Research, strategy, vision, and an institution-wide commitment are key to a successful branding initiative, said panelists Robert Sevier (right) and John Roush, president of Centre College (KY).

Many college and university “brand” initiatives fail to gain traction because “research is not done in advance, the brand is not grounded in mission and vision, the brand is not unique, or the campus community does not live the brand, leading to all sizzle and no substance,” according to Robert Sevier, senior vice president at Stamats. Sevier and John Roush, president of Centre College (KY), outlined the process, launch, and challenge of building internal consensus on a branding initiative during a Presidents Institute session.
     Presidents must be involved in a “brand leadership strategy” if the brand is to create value, awareness, and relevance, Sevier said. He outlined several steps campus leaders can take to improve the chances of a successful branding initiative.
     a) Build a brand promise that matters—the ideal promise is one that is important, believable, and distinctive. Develop five or six promise statements and then conduct “promise testing” to identify the brand promise that has the most credibility. Ask key external and internal audiences to evaluate the statements based on whether they are important, believable, and distinctive.
     b) Develop a brand portfolio—create a graphic identity program with logo and tagline, then begin communicating your promise through integrated marketing, with all sectors of the campus working together to generate ‘buzz’ on the message.
     c) Live your promise—follow through on the promise statement, and conduct staff training to ensure the entire campus is committed to the promise.
     d) Strengthen the promise—conduct good research to determine whether you have moved the needle.
     Roush described how his institution arrived at its brand promise: “Centre College—personal education, extraordinary success.” Over a six-year period, beginning in 1999, trustees approved a strategic plan; a marketing committee was formed; an integrated marketing plan was developed and underwent several refinements and revisions; and Stamats was commissioned to conduct a communications review, including surveys of key constituencies. The institution then developed draft brand promises, tested those promises, and then made its final selection.
     The Centre brand promises that the institution “provides a personal education that enables students to achieve extraordinary success in advanced study and careers,” Roush said. The integrated marketing strategy succeeded because “we had full-campus participation in the project, were open about our intentions, and we conducted a continual campaign to convince internal and external audiences of the importance and rewards of consistency and integration in telling the college’s story more effectively.”