore, some of the
literature describes brand strategy as having a single component (Park et al. 1986), yet other literature (for
example, Keller 2002; Kotler & Pfoertsch 2006; Kapferer 2008) describes it as having several components.
There is also confusion and vagueness about what brand strategy entails; different authors emphasize different
aspects of brand strategy: Murphy (1990) states that brand strategy involves building and managing the brand to
differentiate the organization from its competitors by adding value for customers. Kapferer (1992) argues that
brand strategy comprises developing the right perception in customers' minds. Aaker (1996) states that
brand strategy entails reacting to changes in market conditions. Keller (1998) articulates that
brand strategy comprises developing common distinctive features of various products or services provided by an
organization. De Chernatony (2001) states that brand strategy entails strengthening the images of different
products or services sold by an organization.
Drawing on these definitions for the purposes of this article, we define brand strategy as follows:
'Brand strategy is a set of integrated strategies and sub-strategies used by a brand owner to achieve the brand
owners' objectives'. Furthermore, in both research design and data analysis we focus on the six components or
tactical aspects of brand strategy: positioning, personality, identity, values, architecture and communications.
These six components are defined as follows:
Brand positioning is the targeting of a specific segment of the market by means of presenting an image aimed at
that segment (Keller 2002; Osler 2003; Kotler & Pfoertsch 2006; Kapferer 2008). It involves creating an image
in the minds of the consumers about what the brand signifies. Kotler (2003) states that brand positioning is 'the
act of designing the company's offer and image so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target
customers' minds' (p. 308).

3. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
10
Brand personality is the anthropomorphizing of a brand in order to increase its appeal. Giving a brand a
personality, or persona, thus involves giving inanimate objects human qualities (Kotler & Pfoertsch 2006;
Kapferer 2008). Aaker (1997) defines brand personality as 'the set of human characteristics associated with a
brand' (p. 347).
Brand identity pertains to the connotations that a brand elicits in the minds of consumers (Aaker &
Joachimsthaler 2000; Keller 2002; Kapferer 2008). Aaker and Joachimsthaler (2000) define brand identity as 'a
set of associations that the brand strategist aspires to make or maintain' (p. 43). Aaker (1997) distinguishes
between core and extended identity, where core identity represents the 'timeless essence of the brand' (p. 85) and
extended identity includes 'elements that provide texture and completeness' (p. 87).
Brand values pertain to what a brand could offer in terms of benefits (Osler, 2003; de Chernatony et al. 2004).
Osler (2003) defines brand values as 'those immutable characteristics that provide a consistency for the brand's
behavior' (p. 437).
Brand architecture refers to how a brand is promoted within the context of other brands produced by the same
company or organization (Aaker & Joachimsthaler 2000; Osler 2003); Petromilli et al. (2002) define brand
architecture as 'the way in which companies organize, manage and go to market with their brands' (p. 23).
Education strategy pertains to all of the ways by which an organization promotes a brand (Ind 1997;
Madhavaram et al. 2005). Ind (1997) states that education strategy involves the making of a plan based on a
brand identity.
Education strategy means a brand image that enables education organization to meet its strategic objectives. The
specific context for this research is the education industry in Jordan. There has been very little research into
branding in the education sector or the Middle East. With regard to education, there is plenty of evidence that
this is an interesting and challenging competitive environment (Chan-Olmsteda & Jamison 2001; Singh 2006).
Singh (2006) goes further and specifically suggests that 'there is little differentiation between product offerings'
(p. #), which would imply that there may be a central role for brand factors affecting choice between brands. The
market in many other Middle Eastern countries has some similarities with the marketplace in Jordan. However,
their discussion focuses on customer loyalty, rather than brand strategy. Both Karjaluoto et al. (2005) and
Martensen (2007) call for more research into branding in this sector.
There is also a scarcity of research into brands and branding in the Middle East. Only three studies have been
identified. Balakrishnan (2008) studied destination branding for Dubai. Cooperman and Schechter (2008)
examined the globalization of the Marlboro County brand to appeal to the new middle classes in Egypt, Saudi
Arabia and Turkey, through the development of an image of the 'global citizen-consumer'. Finally, Badri et al.
