For the first half of our company’s journey, we learned marketing by solving hard problems across retail, B2B, financial services and nonprofits. Then we brought that hard won understanding to higher education. What emerged was a higher standard for colleges and universities where design, data, story and deep empathy for students come together to drive […]
Higher education institutions occasionally turn to Elliance to revitalize their identity. Motivations vary: some want to shed an old skin and put on a new one, while others aim to sharpen their focus and distance themselves from their competitors; some simply seek to modernize their image to align with evolving market trends, and a few […]
As a leading higher education branding agency, Elliance uses these 7 mindsets, understands these 6 trends, and listens to these 10 brand ambassadors to discover brand essence.
Communicating before, during and after a capital campaign requires the kind of symphonic thinking that author Daniel Pink explores in A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Strategic visions and campaign priorities can quickly deconstruct into campaign inventory and itemization — losing all connection to a larger and more […]
A familiar Chinese proverb instructs: “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” The current situation in higher education defies that enduring wisdom. Change arrived suddenly, with little regard for institutional history or might. In this respect, all colleges stand on relatively common ground. All college presidents, to a degree, have become new college presidents. […]
The golden age of print magazines long ago expired (Time once reached 20 million readers a week at peak circulation). Still, writers, editors and photographers charged with producing a college or university magazine juggle the same risk/reward choices as their predecessors when it comes to creating memorable cover art. Whether your college magazine comes in […]
As revenue pressures grow across higher education, so do board- and cabinet-level imperatives to “define the brand.” Easier said than done, true. But also worth every ounce of effort. At its best, a brand discovery should yield an authentic and durable brand position (with a 10-year shelf life). Better yet, a brand discovery (well planned […]
After serving 100 colleges over 25 years, here is what we have learned. The most successful college and university brands embody these 7 best practices. In fact they have turned into living habits and have led thus become schools of consequence.
There isn’t an algorithm for defining brand architecture in higher education. However, some heuristics or common patterns exist that will help colleges and universities frame their specific situation.
A colleague of mine spoke a phrase several months ago that won’t stop ringing a clear and undeniable truth in my ear. After I showed him video from a flash mob brand launch, he said, “I hate that kind of fake energy.” That bell rang again for me this week as imposter birthday greetings between dropping through my apartment door […]