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Ken Steele returns to the Brand Chemistry\u2122 lab to round up 10 recent examples of colleges and universities that have focused their brands on a single word.\xa0\xa0 It can be a real challenge to get campus-wide consensus, but there\u2019s a growing trend to quite literally \u201cown a word\u201d in the higher ed marketplace.

1) UC System \u2013 \u201cPublic\u201d

The University of California system launched an online and OOH campaign in 2014 playing with the word \u201cpublic\u201d to emphasize the value of their research to Californians, and the world.

2) American U \u2013 \u201cWonk\u201d

There are plenty of \u201cpolicy wonks\u201d in Washington DC, but in 2010 AU extended the idea to all sorts of disciplines, asking \u201cWhat kind of wonk are you?\u201d (See an extended 10K segment at https://youtu.be/IQJ27h9CtFg).

3) NSCC \u2013 \u201cStrive\u201d

Nova Scotia Community College launched a powerful, aspirational, and emotional campaign in 2016 emphasizing the challenges their students overcome, and their hopes for the future. https://youtu.be/P3ZkHOyqi_I).

4) uLethbridge \u2013 \u201cShine\u201d

Southern Alberta gets tons of sunshine, so the University of Lethbridge\u2019s shield highlights the sun and their motto \u201cFiat Lux\u201d the illumination provided by education. And their latest campaign, launched in 2015, spotlights their talented students, faculty and alumni, who \u201cshine.\u201d https://youtu.be/lN4ojnM4WrE

5) uWindsor \u2013 \u201cPromise\u201d

Many branding agencies will tell you that you need to articulate a brand promise, but Ontario\u2019s University of Windsor made \u201cPromise\u201d their brand promise!\xa0 https://youtu.be/Zi8oumjX-dM

6) Keyano \u2013 \u201cPower\u201d

Keyano College, in Fort McMurray Alberta, serves the labour needs of the Athabasca Oil Sands, and plays a critical role in the global energy sector. So they built a catchy, bold position using superhero capes and the slogan, \u201cYou\u2019ve got the power!\u201d

7) BCIT \u2013 \u201cComplex\u201d

Likewise, the British Columbia Institute of Technology wanted to empower its students and prospective students by preparing them for a complex world. https://youtu.be/nCmrk3CCArE

8) Brescia \u2013 \u201cBold\u201d

Brescia University College is a Catholic, women-only institution affiliated with Western University, in London Ontario. In 2009 they launched a new brand to highlight a key benefit of a single-gender learning environment: more confident, outspoken students. So they focused on the word \u201cBold.\u201d https://youtu.be/TDqmcIgOMks

9) Maryville \u2013 \u201cBrave\u201d

Almost a decade later, another Catholic (and originally women\u2019s) college in Missouri launched a new online brand based on a very similar word: \u201cBrave.\u201d https://mistress.agency/work/maryville-university-lets-be-brave-together-ad-campaign/

(See an extended 10K segment discussing \u201cThe Bold and the Brave\u201d at https://youtu.be/UKHQjuUPKG0)

10) uWyoming \u2013 \u201cCowboys\u201d

The most recent, and controversial, of these \u201cOne-Word Wonders\u201d came from the University of Wyoming \u2013 an institution steeped in generations of cowboy symbolism. Their new slogan, \u201cThe World Needs More Cowboys,\u201d launched in August 2018 and sparked some immediate criticism for potentially reinforcing sexist and racist stereotypes. But the whole point of the campaign was to redefine the word cowboy and emphasize the diversity of \u201cCowboys\u201d at uWyo.\xa0 https://youtu.be/EbJXn_he_sg

(See an extended 10K segment on the Wyoming Cowboys brand at https://youtu.be/W6JweEAeX7s)

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We\u2019ve been looking at marketing slogans and brand campaigns, but to truly deliver on your brand promise, the institution must \u201clive the brand\u201d, incorporating it into strategic planning, budgeting, hiring and more. Next time, we\u2019re going to visit a campus that has done just that, literally \u201cmoving mountains\u201d to embody its brand!

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