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Received by RUEngaged@rowan.edu email

February 21, 2008

If as the President says in his white paper that the Graduate Programs are mainly attended by NJ residents, how can you justify diverting all state aid to undergraduate programs and force NJ students to foot the tuition bill at a rate higher than Rutgers Graduate tuition?

February 22, 2008

I would like to suggest a topic for a future RU Engaged: Rowan’s brand

The discussion should answer these questions:

1. What is Rowan’s brand promise?
2. How is that promise different from our competitors and does it matter?
3. Is our promise relevant to those we serve?
4. What are we doing to make sure we keep that promise?

Here is my reason for suggesting this. I have heard a lot of people on campus talk about the need for “branding” at Rowan but I wonder how many of them actually know what branding is.

Brand definition

A brand is not a logo or letterhead or billboards. A brand consists of attributes consumers associate with a company. They are based on consumer perceptions of an organization and they come from either direct experience with that organization or experiences their friends have had.

Every organization has a brand and colleges and universities are no exception. A brand can be negative (think of tobacco companies) as well as positive (McDonald’s). When a company’s image is good, the public assumes the products are good and they are more likely to buy them. Consumers tend to use, to be more loyal to, and will pay a premium for brands they feel provide a better overall experience.

A brand is also a promise to a consumer. “Do business with us and this is what you will get in return.” The “brand promise” is the answer to the customer’s question “What’s in it for me?”

What’s the difference between a brand promise and a tagline? A tagline simply flows from the broader brand promise, attempting to capture it in a succinct, meaningful, memorable way. The tagline is merely a way to communicate the brand promise to the market in a rather literal fashion.

How are we different and is it relevant?

Enduring brands are built on differences that mean something to their customers. Branding requires differentiation—making a product stand out in a look-alike herd. Most colleges and universities are not good at differentiation. A recent Google search of college and university web sites reveals that many institutions are using the same key phrases to describe themselves:

                        •  34,400 use “individual attention

             •  24,600 use “career preparation”

                        •  24,000 use “outstanding facility”

                        •  19,600 use “unique experience”

                        •  17,400 use “cutting-edge technology;”

                        •  15,700 use “rigorous academics”

                        •  10,900 use “friendly, warm community”

Being different is by no means always better, of course, but being the same is never better. Just being different is not enough. We have to be different in a way that matters. This is called “brand relevance.” We need to look at what our customers want instead of what we want to give them.

Are we keeping our promise?

Brands are built in two ways. One method is through the activities we deliberately do—news stories, publications, advertising, etc.

The second and most critical is from direct contact through classes, how they are treated by employees, the appearance of buildings and grounds, and the success of athletics.

All the money spent on advertising and promotion is wasted if employees do not know, and are not equipped to deliver, the promises that have been communicated to customers. Every employee needs to know his or her role in implementing it. They have to “live the brand.”  They play a key role in the branding of the University because personal contact is the strongest builder of a brand.

Advertising and PR helps create awareness among potential students, but the relationship that is established in the process is what makes them choose us. It is important to remember that it is not just what we say or how we look, it is all about how we act.

Marketing is not only about new logos, pithy tag lines, and expensive advertising campaigns. Rather, it is a disciplined way for a college to focus on what makes it different from the competition and to consistently communicate that message to alumni, donors, parents, prospective students, and even legislators.

It is important to remember that it is not just what we say or how we look, it is all about how we act. Branding is everyone’s job.