Who knows Bobby Mo? Using intercollegiate athletics to build a university brand.

Clark, John S. ; Apostolopoulou, Artemisia ; Branvold, Scott 等

Introduction

Dr. Susan Hofacre, Director of Athletics at Robert Morris University (RMU), walked out of Massey Hall toward her car after her weekly Friday meeting with the University President. Susan was feeling both excited and troubled due to this most recent conversation concerning the RMU athletic program's role in the greater mission of the University. The prospect of using the athletic program to launch a comprehensive branding campaign for the University is one that Susan had wanted to pursue for many years, as she believed strongly that it would be an effective and efficient method for bringing national notoriety to the school. Her mind raced with the charge levied upon her by the University's new President to develop a plan that would achieve that goal; however, this excitement was tempered by the troubling issues of exactly how to put the plan together. Realistically, Susan would have to focus on at best only two or three specific sports, and she worried about possible negative effects such a strategy would have on current and future student-athlete perceptions about the programs not chosen, athletic department staff morale, as well as any Title IX implications designating a flagship sport might have. Further complicating matters was the implicit directive that whatever flagship sport or sports she chose must deliver on key objectives taken directly from the University's new Strategic Plan.

Susan knew the many benefits intercollegiate athletics may bring to colleges and universities, such as increased media coverage, an increase in the number of higher-quality students enrolling in the university, an enhanced ability to recruit distinguished faculty, increased donations from alumni and friends of the school, and an increased level of campus pride (e.g., Beyer & Hannah, 2000; Goff, 2000; Judson & Carpenter, 2005; Rhoads & Gerking, 2000; Smart & Wolfe, 2000; Wolfe, 2000). In fact, it wasn't long ago that her Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Sales was quoted in the local paper saying this when asked about how he perceived the role and value of athletics within the university:

Entertainment. Enrollment. Community. We provide a great entertainment option to faculty and staff since they and their families get in free to home games for the most part. We have 550 student-athletes and that is over 10 percent of the undergraduate population. As far as community is concerned, we want Moon Township to adopt us as their team. To do that, we have to continue to reach out. But the payoff is huge ... when we win, we hope the community, which may have no real affiliation with us, will be engaged and come out! (M. Galosi, personal communication, August 30, 2007)

Given all the factors she must consider, and how quickly the President wanted her plan, Susan knew that she would be spending most, if not all, of her weekend working on this task. Fortunately, in preparation for just such an assignment, she had been collecting what she thought were the relevant pieces of information necessary to put the plan together. She just hoped that the pieces would fit, making her job that much easier.

History of Robert Morris University

Robert Morris (RM) was founded in 1921 and for over 40 years was a two-year proprietary school located in downtown Pittsburgh. In the late 1960s the school was reformed as a private two-year junior college and expanded its operations to Moon Township, Pennsylvania. A major part of marketing its two-year program was its highly successful junior college basketball program coached by the legendary Gus Krop, who took the program to the National Junior College Basketball Championship game in 1969.

In 1968, Robert Morris College became a four-year degree granting institution; however it still retained its junior college athletics program, which featured basketball and focused exclusively on its men's athletics programs. During the mid-1970s a concern by the college's Board of Trustees and administration was that even though RM was evolving as a four-year undergraduate degree program and was preparing to introduce graduate degree programs, it was perceived to still be a two-year junior college. One of the reasons was the status of its athletics program. A decision was then made to move to a four-year traditional athletics program at the highest level of NCAA competition, Division I. The flagship sport at that time was men's basketball due to the minimal investment required relative to other major sports (such as football).

Robert Morris University Today

Robert Morris has undergone some significant changes over the past 15 years--diversifying from primarily a business school to an institution that today offers 30 undergraduate degree programs and 19 graduate programs. In 2002 Robert Morris College became Robert Morris University.

