A cohesive brand story should enhance awareness and create a positive experience for prospective and current students, faculty/staff and the community. Learn how Wake Tech Community College overcame the challenge of creating a simple yet compelling brand for the largest community college in North Carolina. This presentation will outline process of branding an institution that does so much for so many.
Presented by VisionPoint Marketing at CRD 2013, PRIMA 2014, edUi 2014, CASE III 2015 and NCMPR National 2015.
4. About VisionPoint
> Established in March 2001 & located in Raleigh, NC with team of 20
> Serve: Large & Small; Public & Private; Grad, Post-Grad, Undergrad, CC
> Specialize in online marketing consultation and execution in higher ed
> Web, branding, inbound marketing, strategy, consultation, etc.
> No ‘one size fits all’ approach (focus on what’s right for the client)
> Speaking on HE marketing at CASE, AMA, eduWeb, + regionally
5. Agenda
1. Intros
2. What is a brand?
3. Branding in Higher Education
4. 5 Steps to Building Stronger Brands
5. Results: Looking Back
#CCbrandIng @zhhender @vispoint
6. What is a ‘brand’?
(Special thanks to Paul Isakson)
#CCbrandIng @zhhender @vispoint
49. The case for strong brands in CCs
> Similar to buying a car, education is a high involvement process
> Decision to attend an institution of higher education is expensive,
long term and provides many options to choose from
> Too many choices, too little time
> Audience is generally very unclear on what CCs offer
> CCs face a lingering negative perception (last resort)
> The reputation of a school is a huge factor in the decision-making
process for most students
> Trust has been lost: fewer and fewer believe that going to college
and possibly taking on debt is going to lead to success
57. About Wake Tech
> Chartered in 1958, First opened its doors in 1963
> Largest CC in North Carolina, serving over 69,000 students
> 5 campuses, 2 training centers
> 1st All-LEED campus in the U.S.
> Hallmark programs: Nursing, Culinary Arts, Simulation & Game Development
> Recently revamped website & brand with VisionPoint
63. Usage Habits - Events
> Respondents were asked to answer questions about their needs
and usage habits of the website.
64. In a stakeholder survey with
approximately 150 responses
from 5 different perspectives/
levels across the college, we
asked to choose the
attributes that best fit Wake
Tech:
> Accountable
> Friendly
> Established
> Diverse
> Service Oriented
Top Attributes
70. I am a Phoenix
The Kaplan Commitment
Capella University: Matter
Let Nothing Stand In Your Way
0 to Bachelor’s in 2.5
Education for the Future
Where Dreams Take Flight
Get There.
71. Competitive Landscape Takeaways
> Compete directly with partners
> Mix of public and private competition
> Not much direct CC competition
> You are competing against perception/confusion as much
you are against others with similar offerings
(“I didn’t know they did that.”)
> Great Opportunity: establish your brand without having to
be too reactionary to competition
(‘own’ who you are)
Wake Tech holds a unique competitive position:
75. Sample Stakeholder Interview Questions
> Tell us about your unit/offering
> Tell us about your role here
> What are the goals for your unit/offering?
> What are the biggest challenges you face?
> Who is your target audience?
> What do you want to communicate?
> What is the school’s brand?
77. Themes from Staff
> Affordable but high quality
> A central cog to the community
> Large college with diverse offerings
> Passionate about making a difference in students’ lives
> Wake Tech’s culture inspires faculty/staff to make a difference
> Responsive growth as community and industry changes
79. Themes from Employers
> Evolving, improving offerings
> General community unaware of full extent of offerings
> See Wake Tech as a ‘bridge’ (to opportunities)
> Faculty and staff are extremely helpful and passionate
> Current brand and personality is decentralized with no clear
message
> Provides practical, real-world education
81. Themes from Leadership
> Want Wake Tech to be the first choice, not the last resort
> ‘All things to all people’
> Expect high quality work from students, faculty and staff
> Responsive not reactive
> “Best kept secret in Wake County”
> Mission driven, want a culture that inspires people to make a
difference
84. Themes from Curriculum Students
> College is well respected in the community and within the college
> Good relationships with universities foster obtainable path to
a 4-year program
> They desire a stronger sense of community
> Knowledgeable and passionate faculty who care
> Wake Tech exceeded their expectations
> Breadth of offerings available
> “Easy to get in, hard to get out”
85. Themes from Continuing Education Students
> Found experience welcoming and friendly
> Faculty is very motivational, and helps students gain the
confidence necessary to break out of their comfort zone
> Wake Tech is their key to a better life
> Extremely appreciative and grateful (this group gets it)
87. Aggregate Themes
> Passionate people that want to make a difference (they care)
> Welcoming, friendly and encouraging environment
> Exceed expectations (always room for improvement)
> Challenging academics
> Dependable and accessible
> Responsive not reactive (able to adjust to changing times & needs)
> Diverse (breadth of offerings)
88. You should have a solid
understanding of your college’s
culture, its competitive
landscape, its business goals,
and its target audience.
#CCbrandIng @zhhender @vispoint
90. Brand Attributes are
> Words or short phrases that encompass the personality of a brand
> Inspirational
> Rallying points
> The foundation for brand development
> Criteria for tactical and strategic decisions
Brand Attributes are NOT
> A detailed description of what you do
> Granular
> Your organization’s tag line
140. Successful branding is what you do, not what you say or
show.
!
Successful branding requires delivering consistently positive
experiences for your constituents. It comes from keeping your
promises to them, from earning their trust that your brand will
do its best at every point of contact to deliver on what they
want and expect from you.
!
To be the light that guides the way…
Living the brand
#CCbrandIng @zhhender @vispoint
143. CAREERS IN HEALTH SCIENCES
2901 Holston Lane | Raleigh, NC 27610
919-747-0400 | health.waketech.edu
146. The future is in your hands.
It is a choice, to follow or lead.
Those who attend Wake Tech are aware of the
possibilities and know that Wake Tech can be the
start of a life-changing journey.
Are you a Wake?
Share your success story!
Submit your story to: iamawake@waketech.edu
149. Thank you!
follow VisionPoint: @vispoint | @zhhender follow Wake Tech: @waketechcc•
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#CCbrandIng @zhhender @vispoint