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Archive for the ‘Branding’ Category

Lesson 112 University Advancement Takes Center Stage

Posted in Branding, International, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning on May 9, 2012| 1 Comment »

In preparing for a speech I will be giving in June about the future of university advancement I have become  acutely aware once again of the degree to which those of us in marketing, communication, alumni relations, fund-raising, and government affairs will find ourselves facing incredible challenges. But that said, these challenges will also present once-in-a-career amazing opportunities.

With state governments cutting back in the U.S. and  governments around the world changing their roles, it’s more and more clear everyday that increased responsibility for helping to chart the future success of educational institutions everywhere will be placed squarely at the feet of advancement officers. The good news is that we will have better paid, predominately placed executive positions. The scary news, however, is that we will have to be far more sophisticated in everything we do.

So far, the rough draft of my speech argues that marketing as “a way of thinking” will have to influence and possibly change all areas of advancement. Brand clarification, multi-platform interactive communication, and internal support mobilization must be a part of what everyone does everyday.  Alumni relations will need to provide a “portal” to lifetime  educational and social connections for entire families, and fundraisers will have to find interactive, creative ways to maintain key donor loyalty for the long-term. And all of this must work effectively in an industry that is rapidly becoming global, with changing student migration patterns and fundraisers roaming all over the world with new and imaginative cases for support. 

The fact is that donors with formerly local only interests are now becoming global in their businesses and outlook. And foundations and corporations that have also been largely local or regional operations are now thinking differently about their world and influence.

For many of us in advancement it has been challenging enough to deal with internal silos and traditional academic attitudes about our work.  Getting everyone on board and accepting an active role in telling a unified identity clarifying story has been difficult enough.  But now the game is changing again!  Developing a total culture of philanthropy, and an appreciation of marketing as a legitimate and respectable way of thinking, will simply be essential to institutional global success. 

Make no mistake, there is clear evidence that forward-thinking institutions are already gearing up all over the world to meet these challenges.  Past superiority is certainly no guarantee of future success in this new world.  So the basic message of my speech in June will be:  Don’t let your short-term problems (or even successes!) cause you to miss the simple fact that everything is changing right before your eyes!

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Lesson 111 Is a College Education Worth It?

Posted in Branding, Public Affairs on May 2, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Since I spent much of my career communicating and marketing universities I think its time I weigh in on this current topic of polarizing political discourse: Is college worth the cost?  What is its value to individuals, and to society? 

My basic answer: For anyone who has even a slight inclination toward wanting a college education it is more than worth the cost.  That may mean it’s not literally for everyone.  But it does mean it should be accessible to anyone.

So what about its cost?  The hallmark of American higher education is our diversity of institutions.  We have private, public, large and small.  We have research, professional, liberal arts, technical and career based. We have church related and secular. We have high, medium and low-cost, with financial aid available for those with need, and scholarships for those with talent.  

The challenge is for people everywhere, both rich and poor, to have the information and help they need to find the right place for them.

The problem arrises when people assume that if they can’t afford any university they choose then all of higher education costs too much.  Higher education, like everything else, is priced relative to its cost of delivery. But also like everything else, if one shops around there is always one at acceptable quality within affordable reach.

This polarized political environment we have today tends to over simplify the situation. You are asked to either see a college education as an investment in the future, the economy, and the development of future taxpayers; or as something that just costs too much, may not be worth your time and money, and is the fault of greedy educators.

Its true too many people accept high dollar loans to attend high tuition schools. But there is no need to do that if the payoff cannot be seen upfront. Based on my 45 years in higher education I say “choose college,” but go forward only with a sensible financial plan, and attend one that suits your realistic academic abilities and interests. 

And don’t listen to today’s extreme rhetoric. If you do you could end up missing the joy of a life time… the joy of making the world of ideas a permanent part of your life.  And you could also be giving up your best opportunity to change that world that now seems so dysfunctional.