(1995) explored the extent and nature of 'country-of-origin' stereotyping in the Gulf States market. However,
recent contributions on the impact of religious beliefs and culture on consumer response to marketing initiatives
are of some relevance to our study of branding. Gibbs and Ilkan (2008) found that although there were
differences between the Islamic and Christian communities in Cyprus, positive and forward-looking images
would stimulate most respondents, irrespective of faith or culture. Sandikci and Ekici (2009), in the context of
politically motivated brand rejection in Turkey, illustrate the importance of predatory globalization, chauvinistic
nationalism and religious fundamentalism in brand acceptance and choice.
This article seeks to make a contribution to the understanding of brand strategy in the education sector, and
thereby offer insights into the dynamics of brand strategy and the interplay between brand components in the
evolution and development of brands. Specifically, this study advances knowledge in areas of services branding
wherein there has been very limited previous work: the education industry in the Middle East.
3. Methodology
3.1 The Case-Study Context
This article is based on a case study of the brand strategies and practices in the education sector in Jordan. The
choice of this sector is justified on three grounds: First, the education sector in Jordan is four or five decades old;
therefore, the development of the industry may be examined in microcosm, in 'pure' form. Next, there has also
been intense competition within the Jordanian Education sector, with some organizations performing much
better than others and, lastly, brand strategy appears to have played an important role in this. There is evidence
from prior research in the education sector of a strong association between brand strategy and performance (Liu
2002; Schoenfelder & Harris 2004).
Jordan has two education sector providers: Ministry of Education (private and public) and Ministry of Higher
Education (public and private colleges and universities). Based on the most recent statistics, the market share is
roughly 70 per cent for Ministry of Education (1), and 30 per cent for Ministry of Higher Education (2) (all
statistics from companies' websites). Ministry of Education entered the Jordanian market in 1939 (3). Ministry of
higher education entered the Jordanian market much later in 1985 (4).
The Harvard Business Journal (2009) reports that the education sector, especially the private sector industry, in
Jordan is healthy. The private sector is one of the largest earners in the country's education sector, and is itself

4. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
11
worth some US$ 2 billion. The group also reports that some 70 per cent of Jordanian households currently have a
college degree and that the success of the industry in Jordan owes much to the government's policy of
liberalization of the education industry. However, many wealthy individuals and government officials are
increasingly controlling the private education sector. Internet use in education is high. The Harvard Business
Journal suggests that if the government is to achieve its stated aim of 50 per cent education via Internet use by
2014, further liberalization will be necessary.
3.2 Research Design and Data Collection
This study uses the case-study approach to investigate education sector providers' brand strategies (see Dentin
and Lincoln 2005). The case-study approach may cast light on individual managers' experiences with
brand strategies; the approach is also well suited to establishing managers' perceptions of brand strategy as a
whole. The approach has been discussed before by many researchers and methodologists (for example, Yin
2003; Stake 2006). This study investigated the two educational service providers or branches in Jordan (that is,
the Ministry of Education (private and public) and Higher Education Ministry (private and public).
Data on each of the sectors was gathered primarily through semi-structured interviews with those senior
managers who had responsibility for marketing, branding and education in each of the two sectors or branches.
Participants were selected with a view of providing insight into the process of brand strategy development (see,
for example, Creswell 2007).
An interview schedule was designed and piloted in both English and Arabic. The main sections of the interview
schedule related to the definition of brand strategy, the elements of brand strategy (including brand identity,
personality, value, architecture and education strategy), and the position of brand strategy within the
organization. Participants were also asked to provide a history of their company, not only in terms of its origins
and performance, but also in terms of the particular problems it faced (and faces) and the particular decisions it
made (and makes) in solving them. In all, 20 managers were approached, of whom 15 managers agreed to
participate. They expressed interest in the subject once the purposes of the study were explained to them.
3.3 Data Analysis
Understanding brand strategy development at the level of decision-making required two types of analysis, both
following the general procedures of case-study research (Creswell 2007). The first was a within-case analysis.
The second was cross-case analysis of themes revealed by the first analysis.
