Truth #2: Define & Differentiate
There’s something about your school. Something that’s not like any other school. When you define that one-of-a-kindness that sets you apart, you’ve discovered the key that unlocks the power of your brand. When you differentiate your school in the marketplace, you unleash that power.
What Is a Brand?
Your brand is not your logo. It’s not your tagline, digital strategy, or savvy promotional materials. Your brand is your story, and the stories that get told about you. Your brand is the sum total of all the associations made of your college or university—what and how people think of you.
When you define your brand, you shape the way that people think of your school. Jay Baer, marketing advisor to some of the world’s most iconic brands, says, “Branding is the art of aligning what you want people to think about your company with what people actually do think about your company.”
How Do You Go About Defining Your Brand?
Many organizations, in a rush to branding, skip the foundational step: clearly defining what makes their organization special for their targeted audiences. Arriving at this level of understanding your brand, however, requires an intentional approach.
Market Research
Combining research methods that both measure and describe attributes of your institution is an essential part of defining your brand. Quantitatively assessing awareness, opinions, and satisfaction in various areas gives insight to where you stand in the mind of your current audiences. Qualitatively evaluating the underlying reasons deepens your insight.
Ultimately in brand research, you’re looking to understand the “why.” Why would a prospective student, donor, or community partner choose your institution?
Brand Positioning
Once you’ve discovered the “why,” you’re ready to develop your positioning strategy. This brand position will become your “North Star”—a strategic narrative that brings focus to your marketing plans and takes the guesswork out of your team efforts.
Your creative execution, guided by this strategic narrative, will change over time and take on multifaceted applications. But the narrative itself—the promise that encapsulates your story—anchors your messaging through changing seasons and times.
What Are Some Ways You Can Differentiate?
When you’ve defined your brand and established your brand positioning, then you’re equipped to differentiate. You’ll understand those stand-out qualities that attract people to your school.
We all know that today’s prospective students have many choices. And most colleges and universities look very much, well, the same. The challenge is to develop a set of core marketing messages that distinguishes you from your competitors in a sea of sameness.
Programs
In higher ed, prospective students are often driven by programs. Lift up unique majors, specializations, and qualities of your programs, and students will take notice.
Geneva College offers competitive, accredited engineering programs. But unlike most schools with engineering programs, Geneva’s engineering students learn to integrate faith in their vocations. A degree in chemical engineering, for example, prepares students to steward specialized knowledge of chemical products as they “serve God and neighbor.”
Geneva College Viewbook Spread
Lewis University began as an aviation school for young men, and the school’s aviation programs are still among their top offerings. As they continue to prominently feature degrees such as flight and aerospace technology, Lewis also effectively transfers concepts of innovation across the marketing of other programs, such as nursing. Ideals of “flight” run through their branding, including the “Lewis Flyers” athletic teams.
Lewis University Viewbook Spread
Think beyond academic programs, too. Look at those extracurriculars that are attracting attention on campus and in your surrounding community. Area sports championships. Musical performance accolades. An award-winning debate team. Highlighting these exceptional programs not only draws the students who may be interested in participating, but it builds the credibility of your school’s brand.
Location
Wherever your school is located, there’s something to brag about. What draws students to your little corner of the world? Whatever it is, tell that story!
University of Pikeville is set in the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains, and the school has a strong commitment to making an impact in their region of the country. The theme “Move Mountains” does double-duty to emphasize the geographic setting while also inspiring prospective students to imagine what they can accomplish.
Another approach is to showcase the distinct career-building opportunities nearby. Located in St. Louis, Missouri Baptist University invites students to discover a “real-life laboratory for launching careers,” where Fortune 500 companies abound with opportunities for internships and networking.
Missouri Baptist University Viewbook Spread
Character
It’s also likely your school has a one-of-a-kind personality with intrinsic qualities that set you apart. Sometimes those qualities are not as easy to pinpoint as location and program distinctives may be. But capturing the essence of your character is branding gold.
When St. Thomas Aquinas College set out on a branding initiative, they were on a quest to get below the surface of their identity. Wisely, they started by asking the “Why” question—Why would a student choose St. Thomas Aquinas College?
The school’s leaders embarked on an intentional discovery process that ultimately launched a power-charged branding campaign. What did they learn about what set them apart? Here’s the crux of the findings:
Each and every day, throughout the entire experience, St. Thomas Aquinas is igniting inherent passion in the students they serve. This is why students are empowered to succeed, why they feel prepared for their careers, and why they’re happy.
Grounded in an understanding of what makes them special, St. Thomas Aquinas could differentiate based on their unique character. This is where the tagline and accompanying value proposition were born.
Ignite Your Passion
What’s your big dream? At St. Thomas Aquinas College, we dare you to imagine all you can achieve—in your career and beyond. In a close-knit community dedicated to your success, your education is personalized for what matters most to you. You’ll learn by doing, discover your gifts, and ignite your passion.
The “something different” about your school may be as obvious as the scenery surrounding you or the programs with skyrocketing enrollment. Or maybe your “something different” is not so apparent—yet. Discover it. Define it. And set yourself apart from the crowd. There’s your superpower.
Pull Away from the Pack
The bad news: Your current marketing efforts may be getting overlooked in a “sea of sameness.”
The good news: With some intentionality, you can define your own brand that will set you apart.
The great news: When you differentiate your marketing efforts, your school will shine.
Let’s make these truths part of your institution’s unique marketing strategies. Contact us to chat about how 5° Branding can partner with your team.
This is the second blog in our Higher Ed Marketing Truths series with 5° Senior Vice President Ryan Morabito, a veteran brand strategist who has worked with over 100 schools. These blogs are based on Ryan’s LinkedIn posts, which regularly inspire high engagement among education leaders and marketers. Click here to receive each blog in the series by email or bookmark our blog to check for updates!
