An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Brand Personality of Thai Universities

Abstract

An important step in the university branding process is determining the university brand personality (UBP) which has influence on university brand identity creation as well as university brand communication strategy. Despite its significance, the majority of current UBP studies in Thailand still rely on conceptual frameworks and scales developed outside the Thai context which might not be comprehensive and truly representative of Thai universities. Therefore, a study of conceptual framework and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of brand personality of Thai universities is needed, andthus, enabling university managers, marketers, and brand strategists to utilize the conceptual framework for crafting university brand identities as well as strategizing university brand communication plans that are truly representative of Thai universities. The exploratory factor analysisusing principal component analysis and varimax rotation revealed 62 university personality traits that can be grouped into 8 dimensions 1) Good conduct 2) Sincerity 3) Artistic 4) Competence 5) Sophistication 6) Prestige 7) Excitement and 8) Ruggedness.