As of 2008, RMU remains a dynamic organization attempting to adapt to the changing winds of higher education. Currently 5,100 students attend RMU (1,100 of which are graduate students), representing 32 states and 31 countries. The student body contains slightly more males than females, and is predominantly Caucasian. As a testament to its roots, the institution remains one of the more affordable private educations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (approximately $26,000 for resident students). Both the quality of faculty and students has increased since 2000, with the school boasting 188 full-time faculty, 85% of which have earned a terminal degree in their field. Similarly, the student body continues to improve on admission metrics, with the freshman class now averaging over 1000 on their college board exams. Yet, all is not rosy on the 230-acre campus. Being reliant on student tuition has forced the university to defer several large maintenance projects in favor of buildings that directly translates to student recruitment and retention. The latter most directly applies to the continuous upgrading of residential dormitories and apartment buildings. However, even with these cosmetic changes, the everpresent complaint from students about a lack of student life echoes in the hallways.

A more disturbing trend facing the administration is the declining regional population of college-bound students. Of course, this will not harm only RMU, but all other institutions of higher learning as well as trade schools and community colleges. To confront this trend, the administration and University Board has developed a strategy to make RMU known in parts of the United States and world where a more populous college-bound student market resides. The major question regarding this strategy is how RMU will accomplish the deed. Some in administrative circles argue that the most efficient tactic to achieve mass recognition would be to utilize the athletic programs, in hopes that potential student athletes will be attracted to RMU because of the sport offering, and potential students' perceptions of RMU may be enhanced because of a successful intercollegiate athletic program.

Robert Morris University Athletics

Robert Morris College was granted Division I membership status beginning with the 1976-77 academic year, competing in men's basketball as an independent. In 1981, the institution joined the ECAC Metro Conference (which later changed its name to the current Northeast Conference). The Northeast Conference (NEC) was, and still is, comprised of low to mid-major schools located in the northeastern part of the United States. As the designated flagship sport, the RMU basketball squad did have some success during the 1980s, making the NCAA men's basketball tournament four times, but since then, the squad has failed to make the field of 65.

In addition to the recent changes undergone by the institution, the RMU athletics program has experienced some important changes, as well. In 1994, the school added non-scholarship football to its sports offerings, with the squad competing at the Division I-AAA non-scholarship level. At least a part of the rationale for this move was to enhance the image of the athletics program and the visibility of the institution. It was also a strategic choice on the part of the school to use athletics as a tool for driving enrollment. Robert Morris has continued to use this strategy as a guidepost for the direction the athletics program has taken in recent years. In 1996 women's crew was added, and since 2003 six more sports (field hockey, men's ice hockey, men's lacrosse, women's golf, women's ice hockey, and women's lacrosse) have been added to the varsity program. These sports have brought new students to the school and in many cases have expanded the geographic reach for prospective students. Western Pennsylvania has little history of developmental programs for most of these sports (football being the obvious exception), which provides a need to recruit in areas outside the traditional sources for Robert Morris students. As an example, fewer than 10% of the current hockey rosters are from the Pittsburgh area while about 33% are from outside the United States.

There are several other changes that have occurred that reflect Robert Morris University's commitment to athletics as a vehicle for increasing institutional visibility. In 2003, RMU purchased a commercial sports complex, the Island Sports Center, which includes hockey facilities, a large inflatable dome used primarily as an indoor golf driving range, and space that was subsequently developed for a track and field complex. In 2005, an on-campus football stadium was completed that has also been used for lacrosse and field hockey and includes a weight room and athletics department staff offices. In 2007, a new logo and mascot were introduced that attempted to create more identity for athletics than the more academically oriented logo that had been used for several years. Some close to the athletic program desire a new field house to replace the 3,000 seat Sewall Center, which was built in 1985 primarily to feature the men's basketball team. Today, both men's and women's basketball, volleyball, and track and field utilize that space, which has been stretched to capacity with athletic practices and games as well as other events (e.g., trade shows).

