When a logo isn’t just a logo. Consider recent trends in Institutional branding.
Global competition over resources, faculty, and incoming consumers is driving institutions to reconsider their public image—leading them to launch large-scale branding campaigns that refresh their image and stand out against their thousands of competitors. Under the guidance of marketing and branding consultants like heavy, these groups are looking to replace traditional seals, emblems, and icons with more contemporary designs that modernize identities commonly associated with research excellence.
What’s in a brand…and why
Updating your university’s brand comes with a handful of promising benefits—but not before some important considerations. First and foremost, establishing a brand increases visibility—garnering new attention from current stakeholders and new potential consumers. An update shows the public that the institution is willing to adapt to contemporary trends and practices—speaking to their values as an institution and positively influencing student expectations.
Another key aspect to competing in today’s market is differentiation. When students and families have what feel like infinite choices, universities have to highlight their core strengths, and consciously illustrate how their campus looks, feels, and acts differently.
Think about your coworker’s reactions when you show up to the office with a new haircut. They can’t help but compliment your new look! The same thing happens when updating your brand. The new, fresh look generates attention across audiences, earning praise from current stakeholders and inspiring new audiences to participate and invest in the brand.
Lastly, this update will help you and your team generate a visual presence that may have been lacking, or consolidate and focus a visual presence that has been altered and changed over time without deliberate oversight. By reigning in the look of your brand, you’ll be able to build consistency across the institution so that no matter their entry point, your audience is always interacting with a strong, confident visual identity.
Still not convinced?
Updating your brand can also enhance strategic and cultural initiatives across campus that contribute to the institution’s mission—driving current and future endeavors. As groups look to market their programs or expand institution-wide efforts, rebranding helps expose these new initiatives to prospective students and donors, and leverages reputation as a way to affirm institutional goals. With a more conscious rebranding strategy, schools begin to combat forthcoming enrollment cliffs, improve their visibility, and become more recognizable.
Culturally, rebranding not only redefines the university and what they do, but also illustrates a commitment to managed promotion and organizational growth. With a new contemporary brand, universities can cater to what today’s students are often looking for—a value-focused school that engages with its local community. This revisioning can also open doors for new outward facing changes, including updates to campus markings, and the launch of campus expansions, additions, or program announcements.
Bringing about change
Instituting such a wide-scoping change is not for the faint of heart. It requires a careful, collaborative effort by the entire community. When tackling branding projects, we work to engage as many voices as we can by collecting community feedback, to make sure the essence of the institution is injected into every facet of the refreshed identity.
After we collect all the information we need, we begin concepting an identity that aligns with and is responsive to constituent feedback. As we isolate key values and themes, we use them to inform our creative decision-making so that when the new brand is revealed, it feels true to the university and all who support it.
In celebration of receiving R1 research status, the University of Denver moved to redesign their logo so they could generate more exposure and build a nation-wide presence. This resulted in an active, contemporary logo that breaks away from tradition.
In aiming to own their gritty and resilient disposition, Rutgers called on heavy to help create student-centered content that showcased their remarkable abilities and can-do attitudes. This new content helped them share their story with an audience beyond the northeast, moving them up in national rankings from 205 to 55.
Once our creative work is complete, our role changes to help guide decision-making and seamlessly implement a brand that excites and engages. We test ideas against proofs of concepts, sort through the wide range of messaging tactics, and conduct necessary market research. This, paired with our market familiarity, encourages clients to take appropriate risks and make informed decisions regarding the future of their brand.
Time for a new look?
Thinking it may be time to reimagine your institutional identity? Whether it’s a quick refresh or a complete overhaul, our team is happy to partner with you to increase your rankings with a commanding, recognizable brand.