Abstract:

The academic brand and everything related to its communication and management have undergone an essential transformation along with the expanding process of globalization. The pressure to innovate and the transfer of the entire communication process to the global virtual space have been considerably empowered by the pandemic conditions established by the evolution of COVID-19. Universities themselves have undergone important changes generated by the new rules of communication and social interaction of community members in general and of students and potential students in particular.

All these changes have led to the need to analyze the new dimension of brand communication and its transfer from the physical environment to the global virtual space. The analysis should take into account both the new paradigms of communication through social media and the best practice models provided by universities that have naturally adapted to new communication requirements, such as Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.

The globalization emphasized by the pandemic context has led to a considerable increase in the pressure felt by higher education institutions and competition between them. It is equally certain that universities have adapted in record time not only to the transfer of the educational process in the virtual environment, but especially to the reconsideration of the entire academic presence in the online space and have begun to perceive this presence as a potential competitive advantage. Social media provides an impressive amount of detailed information about student behavior and beyond, as well as the effectiveness of online promotion and communication campaigns. However, the efficient use of social media requires the constant, correct and comprehensive evaluation of the data provided by the different platforms, so that they can really be the basis of coherent and relevant communication and promotion strategies.

The present analysis focuses on the strategic response to crisis situations and the online presence of the largest university in Romania, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, that can be used as an example of good practice and can serve as a starting point for adapting the online communication strategy of other educational institutions and / or for developing and improving its own communication strategy and academic brand management in social media.

One of the reference universities, probably the oldest Romanian academic institution (dating from 1581), but most certainly having the largest academic community and the highest international visibility, holding the highest positions in domestic and international rankings among Romanian universities, Babes-Bolyai University has adapted in real time to the special communication context imposed by the pandemic. And the new communication paradigm did not only aim at organizing the educational activity, but especially the external communication, promoting the academic offer, the existing options at university level, maintaining and even intensifying the direct relationship with the target audience, with stakeholders, as well as approaching new platforms in different ways. adapted to the context, different audiences, and types of messages.

Keywords:

Brand, crisis, pandemic, strategic communication, university, social media, online, audiences.