4. Findings
This section summarizes the key findings from the interviews, with respondents in each of the two branches. An
overview of each branch is first offered, which is followed by brand strategy and then by further details of the
tactics that were used to support the strategy.
4.1 Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education was the first branch of education service provider in Jordan, starting in 1939 under
the brand name Ministry of Education. The minster of education was established in 1985 as Jordan's first
education branch. Since then, it has grown considerably. It currently has a presence in every single part of the
country; it is the market leader in Jordan and many neighboring countries such as the Gulf countries. Ministry of
Education is also the only education provider in the Arab world in terms of geographic presence. It currently
provides education service to 2.2 million students (all statistics from Ministry of Education 2012).
4.2 The Ministry of Education Brand Strategy
Ministry of Education respondents agreed that, broadly, brand strategy involves formulating a set of plans aimed
to realize the ministry objectives. One respondent also commented on image, and another mentioned managing
the complexity of a brand. The respondents also agreed that Ministry of Education aims to be a major regional
government provider by 2015, and that the Ministry’s brand strategy focuses on high quality education and up-
to-date services, while aspiring to the mass market. Thus, they agreed that the Ministry’s brand strategy fosters a
perception of high-quality education services, with a view towards dominating the Jordanian and, in time,
the Middle Eastern and regional markets.
From 1985 onwards, the period during which other players in education like Ministry of Higher Education,
public and private colleges and skilled and training colleges entered the Jordanian market, the Ministry of
Education strengthened its brand image and positioning in response to aggressive competition. From 1980 to
2000, it presented itself as a 'pioneer', and thereby a leader, and as the first in the education sector in Jordan.
Over time, the Ministry of Education brand strategy has remained largely unchanged. The only major shift came
in 1999 when the Ministry changed its brand identity by re-branding itself to cope with the demand of
technology globally.
Largely, the Ministry’s top leaders formulate the brand strategy. Thus, the strategy was formulated and
implemented in a largely top-down manner, and branding for technology services and Internet services is
integrated. One manager explained:
Our brand strategy is driven by what our Ministry wants to achieve and by the nature of the market that

5. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
12
we operate in. For example, here in Jordan, we would like to increase the number and the quality of
education services through the country. At the same time we try to increase the value of our services
and teachers to our current students and parents. (Marketing Manager, Ministry of Education)
The Ministry of Education developed a persona to appeal to Jordanian values. This persona is a blend of
traditional family values and cultural values. On the one hand, the Ministry of Education came up with slogans
such as students are the leaders of tomorrow and we care about building professionals, which portrayed it as a
family member, and on the other it portrayed itself as a socially responsible regional citizen. The Ministry made
philanthropic gestures in Jordanian education, health, sport and community development, and ensured that all
Jordanians knew about these gestures.
The entry of the Ministry of Higher Education and the spread of the higher education private sector made the
Jordanian market more competitive. Private schools and colleges, in particular, competed on price and quality. In
response, the Ministry of Education re-branded itself from a public and government bureaucratic sector to a
highly competitive branch of education, using the company name of the ministry throughout its operations for
the first time. Its new logo appeared ubiquitously in the Middle-Eastern media as part of a pan-Middle-
Eastern advertising campaign. In Jordan, the logo and new marketing strategies were launched heavily to capture
large television audiences and to provide the occasion for the Ministry to sponsor public banquets, serving free
food in public tents throughout Jordan. The Ministry of Education logo featured prominently at such banquets.
As aforementioned, the development of these tactics was and is top-down, with top management being largely
responsible for changes in brand strategy.
4.3 The Higher Education Ministry
The Ministry of Higher Education is owned and operated by the government of Jordan. It was created in 1974 by
Ahmad Alwazi, prime minster of Jordan at that time, but was combined with the Ministry of Education a few
times between the 1980`s and 1990`s. Ministry of Higher Education is now among the leading higher education
providers in the Middle East region. It has over 615 thousand students, teachers and professors spread over 35
colleges and universities in Jordan. Of these colleges and universities, almost 370 thousand are in public colleges
compared to 245 thousand in private colleges. The Higher Education Ministry is also Jordan's largest provider
of professionals for the Ministry of Education and the education sector in general. It is also the largest provider
of teachers to many neighboring states. It is now the second largest educational provider in Jordan after the
Ministry of Education.
