A Model to Measure the Brand Equity of South African Business Schools: A Case Study of the North-West University Business School

<em>This study aims to measure the brand equity of a regional business school in the North-West province of South Africa. A tailor-made approach implied identifying relevant brand equity dimensions and their respective measuring criteria from the literature. Professionals and managers in the Gauteng and North-West provinces were targeted in a judgmental sample to complete the questionnaires, and 97 responses from the combined nine student research papers were analyzed. Five brand equity dimensions were identified from the literature and measured. They are: (1) Perceived quality, (2) Brand awareness, (3) Brand associations, (4) brand loyalty, and (5) University reputation. The results show that although the business school scores are mediocre in Aaker’s brand equity dimensions, quality and reputation are key performance areas. The study also shows distinct differences between the two geographical market segments. This signifies a need for a strong marketing drive, specifically in Gauteng, to improve brand awareness. </em>