What we hope to learn:

• Our existing image in the communities we serve
• What our stakeholders think makes UAF different from our competitors
• Which of these distinguishing characteristics are most appealing
• Which key strengths should we focus on when promoting UAF

From the time a student calls for information, visits our website or arrives on our campus, what impressions stand out -- especially when compared to our competitors? These associations exist in the minds of our stakeholders and over time become our brand, or reputation. Branding is the process of discovering and communicating the brand.

We've conducted interviews and discussion groups with a cross-section of people, including current and potential students; employees; donors; and business, political and community leaders. We've learned what and how they think about UAF, information that we'll use to develop strategies to improve weaknesses and to promote our strengths.

The strategies must be tied to our institutional goals. They must be practical but also show possibility: We'll never be the school of choice for Amazon rain forest specialists, but we can be the school of choice for circumpolar forest specialists. Our strategies must show what makes us truly different from our competitors. The strategies will give us a foundation from which all of UAF's schools, colleges and research institutes will be able to build their marketing efforts. This consistency makes us more effective.

The purpose is to refine UAF's existing image and promote those strengths that are most important to our audiences. We will then create a marketing approach that will serve all parts of UAF up to our centennial and beyond. The benefits are significant, including the potential to increase enrollments and philanthropic support.

UAF will benefit from a more strategic and coordinated approach to how it's presented to strengthen public understanding about what UAF is and does, and even what isn't UAF. Too many messages and images obscure what UAF is, does and promises to do.

Logos and taglines like "America's Arctic University" are only one component of an institutional brand and brand strategy. Our brand is the effect on the stakeholder -- a student, graduate, donor, community member, etc. -- of what we do and how we do it. It is built by the experience and interactions our stakeholders have with us.

It will be challenging, but it is possible. Many institutions have successfully undergone branding, and it's generally seen as a more efficient way to promote an organization.

The UAF Marketing and Communications department and the Division of Student Services are leading the project. Chancellor Rogers has appointed a Strategic Marketing Committee to provide broad input on the project, and a sub-group of the larger committee worked directly with Marketing and Communications during the initial stages. The Nerland Agency has been hired to conduct focus groups and provide positioning statements that will later be tested. The project is similar to the rebranding process the UAF Community and Technical College went through last year.

We expect the project to continue throughout the 2011 - 2012 academic year, with rollout of our new brand identity expected in fall 2012.

We started discussion groups and in-depth interviews in spring 2011. We're also reviewing other reports and secondary research to get a better idea of what currently resonates in the minds of our stakeholders. The next steps are to conduct a market survey in fall 2011, analyze the results and begin creative development in spring 2012, with rollout expected in fall 2012.

Look for periodic updates and opportunities to give feedback in the Cornerstone, the staff and faculty resource site.

Review a draft of the branding project timeline.

As noted in the message from Chancellor Rogers above, the need for a strong identity is vital to remaining competitive. A strong brand helps us promote the institution, recruit and retain students, gain public support and increase funding for the future.

For now, yes. However, per Chancellor Rogers, there will be no new logos created or approved at this time. While the branding strategy isn’t just a logo, it’s best practice to keep the number of logos to a minimum. This helps strengthen the overall brand.

Departments will not have to throw out anything. But as they update or create materials using their department budget as they normally would, they will work closely with Marketing and Communications to make sure everyone is using approved strategies as well as images.

The UAF logo currently in use can be found and downloaded at www.uaf.edu/marketing/standards/graphic/logo_downloads/.

UAF's graphic standards are explained at www.uaf.edu/logo/.

The chancellor has authorized $40,000 in private funds to be used over two years for this project, and Marketing and Communications contributed $8,000 of its FY11 budget.

If you have additional questions about the branding project, please send them to the Strategic Marketing Committee at UAF-SMC@alaska.edu.