Around 560 current RMU students (approximately 15% of the student body) participate in varsity athletics. Most of those students would not be on campus without athletics. Athletics has also been viewed as a way to raise awareness of the school through media attention and coverage. When the women's basketball team makes it to the NCAA tournament or the men's hockey team defeats a highly ranked opponent such as the University of Notre Dame (2006-2007 season), it can produce public awareness that is difficult to attain in other ways. This can also help expand the geographic footprint the school has in attracting students, particularly when combined with the need to draw athletes from areas well outside of the local market. Most of the strategic decisions that have shaped RMU athletics in recent years have been a product of the desire to use athletics as an instrument for institutional growth in the form of greater enrollment, greater exposure, and greater student diversity.

Branding in Higher Education

Brand management or branding are terms used to describe marketing efforts made by organizations to develop and manage their brand in hope of establishing a strong position in their respective market and achieving competitive advantage (Keller, 2003). The goal of branding is to create meaningful differences in the way organizations are perceived by consumers and to add value via increased awareness levels, positive thoughts and feelings toward the brand, and strong customer loyalty (Aaker, 1991).

Despite its popularity and relevance among mainstream for-profit businesses, branding has not typically been a priority for institutions of higher education. Chapleo (2005, 2007) suggests that this may partially be a function of universities' scarce resources and also their resistance-driven internal cultures. But as competition for more and better students, distinguished faculty, and resources from external sources (e.g., donor giving, research grants) intensifies, universities are increasingly resorting to brand building techniques to differentiate their institutions from their competition and project a perception of quality and value. According to Plank (2000):

   An institution's brand is its personality, psychology,
   and attitude--as its constituents perceive it. It
   is the face by which an institution distinguishes
   itself from all others. Its brand--more than its faculty,
   campus, alumni, or students--is its most
   enduring asset.

A number of authors (e.g., Bunzel, 2007; Chapleo, 2005, 2007; Colyer, 2005; Jevons, 2006; Riley, 1998-99; Tan, 2001) have explored university-driven branding programs and institutions' efforts to achieve competitive advantage through building a strong brand--evidence of what Colyer (2005) describes as universities' shift "to a more commercial mindset." Whether led by increased emphasis on institutional image, reputation, or rankings (e.g., US News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" ranking), universities are investing significantly more resources on branding programs, occasionally with questionable results though, especially for the more established schools (Bunzel, 2007). A key point in the creation of a strong university brand is clarity, consistency, and coordination throughout the institution, beginning with the mission and values of the brand through to the institution's image-building and communications efforts (Chapleo, 2005; Jevons, 2006). Belanger, Mount, and Wilson (2002) argue that in order for a university to strengthen its identity and create a positive reputation among a variety of stakeholder groups it requires "coherence in projecting institutional image, in coordinating all aspects of communication and services, and in identifying with a credible set of values and type of behavior" (p. 226).

In their attempt to discuss visual identity and reputation as they relate to universities, Alessandri, Yang, and Kinsey (2006) found a significant relationship between a university's visual identity and its reputation; that is, a strong, clear identity led to a favorable rating of a university's reputation. Their research revealed three dimensions of a university's reputation: quality of academic performance (i.e., quality of education, faculty and students, leadership of institution), quality of external performance (i.e., visibility in the media, role in community), and emotional engagement (i.e., personal emotional connection to the institution). Surprisingly, the authors made no effort to directly measure the role of athletics in any of the three dimensions of reputation even though they included items such as visibility in the media and emotional ties with the university, common by-products of successful athletic programs. However, they did propose that 'athletic appeal' should be included in any future effort to develop a measurement model of university reputation, especially as it relates to emotional engagement of students with their university.

Informed by successful examples of universities' brand-building efforts, Tan (2001) discussed some branding guidelines, one of which suggests focusing on the experience instead of the actual product. She argued that the overall campus experience throughout their college years will be much more memorable for students than their academic involvement alone. University athletic programs provide excellent opportunities to enrich students' on-campus experience by providing a platform for students to connect with their school, a source of pride and affiliation, and an opportunity for continued interaction and support after graduation. Positive on-campus tenure, one enhanced by their experience with the school's athletic program, could lead students to develop lifelong favorable associations and loyalty toward their alma mater.

