Images of Turkish Universities: A Study on University Print Advertisements

Turkish universities are recently under a heavy pressure of competition due to rapid increase in the number of both state and foundation universities. This competition can be traced through the print advertisements of the universities in which they try to build a positive image and reflect their distinguishing characteristics to attract students. These advertisements are supposed to comply with their institutional image; however, especially new foundation universities are far from being successful in building a strong image. This study examines the print advertisements of Turkish universities published in 2010 and 2011; a total of 1063 advertisements (397 original, 666 repeated) in 6 major Turkish newspapers were analyzed for their both quantitative and qualitative aspects. It is found that while old and reputable established universities rarely advertise, new foundation universities visually emphasize their campus facilities and infrastructure.