Thinking about starting a brand strategy project on your campus? Whether you’ve just started thinking about it or you’re further along in the planning, you and your team should agree on the answers to some important questions. Why? Because tackling the tough questions can mean the difference between a smooth process that everyone buys into or a bumpy road that takes you to the wrong destination.
Here are the questions that every higher ed marketing professional should ask before starting the project:
1. Why do we need a brand strategy?
The answer may be obvious. But understanding the reasons why you need to better articulate your brand can help you determine the overall vision for the project and keep you on track.
2. Why are we doing this now?
What specific change, event, or result is prompting you to think about a brand strategy project? It could be disappointing enrollment results, an upcoming capital campaign, a leadership change, or a combination of factors. Whatever the reasons, make sure you can state them clearly — to yourself, your team, and your key stakeholders.
3. Why haven’t we done this before?
Someone will undoubtedly ask, “If it’s such a great idea, why has no one tried it before?”.. Make sure you have a good answer.
4. If we have done this before, why are we doing it again?
Many clients come to mStoner having done some brand strategy work at some point. Brand strategy isn’t a once-and-done thing; it’s an ongoing process. Your new project may be to update to highly successful prior brand work. Or you may have encountered issues in the past in implementing an institution-wide brand. You can learn from past experience by reflecting on what worked well, what didn’t, and what you want to do differently this time around.
5. Which audiences matter most?
Most institutions have a long list of audiences they’d like to reach as part of the brand rollout, but most institutions find out that they don’t have the budget or resources to include them all. Which of your audiences matter most? The audiences you most depend on to achieve your strategic goals.
6. Which key stakeholders need to be on board?
You’ll be tempted or pressured to involve everyone in a brand strategy project. The larger your decision-making group, the longer it will take, and the harder it will be to manage. That’s not to say you should exclude people. But ask yourself who really needs to be involved in the brand, and who can be informed after the fact.
7. What information will key stakeholders need to buy in to your brand strategy?
Some institutions use only qualitative research; others use a combination of qualitative and quantitative. There’s no one “right” way to do market research as part of a brand strategy project. Instead, you should understand the type and amount of information your stakeholders will need to feel comfortable. Do they respond better to data? Or to quotes and video snippets that bring the audience to life?
8. Who’s the decision-maker?
Many institutions begin a brand strategy project without knowing who the final decision-maker will be,This can lead to rework and frustration. You should know who has the final approval up front and know the issues and concerns that this person will have Your decider must be in the initial discussions and in every key meeting, milestone, and decision along the way.
9. Who (or what) are the potential roadblocks?
You need a disaster plan. What if a new stakeholder appears who wants to be involved? What if the external audience feedback is inconsistent with your campus community’s understanding of your brand? What if the alumni don’t like your new brand? Planning for the roadblocks can help you better manage them.
10. Do we need outside help?
Some institutions have the internal resources and experience to be able to do both the market research and brand strategy work themselves. Others engage a firm with brand strategy experience to help them. Think about the pros and cons of doing the work in-house vs. hiring an agency before you make the final decision.
Want to learn more? We recently published a white paper that explores the specific challenges of higher education branding and gives you strategies for clearing the most common hurdles.