Brand Equity and Intercollegiate Athletics

Even though athletics has not been a particular focus in past research work on university branding, some efforts have developed in the sport marketing literature that examine brand management in the collegiate sport setting. Gladden, Milne, and Sutton (1998) were among the first to study brand equity in Division I intercollegiate athletics. The authors explored four components of brand equity, namely brand awareness, perceived quality, brand associations, and brand loyalty, previously introduced by Aaker (1991). They defined those components as they operate in the sport context and introduced a theoretical framework through which sport marketers can build equity for their brands. Their framework proposed that certain characteristics of a collegiate athletic program serve as "antecedents" (on-the-field success, coach, star players, program reputation and tradition, conference and game schedule, entertainment package, local and regional media coverage, geographic area, competition, fan support). Each of those antecedents impact some or all of the brand equity components. In turn, the created equity leads to certain "consequences" (national media coverage, ticket sales, game atmosphere, sponsorship revenues, licensed product sales, donations) and an overall market perception about the brand (Gladden et al., 1998).

Future research efforts used the proposed branding framework, more specifically the antecedent of head coach, to explore aspects of branding in collegiate sport. Notable examples include Robinson and Miller's (2003) examination of the impact of coach Bobby Knight's hiring at Texas Tech, as well as Bruening and Lee's (2007) effort to study Tyrone Willingham's influence on the Notre Dame football program and the University of Notre Dame as a whole. Both studies showed that the hiring of these high-profile coaches helped strengthen brand equity for their schools and resulted in a number of positive consequences for both the universities and their surrounding communities.

Current Robert Morris University Brand

With two exceptions, the RMU brand does not typically extend beyond the Southwestern Pennsylvania/Southeastern Ohio region. The two exceptions deal with specific academic programs; actuarial science and sport management--both with national recognition due to the career movements of alumni. Inside the Southwestern Pennsylvania region, RMU's brand position is favorable primarily among local/regional employers looking for recent graduates who want to work their way up the corporate ladder. Unlike their counterparts from the other, more prestigious universities in the Pittsburgh market, RMU graduates do not demand high initial salaries.

In terms of prospective students, RMU occupies the same academic position as local state universities--a comparison group that is based largely on price rather than academic attributes. Realistically, RMU does not fall into the same comparison groups as Carnegie Melon University, the University of Pittsburgh, or even Duquesne University that hold different positions in potential students' minds based on either real (academic ranking, cost, or historical relevance) or imagined criteria.

Internally, university administration desires RMU's position in prospective students' eyes to be one of an affordable, quality, private-school experience. RMU's mission statement reflects this desire:

As a private, comprehensive institution committed to active learning and student success, Robert Morris University is recognized for integrating liberal arts with a professionally focused, applied education that prepares students for leadership in a rapidly changing world. (RMU Strategic Plan, 2007)

Moreover, the institution's core values of Academic Excellence, Changing Lives, Active Learning, Individuals Matter, Professional Focus, and Global Perspective demonstrate the administration's efforts to uniquely position the school to compete during the 21st century.

When the university's new five-year Strategic Plan was published in 2007 it was evident that the administration was making a commitment to increasing the visibility of the school and enhancing student experience. (For a summary of the five strategic initiatives see Appendix A.) The increase in the marketing budget along with the hiring of a Chief Marketing Officer stand as proof that the institution intends to be aggressive in the pursuit of their initiatives. The university spends approximately $50,000 per year on media buys promoting the institution as a whole as opposed to specific programs. RMU's admission office actively seeks out students by hosting open houses at both the Moon Township and downtown campuses. The university also recently completed an overhaul of the website to make it more user-friendly, as it is believed that the website and word-of-mouth are the two most important promotional tools influencing students' decisions to attend RMU. Additionally, from 2004 to the present, the university has sponsored the Pittsburgh Speakers Series--a series of evenings spread throughout the academic year featuring internationally renowned personalities speaking at one of the premiere theaters in Pittsburgh. The Speaker Series sponsorship has received favorable press and cultivated favorable impressions from local business and civic leaders, an asset that may pay off in the future in terms of capital campaigns or planned giving; nevertheless, the primary market of college-bound students and their parents is not directly impacted by this sponsorship.

