Abstract
Through this descriptive qualitative study of institutional advertisements aired on television during the 2006–2007 college football bowl season, I sought to understand the messages communicated by colleges and universities to external audiences. The findings demonstrate the focus on selling the private benefits of higher education and call into question the effectiveness of university marketing and branding efforts.
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Notes
I use the terms advertisement and commercial interchangeably in this study.
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Michael S. Harris
is Assistant Professor of Higher Education at the University of Alabama, where he also directs the Executive Ed.D. program. He received his Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. His research explores the influence of market forces on higher education.
Appendix A: Institutions Included in Study
Appendix A: Institutions Included in Study
Arizona State University | University of Georgia |
Auburn University | University of Iowa |
Boston College | University of Kentucky |
Clemson University | University of Louisville |
Florida State University | University of Maryland |
Georgia Institute of Technology | University of Miami |
Kansas State University | University of Michigan |
Louisiana State University | University of Minnesota |
Ohio State University | University of Missouri |
Oklahoma State University | University of Nebraska |
Oregon State University | University of Oklahoma |
Pennsylvania State University | University of Oregon |
Purdue University | University of South Carolina |
Rutgers University | University of South Florida |
Texas A & M University | University of Southern California |
Texas Tech University | University of Tennessee |
University of Alabama | University of Texas |
University of Arkansas | University of Wisconsin |
University of California at Berkeley | Virginia Polytechnic Institute |
University of California at Los Angeles | Wake Forest University |
University of Cincinnati | West Virginia University |
University of Florida |