Winter/Spring 2004
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Winter/Spring 2004 |
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“Branding isn’t a tagline—it is a promise and a mark of trust,” said Presidents Institute panelist John Lawlor, president of The Lawlor Group, during a session on branding based upon authentic institutional values. In corporate America, some brand promises truly are dependent upon the corporate values that are understood by everyone. He showed several examples: Disney (fun, family entertainment), Target (upscale discount or cheap chic), Volvo (safety), FedEx (overnight delivery), Nike (authentic athletic performance), and Starbucks (rewarding everyday moments).
Lawlor said that college and university officials should begin their exploration of brand identity by determining their desired positions based upon their values and the perceptions of the public. Next, they need to design a communications strategy to get out the word. “The key,” said Lawlor, “is determining who you are.” Some campuses can determine who they are and design a communications strategy, “but it too often falls apart because the campus can’t deliver what it promises,” he noted. To determine whether a campus delivers on its promise, he suggested that a president approach her or his college in a variety of ways: as a visitor to the website, an alumnus perceiving the alma mater, a donor prospect seeking to contribute, a potential student taking an admissions tour. In these ways, he said, the president is evaluating the “brand touchpoints.” Panelist Saundra J. Tracy, president of Alma College (MI), provided a case study of her institution’s new marketing efforts. Alma College “is a work in progress,” she said. “The college is one of the four ‘A’s’ among Michigan liberal arts colleges (the other three are Albion, Adrian, and Aquinas), and it’s two hours away from anywhere.” With the help of Lawlor, her campus designed a new marketing effort. “First, we had to see ourselves as others viewed us, so we gathered some opinions of others. Then we created a common definition of our core values and a shared sense of direction…. One of the fun experiences in this process is the ‘ah-hah!’ moment that occurs when you all discover that sense of shared direction. But you must be patient,” she added. “I wanted to jump right into creating the key messages that would communicate our positives, but those had to wait. We needed to first invest our campus leaders in this process and build ownership on campus. Finally, we were helped by an alumnus who contributed his advertising firm’s energies and staff to identifying those key messages. It’s often helpful to go outside the campus for this expertise.” As a result of this process, Tracy said they are in the process of redesigning their traditional PR organization. “Before we relegated PR to the office in charge of that function. Now we’ve realized that PR is everyone’s job and everyone has a vital part in marketing the institution.” The third panelist, Daniel F. Sullivan, president of St. Lawrence University (NY), stressed the importance of understanding the current brand of identity an institution has in the minds of key publics. He stressed how important “no-rose-colored-glasses on” research is to building a brand identity strategy. At St. Lawrence his goal was to restore an image, not change one. His university conducted extensive research to determine public perceptions of St. Lawrence both within and beyond the region. This research reinforced research that he and others had conducted at Carleton College (MN) in the early 1980s showing that no small college has a clear image outside its own region. “Any attempt to move your institution from one place in the market to another requires an investment in staff, infrastructure, and product. If you want to move faster than your competition, expect to invest financially in the move.” He added, “I’m surprised at how long it takes. People don’t change judgments overnight. Expect a seven- or eight-year period or even a decade before you can be comfortable in a new position.” Click here for presentation slides. Independent |
