RECONCEPTUALIZING HIGHER EDUCATION MARKETING IN THE ALGORITHMIC ERA: INSTITUTIONAL GENERATIVE AI AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL UNIVERSITY BRAND EQUITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21191877Keywords:
Generative AI; University Brand Equity; PLS-SEM; Secondary Data; Higher Education Marketing; Student Loyalty.Abstract
The digital transformation of higher education has entered a highly disruptive phase with the
integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) into institutional ecosystems. Moving beyond isolated
academic integrity debates, this study explores GenAI as a strategic marketing touchpoint. Synthesizing the
Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) framework with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we analyze how
student interactions with custom institutional GenAI interfaces shape university brand equity. We utilize a mixedmethods
approach combining a primary student survey (N = 412) with institutional secondary data (server logs,
query volumes, and API traffic metrics from 14 universities). Structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) reveals
that custom-vetted institutional GenAI applications function as significant factors influencing institutional quality
and prestige, whereas objective system utilization rates act as a significant positive moderator. Brand awareness
and perceived quality operate as a dual-mediated sequential path transforming day-to-day technological utility
into enduring institutional loyalty (R² = 0.468). The findings establish new empirical boundaries for algorithmic
brand management in the modern higher education marketplace.
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