4.4 The Ministry of Higher Education Brand Strategy
The Ministry of Higher Education respondents agreed that, generally, brand strategy involves formulating a plan
aimed to realize ministry objectives - that is, they had the same general view of brand strategy as the Ministry of
Education respondents. One respondent also mentioned the importance of image in differentiating the Ministry
of Higher Education from the Ministry of Education and other competing higher educational services in the
region. The respondents also agreed that the Ministry aims to be the preferred choice in Jordan and the Middle
East, as well as in the rest of the world in terms of higher education. At first, the Ministry of Higher Education
used the image of the strategic higher education provider in offering service quality coupled with reasonable
price. Thus, The Ministry’s functional values at this time were 'high-quality' and 'inexpensive', values that may
be perceived as being mutually exclusive. Although higher education gained a substantial part of the Jordanian
market, the Ministry of Education has remained the market leader in education. However, Jordanians perceived
Higher Education Ministry as being of a better quality than Ministry of Education, at least partly as a result of
pricing and branding policy.
The Ministry of Higher Education countered the negative aspects of its image by promoting itself as through
many private universities as these universities care more about the bottom-line more than the quality of
education. While many private schools did more to improve their image and more students and parents could
feel proud to be associated with these institutions. It thus incorporated being 'nice' professional and high quality
education and being part of local and regional communities. Following Ministry of Education’s lead, Ministry of
Higher Education presented itself as a problem solver for Jordanian people in terms of the quality of higher
education and the demand for it.
Ministry of Higher Education’s brand strategy is formalized and suggested by the Ministry of Education, but the
Higher Education Ministry has the ability to adapt it to cater to the Jordanian market and demands. Thus, the
brand strategy is also top-down, but less so than the brand strategy of the Ministry of Education.
4.5 Ministry of Higher Education Tactics
Jordanians commonly regard many state-owned organizations as being corrupt and managed by incompetents.
This pertains to the Arabic concept of wasta, which loosely translates as the use of powerful, often political,
connections to obtain favor. Wasta remains widespread in the Middle East (George 2005). The Higher Education
Ministry suffers from this negative image, but with the establishment of many private institutions this becomes
less and less of a concern.

6. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
13
Ministry of Higher Education’s initial marketing tactics were unsubtle. The Ministry relied on occasional media
advertisements and feeding journalists stories, neither of which had much to do with the Ministry`s brand
identity. Between 1999-2010, they started to sponsor philanthropic projects, but this did little to improve its
image and its acceptability. During these early years, private universities targeted sections of the market
untapped by public universities, especially students who are looking for the flexibility of going to school and
work at the same time. The requirements for admission are also less difficult than public schools. This gave
private sector in education a larger market share; especially as the families, relatives and friends of students used
private education as a way of improving opportunities in life. The demand increased for private education as
public education was perceived as poor quality and cheap. Another marketing tactic implemented by the
Ministry, however, was unsuccessful. Private universities offered a special program for under performing or
students with low grades in high school. This attempt did not enhance the private university brand values and its
brand personality, this ploy succeeded only in reinforcing its poor image.
Competing on price led some private universities to engage tactically with other private and public universities
in a kind of price war. The price war slightly increased some of these universities market share, but overall these
universities position of providing good value for the money was relatively ineffective against some of the public
colleges that were in the position of appealing to Jordanian market demand.
The entry of new private universities into the Jordanian market provided the trigger for many other schools to
become more proactive in their brand strategies, and to undertake re-branding and re-positioning. Before these
new private universities launched their new identity, existing universities and colleges in both the private and
public sector fed Jordanian media propaganda to the effect that they offer a high quality education, a message
that was reinforced by a media campaign.
Some of the private universities launched a T.V. campaign in between 2005-2011; focusing their campaign in
the months that follow (Ramadan) every year. Jordanians spend most of this time watching television, visiting
each other and travelling. The campaign used television, the press and, crucially, street advertising. Within
months, these organizations changed all their product packaging and all the façades of and décor within their
points of purchase throughout Jordan. These new campaigns used new logos and messages, which were featured
in many places in the media.