Since the creation of the intercollegiate athletic program at RMU, the program's role has been one of recruitment, with obvious success. However, new members of the university's senior administration believe that the athletic program has heretofore been under-leveraged in terms of the overall benefit that it could provide the institution. Interestingly, two of the five initiatives of the most recent Strategic Plan make specific reference to athletics as a vehicle for student engagement (Initiative 2) and as a potential source of publicity, revenue, and students (Initiative 4). According to the university's CMO, the RMU athletic program should be used to reach specific markets that contribute to the overall well-being (in every sense) of the university:

Athletics is a good way for us [RMU] to knock on their [target students'] door and introduce ourselves. To let them know that this is a real University and that we have a campus. We need to tell the [RMU] story ... and Athletics give us that brand platform. (K. Fisher, personal communication, April, 20, 2007)

More specifically, Ms. Fisher feels that the athletic program should: 1) aid in creating awareness among of market segment that traditionally has not considered RMU to be a viable alternative for higher education; 2) expand the reach in terms of awareness to the current market segment from which RMU draws students; and, 3) create awareness to academically stronger students who may have been aware of RMU, but never seriously considered attending the institution because of the university's perceived brand position. In this sense, the athletic program alters some people's perceptions to one where RMU is a "real" university. Once the institution's officials decide on a platform (i.e., the strategy to sell the school's unique selling proposition expressed in one to two sentences), the athletic program could be a highly visible, effective tool from which to leverage RMU's brand platform. This becomes more important as the institution targets students from socioeconomic market segments that are increasingly upwardly mobile from the current student population of middle-class families.

Obviously, a tuition-driven institution like RMU must operate within certain resource constraints. New building initiatives, as well as the pending decline in college-bound high school students that fit the traditional RMU demographic have forced the university administration to choose carefully how money is spent. This attitude impacts any broader branding strategy using the athletic program by forcing the university officials to choose only one or two sport programs as the focal point. These "flagship" sports would receive greater funding to aid in their pursuit of the university's objectives. This funding, while not explicitly stated in dollar amounts, would aid in recruiting efforts, increase the profile of the program through more direct marketing, and provide for more updated facilities, uniforms, travel, and athletic gear. In order to be selected as the "flagship" sport, an individual athletic program must adhere to some type of performance metric (i.e., win the conference, reach the NCAA tournament) and garner national publicity. More importantly, the "flagship" sports must attract the interest of a large segment of people representing a broad geographic distribution nationally. This segment of people should also be compatible with the current student segment and the desired student segment of the university. Finally, any selection of "flagship" sport must understand which sports have the best chance of "standing out" among its peers.

While not issuing statements publicly, nearby competitor schools appear to have designated a flagship sport or sports. For instance, at Duquesne University, men's basketball would most certainly be considered the school's flagship intercollegiate athletic program. Most University of Pittsburgh athletic officials would probably note that both football and men's basketball are flagship sports. Regional state schools would also follow this trend of having football or men's basketball receiving the flagship designation, although the exposure these programs and schools might receive as a result of a championship season would pale in comparison to a similar occurrence with Duquesne's or Pitt's programs.

Questions for Consideration

As Susan shuffled papers with various data from the RMU athletic program, she thought back to discussions she had held with the university's administration. It had become clear to her that any sport selected to lead athletic-related branding efforts should have some on-thefield success, but beyond that, the criteria under consideration were subjective. When debating each sport's ability to be considered a "flagship" sport, Susan mused aloud about the amount of national publicity to be gained from a squad's successful run in the post-season tournament. She thought about the fans following that sport and whether they were compatible with the RMU demographic. She also questioned whether some sports would bring a broad geographic appeal.

