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In recent years, universities have increasingly recognized the importance of strategic brand management, leading to the creation of dedicated brand manager positions within their institutions.
The emergence of dedicated brand manager roles in higher education reflects a shift toward practices long-established in the corporate sector, where brand managers play a crucial role in shaping and maintaining a company's image.
We spoke with Beth Fritzinger, Brand Manager at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to gain insight into how this role is evolving, the challenges universities face, and the opportunities that lie ahead.
What does a university Brand Manager do?
Unlike corporate brand managers who focus on product differentiation and market positioning, higher education brand managers have to navigate a decentralized environment with multiple stakeholders, each with distinct needs and priorities.
Whether at a large research institution or a smaller college, brand managers' primary responsibility is to ensure brand consistency and alignment across all departments, schools, and communication channels.
At its core, the role (in higher ed) often involves:
- Developing and maintaining brand guidelines, ensuring that visual identity, messaging, and brand positioning are consistently applied across all university communications and marketing efforts.
- Brand education and advocacy by training faculty, staff, and administrators on branding principles and best practices, ensuring that branding is understood and embraced across the institution.
- Strategic brand alignment working with internal stakeholders—from admissions and advancement to academic departments—to align messaging with the university's overarching brand strategy.
- Managing brand assets and tools to create and distribute templates, digital resources, and physical branding materials to ensure easy access and compliance.
- Supporting reputation management and storytelling for a compelling institutional narrative that resonates with prospective students, alumni, donors, and the broader public.
While the specific focus of a brand manager may vary based on the size and structure of an institution, the goal remains the same: to protect and strengthen the university's reputation while ensuring a cohesive and authentic brand experience across all touchpoints.
JHU has a dedicated subdomain for their branding guidelines to make them easily accessible
At JHU, Beth's role (she herself reports to the Senior Director of Creative and Brand) is to ensure brand consistency across the University's central departments and its ten divisions, many with their own communication teams, research institutes, and identity.
"I often like to use this mantra from my University of Iowa colleagues: brand management is about trying to ‘make it easy for people to do the right thing' when it comes to branding.
From left to right: Abby Jackson, Beth Fritzinger, Marina Cooper from JHU
Brand management's impact on recruitment, reputation, and engagement
A well-managed brand doesn't just ensure visual consistency—it strengthens reputation, builds trust, and creates a seamless experience for students from recruitment through to alumni engagement.
At JHU, the recent launch of their Ten-for-One Strategic Framework aims to unify its diverse divisions under a shared brand umbrella as "One University."
"JHU is one of the most trusted names in higher education, and we realized we were missing opportunities to fully leverage that reputation," says Fritzinger. "By creating resources and alignment strategies, we're encouraging everyone to leverage our name, and ensure that prospective students, current students, and alumni all experience a cohesive brand."
This effort extends beyond communications and marketing teams.
"A real sign of internal brand awareness is when it becomes second nature," Fritzinger shares. "One day, we walked into our building, and the facilities team had painted the stair rails with the JHU blue. They didn't need to ask which color to use, they simply understood that blue is part of who we are."
Why universities are investing in brand management
Universities have historically hesitated to frame themselves as "brands" or "businesses," often prioritizing their academic mission over business-oriented strategies.
But as competition for students and funding intensifies, institutions recognize that strong branding is critical.
"In the past, universities shied away from thinking like businesses," says Fritzinger. "But at the end of the day, branding helps us communicate our value to students, faculty, and donors. Creative teams are stretched thin, so having a dedicated brand manager ensures that branding remains a strategic priority."
The challenges and future of brand management in higher education
One of the biggest challenges is maintaining a brand that has to work across a vast and evolving institution.
At JHU, the last major rebrand happened in 2013, but they're now gearing up for their 150th anniversary, kicking off in the fall 2026.
While the brand remains flexible, Beth explains, it has to continuously adapt to new academic programs, divisions, and initiatives—such as the university's growing presence in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Another challenge is balancing the needs of various stakeholders. "We're dealing with undergraduate and graduate programs, research divisions, medical institutions, and donor relations—all with different communication styles and goals," Fritzinger notes. "Our job is to make sure they can express their individuality while staying connected to the core brand."
The JHU brand resources page provides tools and guidelines to maintain a consistent brand identity. It includes downloadable design assets, a photo library, templates for branded materials, font guidelines, brand training, an editorial style guide, and trademark licensing information. These resources help ensure that all JHU communications align with the university's visual and editorial standards.
As branding becomes more integral to institutional strategy, Fritzinger expects brand management roles to expand.
In the next five to ten years, I wouldn't be surprised if we see Director of Brand positions and more specialized roles emerging."
She also predicts a stronger emphasis on accessibility in branding.
"We're moving beyond just color palettes and logos. Universities need to consider how branding intersects with digital accessibility—making sure colors meet contrast standards and that our websites and materials are inclusive." Technology and AI will also play a role in shaping branding strategies.
While JHU is exploring AI's potential for creative development, the Office of University Communications is taking a cautious, governance-driven approach.
They have a taskforce in charge of developing recommendations of what use cases are appropriate and can be used, and these can be hard conversations.
"We're assessing how AI can assist with tasks like mockups and content generation, but we're also aware of its risks," Fritzinger explains. "And we're trying to develop enough resources when it comes to branding that our communicators don't need to turn to AI for what they want to accomplish."
The brand guidelines also include a showcase of works and campaigns
representing the JHU brand across platforms, audiences, missions, and more
Key takeaways for higher ed marketers
For universities looking to strengthen their brand presence, Fritzinger offers this advice:
- Make branding easy for stakeholders – Provide clear guidelines, accessible tools, and training to empower faculty, staff, and administrators.
- Balance tradition with innovation – Honor your institution's history while adapting to new digital and branding trends.
- Think beyond marketing teams – Branding should permeate all aspects of the university, from campus design to community engagement.
- Invest in brand governance – A strong brand manager can help maintain consistency, freeing up creative teams to focus on high-impact work.
As higher education continues to evolve, the role of the university brand manager will only become more critical.
Institutions that invest in strategic branding today will be better positioned to navigate the challenges of tomorrow—strengthening their reputation, engaging their communities, and ultimately, shaping the future of education.
Do you have a brand manager position at your university? We'd love to hear about how the role hasevolved and what you see as the main challenges with brand management in higher education. Share your thoughts with us.