Brand Accreditation vs Academic Accreditation
Quick answer: Accreditation means an outside body checks something against a published standard and confirms it meets that standard. Academic accreditation checks schools, colleges and universities and the education they deliver. Brand accreditation checks a whole brand. TBAC | IBES – International Brand Excellence Standard is a brand excellence standard: it scores a brand on Six Trust Pillars and issues a BrandMark, which is a brand seal. It is separate from academic or education accreditation, and it is not an award.
The word “accreditation” shows up in many places: on a university website, on a hospital wall, on a product label and now on brands. Because the same word is used so widely, people often ask us what it really means, and whether brand accreditation is the same thing as the accreditation a university holds. It is not, and the difference matters.
This is Day 14 of our daily series on brands, branding and brand accreditation. Yesterday we looked at brand certification vs a brand award. Today we explain the meaning of accreditation, and how brand accreditation differs from academic accreditation.
What does accreditation mean?
In plain words, accreditation is a formal check by an outside body. That body publishes a standard, looks at the evidence, and confirms whether the thing being checked meets the standard. Good accreditation has three parts: a clear, published standard; a review of real evidence; and a decision made by people who are separate from the one being checked.
Accreditation is also not a one-time event. It is usually valid for a set period and then checked again, so the public can trust that the standard is still being met.
What is academic accreditation?
Academic or education accreditation looks at schools, colleges, universities and the programs they teach. It asks questions about education: the quality of teaching, the curriculum, student outcomes and how the institution is run as a place of learning. Its job is to give students, employers and other institutions confidence in the education and the qualifications that come from it.
That is a specialist field with its own bodies and rules. TBAC | IBES does not work in it and does not claim to.
What is brand accreditation?
Brand accreditation looks at something different: a whole brand. It asks whether a brand can prove, with evidence, that it is strong and trustworthy today, and that it will keep earning that trust.
TBAC | IBES – International Brand Excellence Standard is published by The BrandLaureate Accreditation Council (TBAC), under The World Brands Foundation (TWBF). It checks every brand against the same Six Trust Pillars:
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Brand Strategy and Position
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Governance and Brand Care
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Customer and Staff Experience
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Money and Market Strength
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New Ideas and Change
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Ethics, Environment, and Trust
Each pillar is scored from 1 to 5 Trust Points. A brand needs an average of 3.0 or more, with no pillar below 2, to receive a BrandMark and a Certificate of Accreditation. Learn what TBAC | IBES is.
Brand accreditation vs academic accreditation: the key differences
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What is checked. Academic accreditation checks an institution and its education. TBAC | IBES checks a whole brand.
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What is issued. Academic accreditation supports trust in programs and qualifications. TBAC | IBES issues a BrandMark, a brand seal, in three tiers: Verified, Distinguished and Icon.
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The evidence. For a BrandMark, a brand writes a Brand Story and provides 24 pieces of evidence, four for each pillar, kept in the Proof Vault.
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The decision. The platform drafts a score, a reviewer recommends a result, and the BrandMark Council approves it. A brand that does not earn the BrandMark can ask for a Second Look Review within 30 days.
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The time frame. A BrandMark is valid for 3 years, with an Annual Shine Check in years 1 and 2 and renewal in year 3.
Is TBAC | IBES academic accreditation?
No. The TBAC | IBES site says it clearly: TBAC | IBES is a brand excellence standard, and it is separate from academic or education accreditation. A BrandMark does not accredit a degree, a course or a school. It is also not an award, and it is always described as a standard. It checks the brand, not a single product.
Why the difference matters
Using the right word protects everyone. A customer who sees a BrandMark should understand that the brand behind it was checked on strategy, governance, customer and staff experience, financial strength, innovation and ethics. They should not think it means a qualification was approved, or that one product was tested.
The same care applies to every seal. A BRAND ALLY seal shows membership and progress only; it is not a BrandMark. Anyone can check a brand’s current status on the public Registry and through TBAC | IBES verification.
Who can use brand accreditation?
Any brand-owning organization in any country can join, from a pre-revenue startup to a large multinational. There are four size tiers: Emerging BRAND ALLY, SME, Corporate, and Institutional or Multinational. TBAC | IBES does not prioritize outreach to universities and colleges, since they already hold their own academic accreditation. Read the TBAC | IBES FAQ.
Where to start
If you want to know where your brand stands, begin with the free Brand Snapshot. It asks 24 questions across the Six Trust Pillars and takes about 10 minutes. This is a self-check only. It does not lead to any BrandMark outcome. From there, a brand can join the Brand Alliance as a BRAND ALLY and follow the BrandMark Pathway. See the full BrandMark Pathway.
Key takeaways
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Accreditation means an outside body checks evidence against a published standard and confirms it is met.
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Academic accreditation checks institutions and the education they deliver.
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TBAC | IBES checks a whole brand on Six Trust Pillars and issues a BrandMark, a brand seal.
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TBAC | IBES is a brand excellence standard: separate from academic accreditation and not an award.
Frequently asked questions
Is TBAC | IBES academic accreditation?
No. TBAC | IBES – International Brand Excellence Standard is a brand excellence standard. It checks a whole brand and issues a BrandMark, which is a brand seal. It is separate from academic or education accreditation.
What does accreditation mean?
Accreditation is a formal check by an outside body against a published standard, based on evidence, with a decision made by people separate from the one being checked. It is usually valid for a set period and then checked again.
Can universities join TBAC | IBES?
Any brand-owning organization in any country can join. TBAC | IBES does not prioritize outreach to universities and colleges, since they already hold their own academic accreditation. A BrandMark would apply to the brand, never to a degree or course. See the TBAC | IBES FAQ for details.
Who publishes TBAC | IBES?
TBAC | IBES is published by The BrandLaureate Accreditation Council (TBAC), under The World Brands Foundation (TWBF). The BrandMark Council is kept separate from sales, membership and consulting.
How can I check my brand for free?
Take the free Brand Snapshot. It covers all Six Trust Pillars in about 10 minutes. It is a self-check only and does not lead to any BrandMark outcome.
The right word for the right proof
Academic accreditation tells the world an education can be trusted. Brand accreditation tells the world a brand can be trusted. Learn more about TBAC | IBES, take the free Brand Snapshot, or start as a BRAND ALLY (see current options and fees at tbac.ac/join). Questions: info@tbac.ac.
Dr. Edward Roy Krishnan, International Advisor
TBAC | IBES – International Brand Excellence Standard
Learn more: https://tbac.ac
