Don’t forget your institution’s brand when making resolutions for the new year. Even if you’re not planning a full brand strategy initiative in 2015, there are things you can do to better understand and communicate your brand.
Here are five resolutions every higher ed brand steward should make as the new year begins:
1. Do regular audience research.
The foundation of brand strategy is understanding how your brand currently is perceived by important audiences, including prospective students and parents, current students, and alumni. It’s important to conduct market research with these key audiences every few years. But it’s also good to conduct informal research on a regular basis. Current students are easy to find — they’re on your campus. So invite a dozen students to lunch once a month and pick their brains. You’ll get invaluable learning about your brand.
2. Conduct a brand audit.
Do you know as much as you could about how your brand is being communicated? If your institution is like most, your brand is being communicated to many different audiences through many different vehicles. Commit to spending a few hours a month looking at what’s being said about your brand — in different places on your website, in your alumni communications, and on social media. See where it could be stronger.
3. Get to the benefit.
Most higher ed communication includes a lot of features, but not a lot of benefits. There’s a lot of talk about the number of buildings on campus, but not a lot of talk about the benefits students get from those buildings. We assume the benefits are obvious, but often they’re not. Does your campus have a lot of diversity? Tell prospective students how they’ll benefit from that diversity. In turn, you’ll strengthen your brand.
4. Sharpen your brand language.
Once you’ve identified the places where your brand communication could be clearer, and how it could be more benefit-oriented, develop a plan. Prioritize the list of brand communication opportunities. If you don’t own the communication pieces that need work, talk to the people who do. (Talk to them face-to-face. You’ll get better results.) Give them key messages you’d like to incorporate. Brand implementation isn’t a once-and-done thing. It takes time, effort, and patience.
5. Arm your ambassadors with brand language.
The people who have the strongest affinity for your institution — your happiest students, your tour guides, your most engaged alumni — are your brand ambassadors. They want to talk about your institution to other people. But they always aren’t sure what you want them to say. Give them the language to use. Send them a 30-second elevator speech about your brand. They’ll use it. And your brand will be stronger as a result.
Best wishes for great branding in 2015!
Want to learn more? We recently published a white paper that explores the specific challenges of higher education branding and gives you strategies for clearing the most common hurdles.