2. Defining Branding
Agenda:
Defining brand
Branding in the higher education context
The role of identity in branding
Brand Claims
Steps to brand development
Brand Positioning
A Case Study
13. Defining Branding
Brand is:
Every association and experience
Functional and emotional
Intrinsic and original
Contextual and positional
Active and intentional
15. Are championed by everyone
Pay attention
WINNING BRANDS: Are responsive
Change with the times
Move to meet goals
16. Meet a compelling need
(beyond “a degree”)
Inspire loyalty
WINNING BRANDS: Create a premium
Facilitate choice
Insulate against competition
Are ‘money in the bank’
19. Defining Branding
Brands are abstract and metaphysical
Perceived as a ‘Zero-Sum-Game’
Perceptions affect brand—the ‘truth’ is vulnerable
‘Consumers’ are not rational
Come from commercial models
Requires collaboration and collusion
22. Distillation of experience
Essence
IDENTITY IS A REFLECTION
Reflection of value
OF THE BRAND
Impression of associated
qualities
Frame of reference
23. Defining Branding
What identity can’t do:
Can’t tell a story
Can’t fix a brand
Doesn’t drive the brand
24. Defining Branding
What identity does best:
Reflects a personality
Expresses an abstract notion
Establishes an organizing architecture
Provides the ‘brand collateral’ for product extensions
Establishes benchmarks and standards for consistent
visual expression and naming conventions
25. Positioning the Brand
Checklist for brand claim:
Can we really make this promise?
Distinctive in market
Relevant to constituents
Credible and supportable with evidence
Consistent with brand heritage
Feasible and executable
33. Conduct constituent research
3. Explore the competitive and
Analyze the world issue environment
outside. Constructively engage with
findings
34. Capture brand characteristics
4. Formulate a competitive
Draft beta brand brand claim
platform and strategy. Consider how to best deliver
35. Determine credibility and
“gap”
5. Explore emotional connection
Test and refine.
Listen for audience
preferences and habits
Refine platform and claim
36. 6. Develop marketing plan
Develop brand tools. Check identity and
architecture
39. Brand totality of associations and experiences
40. Brand totality of associations and experiences
your brand in the competitive
+ Positioning environment
41. Brand totality of associations and experiences
your brand in the competitive
+ Positioning environment
= Brand claim the turf you stake and defend
42. Positioning the Brand
Checklist for brand claim
Strong and distinctive
Relevant to constituents
Credible
Consistent with brand heritage
Feasible
43. Positioning the Brand
Developing a brand claim
Blending science and insight
Holistic and strategic thinking
No single formula
Choosing how to focus now
45. Positioning Challenge #2
Strength v. Balancing what you
Relevance are best known for
against what you learn
to be the most
important
“decision-drivers.”
48. Positioning the Brand
Motivating desire
Asking the right questions
Ethnographic research
Cultural understanding
49. A CASE STUDY
Case Study:
Fielding Graduate University
Fielding Graduate University
50. Positioning the Brand
Fielding Graduate University
Founded in the early 70s as an “alternative”
to traditional in-residence graduate programs
“Human development” fields of psychology,
org development, education
For place-bound adult students
Now competing in for-profit online
environment
53. Positioning Priorities: Fielding Graduate University
Academic quality
Institutional reputation relative to for-profits
and prestige relative to
“traditional” universities Top accreditation
Specialized
institutional focus
Flexibility
Reputation in disciplines
relative to for-profits
Technology
Commitment to social justice
Non-profit status
54. Brand framework
BRAND REWARD BRAND VALUE BRAND PERSONALITY
EMOTIONAL
Emotional benefits Principles Character and style
Ideals
BRAND ICONS BRAND FEATURES BRAND BENEFIT
Tangible symbols Defining attributes of the Functional benefits to
institution’s brand: relevant, constituents
tangible, verifiable
FUNCTIONAL
FOUNDATION
University GOALS
Institution’s stated mission
55. Validated Brand Platform: Fielding Graduate University
BRAND REWARD INSTITUTIONAL VALUE BRAND PERSONALITY
EMOTIONAL
“The Ph.D. that I was Respect for the individual Smart, creative, caring,
meant to get and that generates creative solutions independent
earns others’ admiration” and enlightened practice
BRAND ICONS CORE ATTRIBUTES BRAND BENEFIT
• Exclusive focus in inter-related fields of
Psychology, Human & Organization
Affiliation with/degree from
FUNCTIONAL
Development, and Educational Leadership
• Top professional accreditation respected graduate
• Dialogical/distributed learning model enabling
customized degree paths university in human
• Attracts self-directed professionals development fields
• Demonstrated research excellence
• Collaborative scholar-practitioner community
• Committed full-time faculty members
Mission:
Fielding Graduate University prepares its students to serve as reflective professionals through its innovative
doctoral and master’s programs, collaborative learning model, and continuing professional education. We support
professional and personal transformation through a learning model which integrates theory, research, and values
with high integrity practice and scholarship in Psychology, Human & Organization Development, and Educational
Leadership & Change.
56. Fielding Brand Claim:
A specialized graduate university providing all the
quality—plus the flexibility of on-line delivery—to draw
the most self-directed and creative human
development professionals
57. Positioning the Brand
Fielding strategy:
Play on ground competitors can’t
Specialized nature
Institutional solidity
Quality guarantors (APA accreditation)
Third-party endorsement
58. Positioning the Brand
Fielding strategy:
Show students as agents
Independent ways of thinking
Students as colleagues
Breakthrough solutions in disciplines
59. Positioning the Brand
Fielding strategy:
Don’t dwell in self-actualization space
Emotional appeals
Supportive culture (reads as remedial)
Soft imagery