How in the world can anyone see that drastic budget cuts, teacher layoffs, and demonizing criticism can solve anything facing a society that desperately needs to grow new leadership, and, yes, expand its taxpayer base?  It simply isn’t true that most universities are poorly managed.  Like any other enterprise, of course, some are wasteful. But I can tell you as a longtime insider, and as a fairly experienced outside consultant, most institutions have recently gone through exhaustive internal assessments, and as a result they are now better managed than many businesses.

It’s really a “no brainer!” For an individual, a college education is the best path to a richer, fuller life… and a much better chance at financial success. And as for society, universities expand their local economies; produce future leaders who grow the larger economy; cultivate wealthier taxpayers; facilitate the discoveries that result in new products, services and a better quality of life; and ensure American competitiveness around the world.  

We already have the best higher education system in the world. Do we really want to cut it apart and demean it at the very time we need it the most?

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Lesson 110 Maintaining the “WOW”

Posted in Branding, Lessons Learned on April 27, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The longer I am in the strategic communication field the more I come to believe in the power of the brand. In fact, I have often come to the conclusion that for many institutions the brand is actually the product that is purchased by the consumer.

Taking on an institution’s identity actually helps to complete the individual’s identity. I am reminded of the classic commercial for Marlboro cigarettes:  The Marlboro man was depicted as a rugged cowboy who always looked confident and in command of the total environment around him.  And this image was always associated with smoking, and with holding the little red and white package in his hand. The theory, which apparently worked, was that when the male consumer held that red and white package in his hand he also felt more confident and masculine.  Holding that  package and smoking the cigarettes it contained completed the consumer’s self-image. This was so effective that feminine looking packages for cigarettes quickly appeared copying the Marlboro strategy.

But when an institution finds itself “on a roll” like this, appearing to be the brand of choice and the current “go to” place in its category, everyone associated with this success begins to worry about when it will all come to an end. The question then becomes: How do we maintain, even accelerate, the “WOW?”

Most brands today can behave like fads.  For a time everyone wants your shoe. But then, the “go to” brand can very quickly shift to another emerging one.  New media immediacy, and its constantly consuming audiences, can change brand preference on a dime. This can happen to institutions too. One day your museum is the go to place in town, but the next day a new show elsewhere steals your limelight.

Your continuing challenge is to find ways to keep adding value.  You can do this by adding new features to the product, developing new support services, streamlining distribution, offering carefully focused price incentives, and even enhanced  creative marketing. And yes all of this applies to nonprofits.

But the reality is that sometimes the ride comes to an end, or at least to a plateau. Some economists and other observers are actually saying this about the United States today.  Once the super power in the world, America’s market  conditions have now changed so that it’s not likely that the top position it once enjoyed can be maintained. Now the challenge will be to adjust to new circumstances and ask:  What are the new marketplace realities?  And how can we define our position so that we remain strong, exciting, and highly competitive?

We will still claim we are the best there is at what we do. But now we must see our market realities differently, and adjust our targets, tactics, and special initiatives accordingly.  Adding value never stops. It just must happen now within in a new set of circumstances.

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Lesson 103 To Name Change or Not?

Posted in Branding, Integrated Marketing, Lessons Learned, Planning on March 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It is not unusual for volunteers on the board of an organization to suggest that it might be time to change its name or identity.  They can often  think that the name is too long or that it does not say what the organization does clearly enough. Or, it might be that they just don’t like it. To the inexperienced, it seems like changing a name is a relatively simple and easy decision to make. A new and upbeat name will certainly bring new life to an old institution. Experience teaches, however, that it is probably the last action that should be considered.

There are many reasons not to change a name: First of all it is much like starting a whole new organization from scratch.  A new name has no identity until it is developed over time. It therefore is very expensive to do.  It costs a lot of money, takes a lot of staff time, and requires enormous amounts of communication and advertising to get the word out to everyone. All the history of your institution goes out the window with your name, and now you face what amounts to a new start-up.

Another reason is that all donors and supporters relate to the old name and know what it stands for well enough to be engaged. Many of them are tied to its traditions, operational style, mission, and vision. With a name change they can now feel disenfranchised and uncertain about the future. Foundations, government agencies, and even some individuals that support mostly established and proven organizations  may now feel that this one has become insecure and unstable. It certainly is now communicating that it is no longer comfortable with its long-established identity.

