After thorough research, focused creative development, and an extensive feedback and testing phase, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will unveil the creative expression of its brand at 1:20 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Reeve Union Theater.
The brand platform includes a new wordmark, tagline and other visual and verbal elements that support the University’s mission and values.
“Thanks are due to all those throughout the University who provided collaboration and counsel during the development process; your insight and feedback were essential,” said Chancellor Richard H. Wells. “We should be especially appreciative of how well our faculty, staff and students worked together as we reallocated our resources and talents to develop a sophisticated, authentic, and outcome-based integrated marketing and communications strategy.
“It is important to note that our comprehensive brand identity was not created by a single individual; rather, it was ‘discovered’ with the help of many internal and external constituencies. In other words, together, we have discovered something that has been an inherent part of our community for a long time. So it is now time to broadly share and continue to keep our brand promise,” he said.
The brand platform and guidelines represent nearly two years of work. Innovative in nature, the final product was completed by existing staff in the IMC department. However, while the bulk of the work was completed by IMC, the entire campus community played a role in its development.
“It is typical for universities of our size and scope to outsource such an effort and expend hundreds of thousands of dollars or, in some cases, a million dollars or more in external consultancy,” said Wells. “Because we have leveraged the creativity and expertise of our faculty, staff and students and realigned internal resources, we avoided such expenses. I am proud of this collaborative effort that has transformed the way we are communicating our institutional identity.”
Added Jeanette DeDiemar, executive director of Integrated Marketing and Communications, “While this moment represents a significant one for the University, we have been incrementally introducing our new image over the past two years through introduction of a new University’s Web site, the launches of UW Oshkosh Today and the alumni magazine Engage, an overhaul of most print and online publications, and implementation of photography that reflects the University in an authentic, creative context.”
Integrated Marketing and Communications has developed a number of tools and programs to help the campus community understand the changes, their import and the opportunities they provide. Detailed brand guidelines and other resources have been developed and will be available online starting Feb. 25.
In addition, brand workshops have been planned for the first quarter of 2010, in which the campus community can learn how to incorporate brand messaging effectively into communications. Visit www.uwosh.edu/imc for a complete schedule.
“We have appreciated the participation of the hundreds of faculty, staff, students as well as external constituents, who provided input and counsel during this rewarding process,” DeDiemar said. “These collaborative efforts have resulted in a strong, compelling and authentic brand platform.”