Thoughts of sports that could be on her short list were flying through her head: Should it be one or both basketball teams that experienced post-season success recently, or football and its large roster? Maybe it would make more sense to select men's ice hockey because of its attractive schedule and big wins. And what about the "smaller" sports like soccer. Should those even be considered? Susan was quickly realizing that identifying the selection criteria for a "flagship" designation would be a difficult task. Moreover, each sport seemed to have its own strengths and weaknesses. She needed to analyze all those, as well as any possible implications of her decision in order to be able to put forth a recommendation of at least two sports that would be designated as "flagship" and receive additional support from the university. Fortunately, she could rely on her experience and the initiatives listed in the RMU Strategic Plan for guidance as she prepared for her next meeting with the school's President.

Appendix A

Robert Morris University Strategic Initiatives

1. Initiative 1 contains goals and strategies that seek to improve the quality of RMU's schools, majors, and degree programs. This will be accomplished by seeking new program-level and regional accreditations and maintaining those that it already holds, measurement of continuous improvement via expanded outcomes assessment, enhancement of faculty credentials, scholarship and teaching, and by the pursuit of outside recognition of RMU's academic programs.

2. The goals and strategies associated with Initiative 2 seek to build a distinct, quality identity for the University that will attract prospective students as well as provide a high-quality college experience to current students. The preeminent goal under Initiative 2 is to provide a distinct, differentiable education that places enhanced emphasis upon experiential learning. RMU will provide more active learning opportunities via internships, study abroad, community service, and student involvement with faculty research. Student affinity with RMU will be heightened by providing more co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. The University will invest in several NCAA sports teams in order to improve their competitiveness. RMU will focus upon changing its student mix while continuing to grow its enrollment and improving the geographic, gender, and racial/ethnic diversity of its student body. Increases in retention and graduation rates are important goals of this Initiative and important measures of its success.

3. Much-needed improvements to RMU's facilities and infrastructure are the focus of Initiative 3. Facility needs will be prioritized and addressed via an updated campus Master Plan in concert with priorities set forth in the strategic plan. Critical upgrades to student living and activity spaces as well as academic/instructional environments are a high priority of Initiative 3. A general technology upgrade, accompanied by a more robust and secure information technology infrastructure, is also an important goal within this Initiative. Comprehensive plans will be formulated to address the University's downtown Pittsburgh operations and its remaining deferred maintenance backlog.

4. Initiative 4 addresses the need to bring focus and recognition to RMU's stature and presence in both existing and new markets via more and better marketing. RMU will apply more resources and strategy to enhancing and focusing its public image in both its primary market area as well as in new markets that are important to the attainment of its enrollment goals. Improvement of the University's ranking in external surveys is an important measure of the success of this Initiative.

5. Initiative 5 goals seek to develop non-tuition revenue streams that will bolster RMU's financial strength and flexibility as well as providing the means to carry out the Strategies set forth in this plan. A new capital campaign is the cornerstone of this Initiative and so is the inculcation of a culture of philanthropy among RMU faculty, staff, students, and alumni. The University will seek ways to improve the revenue contribution from both existing and new auxiliary enterprises, and it will seek to improve the number and quality of requests made to external funding sources.

Source: RMU Strategic Plan (2007, pp. 3-4)

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John S. Clark, Artemisia Apostolopoulou, Scott Branvold, and David Synwoka

John S. Clark, PhD, is an associate professor of sport management at Robert Morris University. His research interests include relationship marketing, sport sales, and cause-related marketing.

Artemisia Apostolopoulou, PhD, is an assistant professor of sport management at Robert Morris University. Her research interests include brand extension, sport sponsorship, and athletic endorsements.

Scott Branvold, EdD, is a professor of sport management at Robert Morris University. His research interests include college athletics operations and finances, sports ethics, and sports public relations.

David Synowka, PhD, is a professor of sport management at Robert Morris University. His research interests include collegiate athletics, risk management, and emerging marketing issues with technology and intellectual/property rights.