Rebranding on Mission: The Geneva College Story

How do you launch a contemporary rebranding initiative and stay true to a mission and vision that has shaped an institution for 175 years? Geneva College gives us a valuable example of success and shows how the work can even be accomplished following an aggressive timeline. For Willem de Ruijter, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Geneva, it was important to honor the institution’s history yet communicate clearly today.

Since the founding of Geneva College in 1848, the institution has demonstrated unwavering commitment to its mission of service to God and neighbor. Governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), the College holds closely to its charter, foundational concepts, and historic motto, Pro Cristo et Patria. At the heart of Geneva’s mission is the advancement of faith and learning integration.

In 2022, Geneva partnered with 5° Branding to develop a renewed brand identity for reaching targeted audiences and furthering the College’s strategic objectives. It was critical that the new brand reflect deeply held convictions shared across the community.

“As an institution with a specific mission and vision for education, we needed a firm that took our mission seriously,” de Ruijter explained. “From the start, the team at 5° did not merely show a professional interest in a client, but a personal interest in seeing us succeed.”

Building the Brand

The internal process was spearheaded by de Ruijter, along with Geneva’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Lindsay Courteau. Both were brand new in their roles—de Ruijter had started his position less than three months earlier, and Courteau joined Geneva the week the branding project began. They were met by a ready and talented marketing team that would provide specialized expertise and vital insights.

With zeal for the mission and eagerness for the new brand, de Ruijter and Courteau moved ahead with exceptional leadership and enthusiasm. To meet deadlines for a fall enrollment campaign, the process was scheduled to be completed in just about six months.

Following an intensive Research and Discovery phase, the 5° team developed comprehensive brand architecture, messaging, and identified design assets to facilitate the renewed brand.

Geneva adopted three brand pillars to represent distinctive and unchanging qualities of the College: Purposeful Learning, Kingdom Community, and Lifelong Mission. For undergraduate enrollment marketing, the College chose the rally cry Made for This, calling students to discover and grow in the purpose for which they were created.

The hallmark of Geneva’s updated visual identity is the thoughtfully crafted new logo. The precise imagery challenges all those connected with Geneva to reflect the values presented. The logo’s crown and Bible represent the clear mission of the College—faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. The “valley” at the top of the logo, along with the three waterfalls, connects Geneva’s mission to its location in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.

Launching the Brand

The College’s updated web design, social media, and printed materials present a brand personality that is bold and personal with a tone that is inviting and future-focused. Messaging consistently communicates the Made for This theme supported by the essential brand pillars. The Geneva website homepage incorporates the new theme along with the historic motto. Recruiting materials for the fall enrollment cycle prominently promote the Made for This rally cry.

Geneva looks forward to measuring the impact of the new branding in coming months. In the meantime, unsolicited feedback, social media posts, and conversations are providing early anecdotal data.

“We’ve been so grateful for the response of the Geneva community,” de Ruijter said. “The new brand is focused on our primary market of prospective students and their families, yet we’ve received a very positive response from alumni, board members, faculty, staff, and community members.”

Celebrating Teamwork

When we asked de Ruijter to describe the essential elements in achieving Geneva’s goals, he pointed to “partnership” as the key to success. “The team at 5° provided us the framework to help us achieve campus-wide buy in for this process,” he explained. Regular communication provided for valuable input from the President, Cabinet, Board, and Marketing team.

A small team led the process internally, allowing for nimble movement as needed. Consulting with campus leaders at key moments during the process helped to ensure the work stayed on focus and on mission.

Summarizing the completed work and assessment of success, de Ruijter said:

“We asked 5° to meet an aggressive timeline, work extremely collaboratively, and provide us with a new brand identity that spanned 175 years of history yet communicates clearly today. The short answer is they delivered on all these things. They were receptive to our extensive feedback and partnered with us on creating the best brand for Geneva.”