Intersecting inequalities in higher education: reaching out to LGBT-identified students on universities marketing communications

The marketisation of higher education has led to increasing emphasis on universities to market themselves to prospective students, competitions among all institutions – not just the very best to attract perspective students. Previous studies has suggested that educational qualifications, geographical mobility and financial considerations affects students choice of Universities and more likely universities will be presenting these information to attract prospective students. This research goes outside these conventional marketing appeal to consider if sexual orientation of students are considered as an advertising appeal and reaching out to prospective LGBT students, after all in the same vein as the Guardian and Times Higher Education Ranking of Universities, Stonewall, a UK charity that works for the equal rights of LGBT people, compiles the ‘Gay by Degree’ ranking of universities in UK, rating how gay-friendly these universities are. Results indicated that unlike disability or race, sexual orientation is seldom considered in University marketing communication, suggesting the need to intersect this inequalities in higher education recruitment

The American citizen who plays tennis: Analysis of the highest-paid female athletes over ten years period

Forbes Magazine compiles Highest-Paid Female Athletes in the world; the list contains ten female athletes with the highest earning which includes all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned. This present study analysed the content of these ranking over ten years period from 2009 to 2018 to understand the calibre of sportswomen who have achieved that much, the sports they play and perhaps an insight into their personality. Twenty-five female athletes appeared on the list, from 18 countries, playing six different sports. The study concludes that for a sportswoman to become one of the highest paid female athletes in the world, she must be an American citizen who plays Tennis, as American citizens and Tennis players dominated the list. This highlight implications for governing bodies, talent managers and even sportswomen, especially those in team sports as the list was dominated with athletes in non-team sports. The country of origin seems to be a contributing factor as well. This study adds to the existing literature on sports marketing and celebrity endorsements. Specifically shed more light on sportswomen as individuals, their sports and country of origin. Implications for researchers, policymakers and Managers are provided. Research agenda for future studies were also presented

Marketing mix in a heterogenous higher education market: a case of Africa

The chapter recognises that the higher education market in Africa is heterogeneous with different players across different countries on the continent. There are different expectations and marketing challenges, and with that understanding, this chapter does not provide a generalizable insight but is positioned as a theoretical paper which provides a foundation for future studies into understanding the higher education market in Africa. Recognising the increasingly important role that marketing is playing in student recruitment and brand awareness, this chapter provides a holistic understanding of the higher education market in Africa from a marketing perspective using the 7Ps of marketing, identifies key challenges within the market which presents strategic marketing implications and provides recommendation for managers and policymakers, which addresses the raised strategic marketing implications

Typology of Nigeria universities: a strategic marketing and branding implication

The chapter aims to provide a holistic view of the higher education market in Nigeria by explicitly focusing on the universities. The chapter achieves this by, firstly, providing an insight into the ownership structure of Nigerian universities, identifying the role of the government, and private individuals and organisations in developing the higher education landscape of Nigeria. Secondly, the chapter discusses the heritage of Nigerian universities, highlighting development across eight different generations to the present. Thirdly, the chapter presents the structures in place for teaching and learning, based on the programmes being offered by the universities, an emphasis on the curriculum and meeting the human resources demands for the country. Fourthly, the brand identities of the universities are explored to understand better how universities in Nigeria are being branded with a named identity and the different approach adopted by the public and private universities. Lastly, the chapter explores the location and distribution of universities across the geopolitical zones of the country. Although the study solely focused on Nigeria, it is anticipated that this study will contribute to the ongoing research on understanding and marketing higher education in Africa. Hence, making relevant theoretical implications for academic researchers and students with interests in higher education management, policy development, and marketing higher education in Africa

