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“With a strong brand comes higher recognition, easier recruitment of distinguished faculty, staff and students, and greater advocacy from our constituents,” said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. “The time has never been better or more critical to increase the visibility of what we do, what we mean and who we are.”
At the highest level, branding is the sum total of experiences and interactions that a person has with an institution or company. Typically, a major component of a branding initiative is the graphic identity and how that extends to components such as advertising and printed materials. Although UNMC’s branding initiative will encompass specific graphic standards, it will be much more comprehensive in its scope, said Renee Fry, director of the UNMC Department of Public Affairs.
“Research indicates that the general public has significant positive sentiment toward UNMC and our partners. In part, this is due to our emphasis on community relations and outreach throughout the state over the past decade,” Fry said. “This branding initiative will provide us with a greater understanding of how the public perceives the great work that is being done here, and will provide a means for us to target different audiences strategically, using resonant messages and a graphically satisfying approach.”
The branding initiative will be led from public affairs, but campus participation will be essential to the initiative’s success, Fry said.
“A successful brand must have internal buy-in before it has any chance for success with external audiences,” Fry said. “Employees and faculty will have opportunities to participate in focus groups, and they will have the opportunity to comment on the process via our branding Web site.”
Fry has charged two public affairs staff members with leading the branding initiative: Bill O’Neill, senior associate director for advancement, and Jill Carson, marketing specialist II. O’Neill and Carson are co-chairs of a brand advisory committee that has representation from each college and academic unit on campus, as well as from partners such as The Nebraska Medical Center and UNMC Physicians.
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The branding initiative will consist of three major phases: research to assess internal and external audience views of UNMC, development of the brand and brand components and implementation.
To help with each phase, Lipman Hearne, a full-service marketing and communications firm for non-profit agencies, was hired through a competitive process to assist UNMC with its branding efforts. Click here to see more about Lipman Hearne.
“We are honored to work with UNMC,” said Tim Westerbeck, the managing director and principal leading the effort for Lipman Hearne. “Clearly UNMC has realized tremendous gains during the past 10 years, with the opening of the Sorrell Center just the most recent example. We welcome the chance to work as a partner on the branding initiative — in doing so we will look to identify a solution that can make real the spirit and potential of UNMC.”
Lipman Hearne will begin conducting quantitative and qualitative research over the next few weeks. Following analysis of the research, UNMC will begin formulating its brand platform and strategy this fall. Development of a marketing plan and creative work will follow, and the brand launch is set for next spring. A more detailed timeline will be provided and updated on the UNMC branding Web site.