Brand strategy:
'We tried to position the power of education brand at MEU by showing its regional spread'.
(Marketing director, MEU Jo)
5. Discussion
This study of brand strategy in the education, both private and public, sector in Jordan offers a number of
interesting insights into the evolution of brand strategy in a service sector, and, specifically, demonstrates the use
of branding to respond to competitive threats.
5.1 Perspectives on and Control of Brand Strategies
With the exception of the respondents from a couple of new universities, most respondents agreed that
brand strategy involves formulating a set of plans to realize company objectives, and thus view brand strategy as
a central component of business strategy. This level of agreement is somewhat surprising given the ambiguity in
definitions of brand strategy in the literature, but it is reassuring as many authors argue that clear and accurate
definitions of key terms, and management's use of them, improves corporate performance (McWilliam & de
Chernatony 1989; Aaker & Joachimsthaler 2000; Osler 2003; Kotler & Pfoertsch 2006). In addition, respondents
also variously mentioned image, brand complexity, positioning and differentiating the private sector from its
rivals the public sector.
Both sectors took a top-down approach to the formulation of brand strategy and brand tactics, with the exception
of one university, where brand tactics are mainly determined by a sub-section of the university marketing
department. Respondents made little reference to the role of employees in delivering the brand experience, an
aspect that is regarded as important in the services branding literature (de Chernatony & Segal-Horn 2003).
Public sector has no separate branding department, whereas private sector has. All except for one private
university have an integrated brand architecture, and use the same corporate brand in association with various
educational services.
5.2 Brand Strategy as a Competitive Tool
There is very clear evidence that in this marketplace brand strategy is used to protect or expand market share. As
discussed in the literature (Chan-Olmsteda & Jamison 2001; Singh 2006), the educational market is dynamic and
highly competitive. With an intangible service, brand is one of the few tools for differentiation (Berry 2000).
It is evident that in this sector, the need for brand strategy is associated with entry of competition into the
marketplace. Some of the private universities had no need for proactive branding until other private universities
entered the marketplace. Furthermore, until new organizations entered the marketplace, some organizations in
the private sector had the luxury of succeeding in the marketplace despite what consumers perceived as a

7. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
14
contradictory set of values. It seems unlikely that, had some of the private universities not employed a vigorous
brand strategy supported by integrated tactics, they would have made headway within Jordan. These
organizations entered the market last; they were small, and their major rivals (private university established in
early 2000, had already gained considerable market presence). Moreover, some of the new private universities
offered no technological advantages over its rivals. Their success appears to have been owing largely to these
organizations perspicacious marketing and, even more, to their brand strategy (Doyle 2001; Kapferer 2008).
A key element of brand strategy and brand evolution is re-branding. Merrilees and Miller (2008) suggest that
there has been limited research into corporate re-branding. Their research emphasizes the need for maintaining
core values and cultivating the brand, linking the existing brand with the revised brand, targeting new segments,
getting stakeholder buy-in, achieving alignment of brand elements and the importance of promotion in awareness
building. Re-branding is used in this sector in response to competition in the marketplace. Both private and
public sectors used re-branding in the face of competitive threats from new entrants to the marketplace. Re-
branding has been used as an opportunity to:
• Develop and communicate a clearer identity.
• Sharpen and sometimes change positioning and targeting.
• Undertake a marketing educational campaign to increase brand awareness.
• Align brand architecture so that the corporate brand is used for all services.
5.3 Brand Values are a Key Aspect of Brand Strategy
As summarized, the two sectors identified the centrality of brand values to positioning and engaging with their
targeted market segments. The literature suggests that clear positioning is important to business success (Keller
2002; Kapferer 2008). Education public sector, the first entrant to the market, built a strong position based on
their high identification with the Jordanian people. After a shaky start, private organization in the education
sector recognized the value of representing themselves as regional organizations, and thereby appealed to the
Jordanian's aspirations to be 'regional and global citizens'. In their different ways, Public and private universities
wrestled with the potential advantages and disadvantages of what might be perceived by consumers as predatory
globalization, and chauvinistic nationalism (Gibbs and Ilkan 2008). On the other hand, they struggled with
convincing potential customers that a brand can be both 'high quality' and 'inexpensive'. In contrast, being
'affordable' did not appear to negatively impact some of these organizations, because its low prices were
consistent with its image of serving the needs of their main target group, the young. Karjaluoto et al. (2005)
demonstrated that price (coupled with technological advances) was the most influential factor in the choice of a
new major. It is not therefore surprising that the price of completing a college degree has played a central role in
competitive strategies and positioning. Some organization identity and values reflected its niche strategy of
targeting to the demand of Jordanians in the workplace context; they sought to offer ' the best education for the
market demand '.
