Brandtastic2: Workshop

BRANDTASTIC
a branding presentation and
workshop in two parts
Friday, January 29, 2010

Patricia Vandenberg
Mount Holyoke College
Doug Gapinski
mStoner
Executive Director
of Communications and
Strategic Initiatives
Creative Director

I. Presentation
• What is a brand?
• Why does it matter?
• What’s new?
• What does it look like on the web?

II. Workshop
• A dive into branding process
• Exercises for thinking about and assessing
your institution’s brand
• DIY testing: making sure the brand
is being delivered by the marketing platform

A dive into branding process

c
Data and
research
Brand
analysis
Marketing
platform
Public-facing
work
Institutional
Strategy

Data and
research
Brand
analysis
Marketing
platform
Public-facing
work
Broad qualitative and quantitative
surveys deployed to over 1,000 of each
group: prospectives, recent admits,
parents, and alumni via phone, web
Web surveys,
small focus groups
Ideal DIY

Data and
research
Brand
analysis
Marketing
platform
Public-facing
work
Attributes, position, themes compiled
based on what the market values most
Communications team
compiles data and themes
Ideal DIY

Data and
research
Brand
analysis
Marketing
platform
Public-facing
work
Concepts done by communications
team and then put into testing
to make sure the concepts support
institutional brand
Same thing, concepts tested
for alignment with themes,
usually on a smaller scale
(fewer people tested)
Ideal DIY

Data and
research
Brand
analysis
Marketing
platform
Public-facing
work
Integrated marketing campaign
(enrollment suite, campaign or
fundraising communications, radio,
ads, web relaunch)
Critical piece such as a
viewbook or web site
ﬁnished (often reactive)
Ideal DIY

Different ways of
thinking about your
institution’s brand

The Zag exercise

The only
that
for
in
who
in an era of
For Harley-Davidson
motorcycle manufacturer
makes big, loud motorcycles
macho guys
in the United States (mostly)
want to join a gang of cowboys
decreasing personal
freedom
what:
how:
who:
where:
why:
when:

The only
that
for
in
who
in an era of
For Mount Holyoke College
elite liberal arts college
combines rigorous liberal arts education
with intentional career preparation
bright, ambitious women
from around the globe
want to live lives of purpose and distinction
a still male-dominated world.
what:
how:
who:
where:
why:
when:

For UMass Amherst
The only
that
for
in
who
in an era of
prestigious public university
is committed to access
for citizens
of Massachusetts
want exceptional opportunity and a great value
sky rocketing costs in higher education.
what:
how:
who:
where:
why:
when:

The only
that
for
in
who
in an era of
For your institution
what:
how:
who:
where:
why:
when:

Let’s reflect.

The only
that
for
in
who
in an era of
what:
how:
who:
where:
why:
when:
For Mount Holyoke College Alumnae
organization
provides a lasting connection to an intellectual
home and a worldwide network of “sisters”
for Mount Holyoke alumnae
around the globe
who want intellectual depth and a sense of community
in a world increasingly subject to
sound bites and a sense of alienation

Primal Code Exercise

Creation Story
How / why was your institution
founded? Were key players involved?
What’s special about the location?
Creed
Does your institution have a set of
core principals? A tag line or motto?
Any other statement that
encompasses what it is about?
The Icons
Who is well-known that is attached
to your institution? What colors are
you known for? How about
landmarks?The Rituals
What traditions, regular events or
gatherings are associated with your
institution?
The Non-believers
Who is your institution’s biggest
competitor, or detractors? What do
they believe that isn’t true?
The Sacred Words
What vocabulary do you hear
people within your institution use
over and over to describe it?
What are the attributes that
are special?
The Leader
Who is the President, Dean,
or Head of School? How does the
institution or the public
think of them?

If branding is about
influencing perceptions
and actions, how do we
measure our accuracy?

Three tools for DIY testing
surveymonkey.com
wufoo.com
usabilla.com

messaging matrix for evaluating perceptions

actionable items matrix for results

evaluating brand tools

perception before virtual tour

perception after virtual tour

Go forth and be a
brand champion!

This presentation:
clients.mstoner.com/case
Patricia VandenBerg
Mount Holyoke College
pvandenb@mtholyoke.edu
Doug Gapinski
mStoner
doug.gapinski@mstoner.com
twitter: @thedougco

Brandtastic2: Workshop

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