This is not to say that many organizations would not benefit from an uplift.  But rather than a name change, consider abbreviating it.  For example, will it work to use the letters in large type as the main name, and retain the traditional name under it in smaller type?  For some organizations its letters can become it’s name. Or, if possible, just shorten the name. Edit some of the words, but keep most of it.   

Another approach might be to slightly update the logo and brand design.  Changing these too dramatically, however, can have the same negative “start over” repercussion of a name change.  And many old timers might not like it. But a slight update in design can take the familiar and give it a bit of a contemporary or forward-looking twist. Small adjustments can indeed signal a new day and establish a new spirit for most organizations, especially when accompanied with exciting and newly inspired leadership.

Usually, if you do a pro and con discussion exercise with your group you will list more cons than pros. But sometimes a new start with a new name might be the best answer. It’s very rare, but it could happen when an organization has been allowed to fail too long, or when a consolidation requires that a new name be found.

In general, however, changing the name is the last thing you should consider. Simply put, it will usually end up meaning that you, your colleagues, and your volunteers, will be starting up a whole new organization.

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Lesson 88 “Walking the Talk”

Posted in Branding, Integrated Marketing, Lessons Learned on November 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

In corporate management we often use the phrase, “walk the talk.”  This week I found myself explaining its power as a strategic communication tool to a group of university students in a public relations class.

I was invited to the class as a guest to explain the field of “public affairs” in general, but more specifically to talk about why a university might want a presence in Washington, and TCU’s goals for my work there.

When I first went to Washington my focus was to assess whether I could find additional  federal support for some of our research and other projects, as well as to get us more involved in influencing the issues and regulations that were shaping our future.  I explained that just as I arrived there the legislature froze all earmarks, which were the main  source of federal project funding. Grants also became harder to get, and the passing of the new Higher Education Act resulted in more regulations than ever before…more than 24 categories of them to be exact! 

And so early on it became clear that additional federal funding would have to await another day, and that my primary focus would be to bring my institution to the table with the other leaders of our industry to address the big issues facing us. In other words, I must get my chancellor elected to the boards of the president’s associations, and then work hand-in-hand myself with their staffs.

The real point of all this for the class, however, was that I quickly learned that you can only ever be seen as a leader in your industry when you are “at the table” with the others who are leading it.  You can send out all the materials in the world you want to tell your story, but your institution’s stature and recognition will have a ceiling until you show up in person and get involved.

The key lesson, then, for the students was to recognize the shere power of personal out-front leadership as a tool to build brand identity and institutional reputation.  Whenever you try to build your brand primarily with a media campaign, admittedly your visibility goes up.  But when the campaign ends, it also tends to come down. Media driven reputation building is an up and down proposition. But when the president and other key leaders all understand brand messaging, and repeatedly walk-the-talk, magic can happen. Institutional stature gradually grows, and what’s more, it tends to have permanence.

There is no doubt in my mind that even in this new social media world, a world that requires simultaneous multi-platform communication initiatives to cut through mass media clutter, the only way to institutional prominence is for its leaders to be on the same message page, and to constantly be out front walking the talk.  Then, and only then, do people say: “Look at what they are doing out there, that place is really taking off!” 

A strong and dynamic organizational “image” is not achieved though dramatic campus pictures. Rather it’s the public perception that the professionals and executives leading the institution know exactly what they are doing, and know precisely how to explain it!

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Lesson 81 A Culture of “Connection”

Posted in Branding, Integrated Marketing, Internal Politics, Lessons Learned on October 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

This week I attended a workshop led by the co-founders of E Pluribus Partners about the immense power of developing a “culture of connection” inside every organization. 

The E Pluribus partners have aggregated research findings from psychology, psychiatry, sociology, organizational development, and neuroscience to demonstrate how “a feeling of strong connection between management, employees and customers provides a competitive advantage.”  In fact, they argue that without this strong connection people “will never reach their potential as individuals, nor will the organization.”  I was most especially interested in their reference to connection with “customers.” 

