Building the University Brand in Bosnia and Herzegovina

This paper revolves around the current brand identity of 5 existing higher education institutions in Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the fact that insufficient attention is paid to the issue. It reviews the existing actions of these academic institutions on branding and positioning in the society/market. The accent is on the actual need for branding, due to the high competition that has grown in the past 6 years, and the fact that education in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become more commercial than ever. Data gathered through questionnaires, structured interviews with pupils and students, and direct contact to these 5 higher education institutions was analyzed. Research results explain how the public image of institution contributes to the students’ selection of the university. With comparison to branding standards and initiatives of successful universities in the World, paper proposes practical actions for building the brand identity of university in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Keywords:Branding, Corporate Image, University, Higher Education, Institutional Branding, Sarajevo, Positioning