There is also the issue of core versus extended identity. The core identity of private sector is excellent
technology; their extended identity includes Arab pride and family values. In one university case, the core
identity and the extended identity are consistent. Another private university, by contrast, appears to have suffered
because there was a tension between its core identity (excellent technology) and its extended identity (being
inexpensive). Further, the relative lack of success of a couple of universities in contrast to the success of others
may be explained by these two universities failure to develop an extended identity (Aaker 1997).
5.4 Brand Communications Strategies
Brand communications strategies are important in bringing the brand to the attention of audiences. The two
branches in the education sector in Jordan all adopted integrated marketing communication, although in the case
of the public this was limited to advertising, and some recognition of the importance of word-of-mouth. The
private sector also noted the importance of word-of-mouth, and to support this engaged in philanthropy. While
some sought the endorsement of politicians and celebrities, and other organizations were proactive in managing
publicity. Both sectors also used advertising.
The most interesting and proactive phases of brand communication were associated with market entry and re-
branding. As illustrated in the findings section, marketing tactics were innovative and tailored to the market
segment. Private sector was arguably the most astute in choosing the places, channels and messages to make
contact with its target audience, young people. While public, it might be argued, was relatively uninventive, but
this may be due to the fact that they operated primarily in a larger market in which promotion is through contacts
and networks.
6. Conclusions
This article offers a range of insights into brand strategy in the education sector in Jordan. It responds to calls
from other researchers for more research into brand strategy in the service sector, in general, and the private and
public education sector, in particular. The study demonstrates the extent to which the evolution of
competitive strategy and brand strategy is interwoven, and highlights the contribution of brand strategy to the

8. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
15
achievement of company objectives. Brand strategy is used to protect or expand market share, and branding
initiatives are typically associated with the entry of competition into the marketplace. Re-branding is often a key
element of such responsive brand strategies, and despite the challenges associated with changing brand identity,
most of the private educational organizations succeeded in changing their brand identity.
Brand values are shown to be central to positioning and engaging with targeted market segments. There is
evidence that clear and credible positioning contributes to business success, but also that some of the private
universities wrestled with convincing potential customers that their various brand values constituted a coherent
identity. In particular, public universities suffered from a tension between core identity and extended identity,
and some private universities failed to develop an extended identity.
Brand education strategies are core to bringing the brand, its values and its identity to the attention of audiences,
and in addition play a major role in market entry and re-branding exercises. The two sectors: private and public
organization adopted integrated marketing education, but the portfolio of marketing education activities varied
between the two sectors. Marketing tactics were innovative and tailored to the market segment. Advertising and
word-of-mouth fuelled by endorsement from politicians and celebrities were key channels.
This article is one contribution to the knowledge and understanding of branding in relation to the relatively
uncharted territories of branding in the education (public and private) industry, and in the Middle East.
Accordingly, there is plenty of scope for further research. Others have already acknowledged the importance of
further research into the branding of services. Specifically, further research could fruitfully focus on:
Branding in the education industry, both globally and in different countries. Such research might focus on both
services and technological aspects, branding in the Middle East, focusing both on the brand strategies adopted in
different sectors, and the response of consumers to such strategies.
References
Aaker, D.A. & Joachimsthaler, E. (2000), Brand Leadership, New York, NY: The Free Press.
Aaker, J. (1997), Dimensions of brand personality, Journal of Marketing Research 34(3), 347-356.
Ambler, T. & Barwise, P. (1998), The trouble with brand valuation, Journal of Brand Management 5(5), 367-
377.
