Polycode positioning tools of british universities within the electronic internationalization of higher education

Abstract

The paper discusses the features of using positioning tools in order to create a positive image of a British university. Electronic internationalisation of higher education includes the creation of a digital brand of universities in order to promote their educational services. The digital brand of the university implies a concept of various aspects of the university’s activities, its research and educational corporate culture, which is steadily formed in the minds of interested groups. To implement marketing policies on their websites, universities use means of a different semiotic nature, while the linguistic and paralinguistic means they use are not only ways of conveying information, but also have a certain impact on target audiences. The article focuses on the study of advertising discourse in the field of higher education, namely, how various polycode tools contribute to the creation of a digital university brand. The author identifies and describes the most popular positioning tools on the websites of British universities, including positioning through geographic location, educational programmes, achievements, research and expertise, employers, outstanding graduates, positioning a university as an employer, positioning through its internationalisation strategy. All of these tools are used as a means of attracting target audiences to UK universities and are transformed into a kind of branding strategy.