Call them customers, clients, students, donors, or supporters of any kind, as I listened I found myself thinking:  “Whatever happened to customer service?” 

 At one time in our profession we talked abundantly about how a happy customer became repeat customers, attracted other customers, and were the best ambassadors we could ever hope to have for telling and retelling our story.  We demonstrated how cost-effective it was to build strong loyalties rather than to focus mostly on constantly finding new business. Then airlines began to treat us as captive revenue units who needed them more than they needed us, and our banks made calling them on the phone a matter of talking to a whole series of automated impersonal recordings with little chance of ever getting through to a real person. Indeed, organizations of all types drove us to their websites, where even there it was impossible to find the email address or direct phone number of a real person. Alas, genuine connections for the most part have given way to digital, impersonal efficiencies, and human trust and meaningful  relationships have all too often been lost.

In the end, however, I was encouraged during this workshop to realize that all the writing I have been doing here over the past year about the power of integration and the use of group process has been right on the mark. Using orchestrated group interaction to get “everyone on the same page” with respect to vision and values, and inspiring  people to use a common voice in telling the story, is also building the strong “connections” with the customers and constituents we will need to give our organizations a meaningful and powerful competitive advantage. 

Building connections, then, is truly what integrated and relationship marketing is all about. So, I suggest you look into the work and writing of  the partners at:  www.EPluribusPartners.com

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Lesson 80 Strengthening Brand Identity

Posted in Branding, Lessons Learned on September 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »

A higher education colleague and I were recently enjoying a Texas Rangers baseball game when he suddenly said: “Wouldn’t it be great for a university to do a series of symphony concerts in this wonderful ballpark?”  His remark reminded me of how imaginative fine arts and cultural programs and projects staged in unusual locations can make a major impact on the quality of life in a city… and at the same time, broaden and enhance an academic institution’s brand identity.

A few days later I was reading the blog of the CEO of the University of Warwick in the UK. In it he expressed great  surprise that more universities do not use their strengths in arts and letters to influence the cultural life of their communities in creative ways. This is surprising to me too, especially when doing so always uplifts an institution’s  stature and can dramatically expand its financial and word-of-mouth support.

The blogger gave several examples by referencing an artist’s “sound installation” in a London railroad station sponsored by a local university, a Shakespeare drama troupe that wonders from site to site around the city, a high visibility creative writing project led by a famous poet at his own university, and even a prestigious institution’s internet listing of “must read” books!

We in institutional marketing and communication are sometimes satisfied to promote the programs that others routinely offer. But far more often we should actually be taking the initiative to generate new ideas and big projects that are guaranteed to significantly enrich our communities. Such activities always enhance our brand, and are well worth our creative talents, time and effort. 

Of course, what we can effectively do in our cities must always be defined by seeing our particular strengths in the context of the particular character and culture of the community around us. But make no mistake, we will always benefit when we help develop special projects that clearly connect to those cultural features most treasured by our fellow citizens.

After all, marketing is much more than promoting programs already in place. It is about seeing how product, exchange of values, distribution, and promotion operate together.  And so we must always assume that our role is to help shape  innovative new “products” (or projects) that grow from our deep-rooted institutional strengths and connect to deep-rooted external strengths and organizations. 

We call this kind of strategic thinking and planning, “leveraging.”  And it is simply the art of seeing how an academic institution and its community can combine compatible strengths to broaden, clarify, and raise the visibility of, both brand identities in the world.

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Lesson 77 Repetition and Management

Posted in Branding, Integrated Marketing, Leadership, Lessons Learned on September 9, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Managers and consultants often face the awkward and frustrating moment in a meeting when staff members or clients seem to have forgotten all they knew about how to make the institution competitive. 

Many times you have identified the message points and design elements essential for advancing the institution’s brand. You have gone over and over the group processes necessary to get everyone on the same page, and working together as a team. You thought everyone certainly understood the importance of staying focused on action priorities.

Then, suddenly, the head designer shows the staff work so far off the mark you wonder where it came from!  Draft copy is circulated for review that goes off on a tangent, and never reinforces the brand identity. You say to yourself: “What can they be thinking? Who are these people?”  

