Background: In the era of digital transformation, universities and educational institutions are inevitably driven to reinvent their structures and transition toward knowledge commercialization and academic brand development to survive, maintain academic prestige, attract talent, and achieve financial sustainability. In this context, developing branding, advertising, and knowledge commercialization strategies through an educational management governance approach emerges as a novel strategic platform. This approach emphasizes the smart utilization of knowledge assets and emerging technologies, as well as the empowerment of human capital (faculty members and staff). By strengthening organizational learning mechanisms, facilitating knowledge-sharing flows, and managing processes effectively, this innovative paradigm not only enhances the quality of educational and research services, but also lays the necessary infrastructure for fostering industry-academia connections, attracting prospective students, and building a sustainable academic brand within the digital ecosystem.
Objective: This research was conducted to design and develop a framework for branding, advertising, and knowledge commercialization strategies focusing on universities and educational institutions, anchored in effective educational management governance in the digital era.
Methodology: This study is applied in terms of objective and descriptive-exploratory in terms of method, executed through a qualitative approach using qualitative content analysis for an in-depth exploration of the phenomenon. Participants included prominent academic professors, higher education policymakers, and senior experts in educational management, entrepreneurship, branding, advertising, and commercialization. Utilizing a purposeful sampling technique (criterion-based and snowball sampling) and continuing the interviews until reaching complete theoretical saturation, 22 semi-structured interviews were ultimately conducted. Data analysis was carried out step-by-step through a three-stage coding process—comprising open coding for extracting basic concepts, axial coding for developing subcategories, and selective coding for integrating main categories—using MAXQDA software. To guarantee scientific rigor and trustworthiness, Lincoln and Guba’s four-dimension criteria were meticulously applied: credibility (via member checking and peer debriefing), transferability (through rich data descriptions), dependability (via research process auditing), and confirmability.
Findings: The coding process resulted in the final framework for developing academic branding, advertising, and knowledge commercialization strategies. The findings revealed that this structured model encompasses six macro and pivotal strategies: "Strategic Governance and Smart Policymaking" (academic branding and commercialization policies), "Transformational and Learning Leadership" (creating a supportive environment for educational innovations), "Human Capital Development and Digital Empowerment" (enhancing digital literacy among faculty and staff), "Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management" (facilitating knowledge sharing and commercialization), "Stakeholder Engagement and Organizational Networking" (dynamic interaction with industry, students, and society), and "Performance Evaluation, Continuous Improvement, and Organizational Sustainability" (monitoring brand performance metrics and student enrollment).
Conclusion: The results confirm that establishing an effective educational management governance model provides a comprehensive and integrated roadmap for the successful transition of universities and educational institutions toward a knowledge-based economy. Structurally linking educational foundations with branding, advertising, and knowledge commercialization goals enables academic institutions to move beyond traditional and static approaches (first- and second-generation universities) and evolve into dynamic, self-regulating, entrepreneurial, and community-engaged systems (third- and fourth-generation universities). Implementing these six extracted strategies enhances organizational agility and resilience in the face of environmental shifts through the synergy of knowledge management, digital empowerment of faculty and staff, and supportive leadership. Ultimately, it guarantees sustainable competitive advantage, academic brand identity development, and long-term financial and scientific sustainability for educational institutions in the turbulent, dynamic landscape of the digital era.