Introduction. The establishment of market relations in the educational system and the increasing influence of the demographic factor lead to a decrease in demand for preschool educational services and necessitate addressing the problem of competition among preschool educational organizations. Mechanisms of functioning in a competitive environment, such as marketing, advertising, branding, and others, are being actively introduced into the management practice of preschool educational institutions. Since competition is a powerful factor that stimulates development, it is necessary to determine its advantages and the most beneficial choice of development strategy for an educational organization in the educational ecosystem at the city and regional levels. Understanding the importance of creating an attractive image of an educational organization is directly related to determining priority activities and creating a brand aimed at a specific target audience. Uniqueness and novelty, usefulness and effectiveness among other similar offers from competitors contribute to the effective adaptation of preschool educational institutions to new conditions. The purpose of this article is to consider a competition tool, which is effective in the preschool educational system today. This tool is the creation and positioning of a brand of educational services provided by preschool educational institutions in the educational space.

Materials and methods. The main research methods are a review of scientific literature on the problem of positioning an educational organization in a modern competitive environment, managing a branding strategy in the preschool educational system, identifying, analyzing, and modeling effective management actions leading to the development and implementation of a brand of a preschool educational organization. Approaches to analyzing the concepts of “brand” and “branding” were described.

Results. The article highlights the main areas and stages of the manager’s activity while developing a brand of a preschool educational organization, it confirms the need and necessity to determine a priority direction that ensures high quality of preschool education, as well as its importance in increasing the image, competitiveness, authority in the parental, social and professional environment, as well as further effective development of preschool educational institutions. A structural and functional model for managing the process of creating and positioning the preschool brand was developed.

Discussion. The results of the study on the problem of defining a priority direction for the strategic development of preschool educational institutions in preschool educational organizations in Chelyabinsk substantiated the need to have an authentic brand, which increases the competitiveness and authority (reputation) of an educational organization in the educational services market. A model of branding management in preschool educational institutions was proposed, illustrating the activities of the manager within the manager’s framework.

Conclusion. Branding can be used as a way to create and provide unique, value-oriented offers to the parental and social-professional environment, it allows organizations to optimize the activities of the manager in determining the strategic directions for the development of an educational institution based on identifying strengths, creating the concept of distinctive and meaningful ideas for consumers.

Various interpretations of “branding” are defined;

The factors that initiate marketing activities in a preschool educational organization were established;

The successive stages of the manager’s activities to create a brand of a preschool educational organization are presented;

A branding management model in preschool educational institutions was developed.

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