At moments like this you can feel very silly. This is a staff meeting, not a classroom.  You feel that you need to become their teacher more than their manager. Now you must go over all of the fundamentals still another time. Do you work on these issues together, or must you constantly roll out another lecture?  And what’s more, isn’t it actually pretentious of you to keep shifting into a teaching mode with professional colleagues?

I have found that reviewing the basics of marketing and strategic communication with professional staff is much the same as repeating advertisements with audiences.  Just when you are getting tired of the repetition yourself, your audience is only beginning to understand.

Managers and consultants simply must review the basics periodically, whether or not it seems pretentious. Special staff meetings or retreats offer perfect opportunities. Bringing in a resource expert to help you can be effective. Whatever approach you follow, there is no doubt in my mind that once in a while a “marketing and communication 101” inspirational lecture will be required!

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Lesson 75 Being Misunderstood

Posted in Branding, Integrated Marketing, Internal Politics, Lessons Learned, Strategic Communication on August 27, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Being misunderstood is one of the most frustrating feelings anyone can experience.  It certainly is true for professional communicators. Yet, it happens almost daily. In fact, I have been known to comment that there is no such thing as a communication expert. There are only people who work at doing it systematically every day.

Experience has taught me that as much as fifty percent of every message  is lost.  A receiver can only process so much information, and selective perception determines which fifty percent is remembered.  Noise interruptions, from technical problems to attention distractions, also make it difficult to process entire messages. Based on this same reality, I argued in a previous blog that people only hear what they want. So what can we do to improve understanding?

I suggest thinking about shaping important message content around seven steps: (1) Get your receivers’ attention before sending any message. (2) Tell them your main purpose up front. (3) Limit your message to a few main points. (4) Give an example or tell a story to substantiate each one. (5) Conclude by summarizing your key points and purpose. (6) Build in the most efficient feedback process you can.  (7) Respond to whatever feedback you get, and resend your message.

The closer communication can become actual dialogue, the more effective it will be.  And, the more distance and noise  (including technology) there is between sender and receiver, the less effective communication will be. In these cases, you must keep your message as simple as possible, and repeat it as often as you can. In the final analysis, we all must anticipate breakdown, and just keep going.  The advantage we professionals  have is that we do it everyday, and therefore are able to continually repeat and reinforce our most critical messages.

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Lesson 66 Writing and Designing for Innovation

Posted in Branding, Integrated Marketing, Leadership, Lessons Learned, Planning on June 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »

An innovative “look” begins with an inspired vision that is anchored in actual institutional strengths, connected to current market needs and trends, and consistently articulated by all levels of leadership.  That accomplished, imaginative writing style and design play essential supportive roles.

Writing these days must be crisp, concise and adapted to the characteristics of each new technology.  Recent research, commissioned by an association I work with, revealed that even university presidents rarely read lengthy position papers and monographs.  The reality of the way busy people spend time, and the requirements of new media, suggest that crisp bites of information are preferred, and in most cases they are more effective. Thus, writing style must fit the medium, as well as the media behaviors, of each audience.

An impression of innovation is also better achieved when the writer and designer are able to work together. When a designer can hear and see the message develop before they ever go to work, the design is always much more effective. All too often the artist begins with minimal instruction, and then works in a vacuum with disappointing results.  The design may be award-winning, but communication effectiveness is not.

To be effective, the entire process must be guided by a set of minimal standards that guarantee carrying forward the general design “look” of the organization (brand identity), and the design look of  the appropriate program or division (sub-brand identity). Then, talented commercial artists are able to reinforce the brand and sub-brand, while at the same time support the purpose and content of the communication. 

Make no mistake, however, achieving this will require the proper interactive  process between writer and designer. Even those using outside free-lance writers and designers can achieve this result if branding standards and work procedures are defined first. Then, those hired outside can be required to sign on as if they were working inside. 

Organizations large and small are able to achieve an innovative “look” when they have articulate visionary leadership, clear brand standards, and use interactive creative processes. 

 

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