There are so many factors that contribute to the success of an organization. One of the most crucial is your brand strategy. A well-articulated and executed brand strategy will create an emotional connection with your consumers and will help generate awareness, build trust, facilitate growth, and differentiate you from competitors in your market. Building a…
For the past several months you and your team have led a branding effort across your university. You’ve facilitated ideation sessions with the Dean and university leaders, soliciting their perspectives. You’ve engaged key audiences and stakeholders including prospective students, current students, alumni, corporate partners, faculty, and staff along the way… diving deep to understand what…
A challenger is a brand aiming to disrupt the market— they are neither a leader or a niche. These brands are ambitious, bold, and go against “the norm”. A big aspect of what makes a challenger brand is authenticity, which is something we have seen to be more important to consumers in recent years. These…
What do we think of when we read about company names like Apple, Twitter, or Nike? We think of a glowing apple. A bright blue bird. A distinct checkmark (or swoosh). All of these companies possess eye-catching logos that are easily identifiable and symbolize the quality of the product they produce or services they provide….
As many of my RDW colleagues have written, a strong marketing framework begins with doing your research. Focus groups are a form of market research designed to gather qualitative insights and feedback to inform marketing decisions. They are used to test campaign concepts or marketing ideas, probe brand perceptions, or uncover new insights. It’s most…
An outline of how to complete a competitive audit and the value of higher education marketing research. For higher education marketers the enrollment cycle can leave you feeling like a hamster on a wheel. Run, run, run… seat a class or cohort… keep running. Did you meet your enrollment goals for the year? Terrific! Expect…
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend several focus group sessions. The goal of these sessions was to select a brand position and a creative direction for a new campaign for one of our clients. I was excited to attend because as the art director, I typically work behind the scenes — brainstorming, concepting, designing, presenting,…
With so much competition in the higher education space, sometimes it can feel impossible to differentiate your institution. And that’s because it’s incredibly challenging. In years past, the key to college and university branding might’ve been killer direct mailers or beautiful collateral. While both of those examples are still important, the current climate requires cutting…
Competition increases every day among higher education institutions seeking the best and brightest students. Consumers are now better informed than ever to research and decide upon the school that offers the best fit academically, socially, financially. Even more challenging, it’s a long consideration cycle that often lasts 18-24 months. That’s a significant window to absorb,…
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