Aydin, S. & Ozer, G. (2005), The analysis of antecedents of customer loyalty in the Turkish mobile
telecommunication market, European Journal of Marketing 39(7/8), 910-925.
Badri, M.A., Davis, D.L. & Davis, D.F. (1995), Decision support for global marketing strategies: The effects of
country of origin on product evaluation; country of origin effects, Journal of Product and Brand
Management 4(5), 49-64.
Balakrishnan, M. (2008), Dubai a star in the east a case study in strategic destination branding, Journal of Place
Management and Development 1(1), 62-91.
Berry, L. (2000), Cultivating service brand equity, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 28(1), 128-137.
Brodie, R. (2009), From goods to service branding: An integrative perspective, Marketing Theory 9(1), 107-111.
CIA. (2009), World factbook: Jordan. [Online], https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/jo.html, accessed 20 February 2009.
Cooperman, H. & Shechter, R. (2008) [Online], The not-so-lonely rider in the non-dusty desert: 'Marlboro
Country', the new middle class, and the geography of economic liberalism in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey,
Presented at the Ninth Mediterranean Research Meeting, Mediterranean Programme Series, Montecatini Terne,
Florence, Italy 12-15 March 2008, http://0-hdl.handle.net.library.regent.edu/1814/8811, accessed 15 March
2009.
Creswell, J.W. (2007), Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design Choosing among Five Approaches, 2nd ed.,
California: Sage publications.
de Chernatony, L. (2001), From Brand Vision to Brand Evaluation . Oxford, England: Butterworth-Heineman.
de Chernatony, L. & Dall'Olmo Riley, F. (1998), Modeling the components of the brand. European Journal of
Marketing 32(11/12), 1074-1090.
de Chernatony, L. & McDonald, M. (2003), Creating Powerful Brands in Consumer Service and Industrial
Markets, 3rd ed. Oxford, England: Butterworth Heinemann.
de Chernatony, L. & Segal-Horn, S. (2003), The criteria for successful services brands. European Journal of
Marketing 37(7/8), 1095-1118.
Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (2005), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
George, A. (2005), Jordan: Living in the Crossfire, London, UK: Zed Books Ltd.
Gibbs, P. & Ilkan, M. (2008), The ethics of marketing in Islamic and Christian communities: Insights for global
marketing, cross cultural management. An International Journal 15(2), 162-175.
Ind, N. (1997), The Corporate Brand, Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan Business.
Kapferer, J. (1992), Strategic Brand Management New Approaches to Creating And Evaluating Brand Equity,

9. European Journal of Business and Management www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1905 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2839 (Online)
Vol.5, No.19, 2013
16
New York, NY: The Free Press.
Kapferer, J. (2008), The New Strategic Brand Management: Creating and Sustaining Brand Equity Long Term,
4th ed. London, UK: Kogan Page.
Karjaluoto, H., Karvonen, J., Kesti, M., Koivumäki, T., Manninen, M., Pakola, J., Ristola, A. & Salo, J. (2005),
Factors affecting consumer choice of mobile phones: Two studies from Finland. Journal of
Euro Marketing 14(3), 59-82.
Keller, K.L. (1998), Strategic Brand Management Building, Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, 1st ed. New
Jersey, USA: Prentice Hall.
Keller, K.L. (2002), Strategic Brand Management Building Measuring and Managing Brand Equity, 2nd ed.
New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education.
Kotler, P. (2003), Marketing Management, 11th ed. London, UK: Upper Saddle River, N.J Pearson Education
International.
Kotler, P. & Pfoertsch, W. (2006), B2B Brand Management: The Success Dimensions of Business Brands, New
York, NY: Springer.
Liu, C. (2002), The effects of promotional activities on brand decision in the cellular telephone industry, Journal
of Product and Brand Management 11(1), 42-51.
Madden, T., Frank, F. & Susan, F. (2006), Brands matter: An empirical demonstration of the creation of
shareholder value through branding, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 34(2), 224-235.
Madhavaram, S., Badrinarayanan, V. & McDonald, R. (2005), Integrated marketing communication (IMC) and
brand identity as critical components of brand equity strategy, Journal of Advertising 34(4), 69-80.