Analysis of African universities’ corporate visual identities

Visual identities are arguably the most prominent manifestation of a brand, and with universities around the world are behaving increasingly as corporations, there creative efforts towards rebranding and changes in their logo are recognised. Using the African higher education sector as an example, this chapter draws on the theories of corporate visual identities to provide a theoretical framework for African universities’ corporate visual identities. In so doing, this chapter advances theory in brand identity, design, and development. While there are many forms of visual brand identifies, this chapter focuses especially on logos. The logos of the top 200 universities in Africa were analysed to understand the creative elements adopted in creating the visual brand identities for these universities. The study found that overall there appears to be a lack of understanding with regards to the creative design of brand identities by African universities, though with some exceptions as illustrated in the top 20 logos selected in the chapter. The chapter concludes with some suggestions to extend the current body of knowledge in the literature on the corporate logo and corporate visual identity, especially with a focus on HEI brands in the African context. This study presented a theoretical framework of universities’ brand identities which focuses on the shape, colour, and typeface of the logo

Driving the electric vehicle agenda in Nigeria: The challenges, prospects and opportunities

In Nigeria, a developing country and prominent oil producer, the transition towards electric vehicle adoption is unfolding amidst unique challenges. This study addresses crucial research gaps concerning Electric vehicle adoption in developing nations, with Nigeria as a focal point. Through interviews with 31 experts, we have uncovered a landscape filled with challenges and opportunities. The hurdles include a scarcity of charging infrastructure, a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, affordability issues, and unequal access to energy. On the bright side, there are prospects for cost savings backed by government support, adaptable manufacturers, and the potential for renewable energy utilisation. We propose comprehensive awareness campaigns to fast-track electric vehicle adoption, expanding charging infrastructure, government-driven policies, and integrating localised technology, specifically focusing on last-mile transport. Our study contributes valuable insights into Electric vehicle adoption in developing countries, offering theoretical and practical implications for sustainable transportation solutions

Social media for universities’ strategic communication

In the field of digitalisation and the acceptance of technologies, African universities are seriously behind the movement of their counterparts in Europe, the USA, and Asia. At a time when universities in different continents are facing increasing competition, they have come to realise that social media is a powerful and effective way to promote their activities and thus significantly improve the sector. This study informs about the purpose of social media in higher education in Africa, in that it assesses the various potentials and objectives that African universities can achieve using social media. Also, the chapter draws a holistic vision while focusing specifically on social media for communication in an African context, recognising the specific challenges facing African universities. Subsequently, the chapter lists several vital social media that are typically used by universities with a focus on the type of use and the different scopes. The chapter also highlights best practices for universities wishing to improve their social media communication strategies while listing potential implications for university engagement via social media

Qualitatively exploring the effect of change in the residential environment on travel behaviour

Qualitative research with residents relocating from London was undertaken to develop an understanding of how and to what extent a change in the residential environment affected people’s travel behaviour and attitudes. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and was thematically analysed. The findings reveal that when in a new location, residents observe the features of their built environment, identify the cause of their stress, and make efforts to address it with a change in travel behaviour. The key contribution of this study is the realisation of different levels of travel behaviour in response to a change in residential location – some residents maintained their travel behaviour, some complemented it, while some changed their behaviour to adapt to their new built environment. Theoretically, this research contributes to the extension of knowledge on travel behaviour as it focuses on suburbanising Londoners; the qualitative method adopted for this research also contributes to current knowledge. Practically, there is the potential of developing a travel behaviour change initiative around ridesharing and policy changes and initiatives to improve physical planning and sustainable travel

Attitudes towards brands and advertisements: Qualitative and thematic analysis of social media data

This chapter identifies that social media are changing the manner in which brands and consumers relate to one another. Customers are co-creating value and meaning with brands, generating data which can be qualitatively analysed to further enhance our understanding of attitudes towards brands and their advertisements. The chapter adopts the Grounded Theory for the data analysis. The extracted comments were coded, following a three-part process in order to understand consumers' attitudes towards the bank's brand image and the advertisement. The chapter provides an outline of how to perform an analysis of self-reported comments on social media to gain qualitative insight into advertisements and brands. The possibilities of analysing user-generated comments on brand content on social media in order to understand consumers' responses and attitudes towards the brand and its advertisements have been represented, with case studies of a UK bank Facebook post