Martensen, A. (2007), Tweens' satisfaction and brand loyalty in the mobile phone market, Young Consumers:
Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers 8(2), 108-118.
McWilliam, G. & de Chernatony, L. (1989), Branding terminology: The real debate, Marketing Intelligence &
Planning 7(7/8), 29-32.
Merrilees, B. & Miller, D. (2008), Principles of corporate rebranding, European Journal of Marketing 42(5/6),
537-552.
Murphy, J. (1990), Brand Strategy, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hill.
O'Loughlin, D. & Szmigin, I. (2007), Services branding revealing the rhetoric in financial services, Services
Industry Journal 27(4), 435-452.
Orange (2009) [Online], http://www.francetelecom.com/enEN/, accessed 25 January 2009.
Osler, R. (2003), Infusing business and brand strategies into account planning, Marketing Intelligence and
Planning 23(7), 435-439.
Oxford Business Group (2010), The report Jordan 2009, http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/
publication.asp?country=19, accessed 19 January 2010.
Park, C.W., Jaworski, J. & Maclumis, D.J. (1986), Strategic brand concept-image management, Journal of
Marketing 10(4), 135-145.
Petromilli, M., Morrison, D. & Million, M. (2002), Brand architecture: Building brand portfolio
value, Strategy and Leadership 30(5), 22-28.
Riquelme, H. (2001), Do consumers know what they want? Journal of Consumer Marketing 18(5), 437.
Sandikci, Ö. & Ekici, A. (2009), Politically motivated brand rejection, Journal of Business Research 62(2), 208-
217.
Schoenfelder, J. & Harris, P. (2004), High-tech corporate branding: Lessons for market research in the next
decade, qualitative market research, An International Journal 7(2), 91-99.
Singh, S. (2006), A Critical Marketing Appraisal of the Global Telecommunications Industry, MSc thesis,
Cranfield University, UK.
Stake, R.E. (2006), Multiple Case Study Analysis, New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Stern, B. (2006), What does brand mean? Historical-analysis: Method and construct definition, Journal of the
Academy of Marketing Science 34(2), 216-223.
Walstrom, A., Karlsson, T. & Salehi-Sangari, E. (2008), Building a corporate brand: The internal brand building
process in Swedish service firms, Brand Management 16(1-2), 40-50.
Wilska, T. (2003), Mobile phone use as part of young people's consumption styles, Journal of Consumer
Policy 26(4), 441-463.
Wu, Y. & Ardley, B. (2007), Brand strategy and brand evolution: Welcome to the world of the
meme, TheMarketing Review 7(3), 301-310.
Xie, H. & Boggs, D. (2006), Corporate branding versus product branding in emerging markets: A conceptual
framework, Marketing Intelligence and Planning 24(4), 347-364.
Yin, R.K. (2003), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 3rd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

10. This academic article was published by The International Institute for Science,
Technology and Education (IISTE). The IISTE is a pioneer in the Open Access
Publishing service based in the U.S. and Europe. The aim of the institute is
Accelerating Global Knowledge Sharing.
More information about the publisher can be found in the IISTE’s homepage:
http://www.iiste.org
CALL FOR JOURNAL PAPERS
The IISTE is currently hosting more than 30 peer-reviewed academic journals and
collaborating with academic institutions around the world. There’s no deadline for
submission. Prospective authors of IISTE journals can find the submission
instruction on the following page: http://www.iiste.org/journals/ The IISTE
editorial team promises to the review and publish all the qualified submissions in a
fast manner. All the journals articles are available online to the readers all over the
world without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from
gaining access to the internet itself. Printed version of the journals is also available
upon request of readers and authors.
MORE RESOURCES
Book publication information: http://www.iiste.org/book/
Recent conferences: http://www.iiste.org/conference/
IISTE Knowledge Sharing Partners
EBSCO, Index Copernicus, Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, JournalTOCS, PKP Open
Archives Harvester, Bielefeld Academic Search Engine, Elektronische
Zeitschriftenbibliothek EZB, Open J-Gate, OCLC WorldCat, Universe Digtial
Library , NewJour, Google Scholar