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This week, Ken completes his 3-part review of higher ed branding in 2015 with a look at \\u201cNew Names & Nicknames,\\u201d from DMZ to uVic! (Part 1 was \\u201cCautionary Tales & Cautious Rebrandings\\u201d https://youtu.be/m2LF3rGiMLc . Part 2 was \\u201cBold New Brands of 2015\\u201d https://youtu.be/pxmRfUfzZ5o .)

Without a doubt, institutions are loathe to lose decades of brand equity and recognition by changing their names. Generally it occurs only when the institution\\u2019s mandate has changed significantly, such as when a college gains university status, or an institute becomes a polytechnic. (Most recently it was SIAST becoming Saskatchewan Polytechnic.)

For years we\\u2019ve also seen a pretty widespread trend toward dropping adjectives like \\u201cregional\\u201d and \\u201ccommunity\\u201d from college names, and minimizing or eliminating the use of the word \\u201ccollege\\u201d itself.

Last spring, Saskatchewan\\u2019s Southeast Regional College launched a bright new brand identity without the word \\u201cRegional.\\u201d

The AUCC rechristened itself \\u201cUniversities Canada\\u201d last year, launching a \\u201cdynamic\\u201d new visual identity using a diamond rather than a square, to symbolize convergence, such as at a crossroads, a town square, or a university quad. https://youtu.be/cYeXSlzYIsw

Last year we also saw Fanshawe College announce the Don Smith School of Building Technology, UBC name the Peter A. Allard School of Law, and Wilfrid Laurier University rename the Laziridis School of Business & Economics.

Higher ed more often shortens names than changing them completely, such as when Ryerson University\\u2019s Digital Media Zone adopted the official name \\u201cDMZ\\u201d last spring.

Ryerson University itself launched a refreshed visual identity last summer, featuring fresh new colours, a slightly modernized typeface, and a bit of \\u201cout of the box\\u201d symbolism. The positioning strategy emphasizes 5 key differentiators from other Toronto institutions, and we look at two quick brand videos to see it in action. In keeping with our \\u201cnicknames\\u201d topic, Ryerson also revealed two abbreviated logos for use in informal situations, and social media.
Q&A with Sheldon Levy: https://youtu.be/i3Y7Ln2slyc
Mind & Action: https://youtu.be/INllQ597-1U

Last February, the University of Victoria finally embraced the nickname, \\u201cuVic,\\u201d by which they have been affectionately known for years. The dynamic new brand includes refreshed colours, a new wordmark, and new graphic elements including a wavy \\u201cconnective thread\\u201d and some playful birds, martlets, drawn from the coat of arms. https://youtu.be/gsARvoBJCoU

One of the challenges to adopting a shorter name for marketing purposes is opposition from internal and external stakeholders. I think perhaps uVic learned from the example set by Western University back in 2012. Critics thought the name geographically inaccurate, although frankly there are dozens of \\u201cNorthwesterns\\u201d and \\u201cSouthwesterns\\u201d in the eastern US. The new identity solved many technical issues, and introduced an elegant system of sub-brands that is the nicest I have seen anywhere.

So we\\u2019ve seen colleges and universities use several strategies to pave the way for a new name or brand. UCFV adopted an acronym, Malaspina a memorable icon, CBU stripped away all semblance of a logo, and uVic made it clear that the old logo will continue in widespread use.

The real work of rebranding an academic community isn\\u2019t creative work at all; the most challenging aspects are consultation, research, consensus building, and easing the campus into a new identity. Too many top-tier ad agencies have underestimated this challenge, or badly mishandled it. It\\u2019s the aspect of higher ed brand strategy that I think is most exciting, and it\\u2019s the reason I developed my proprietary Brand Chemistry\\u2122 model. www.BrandChemistry.ca

And this week\\u2019s #ICYMI: a new recruitment theme from Dalhousie University, \\u201cFind what drives you.\\u201d Nicely addresses concerns about an intellectually-challenging student experience. https://youtu.be/2ysWuPN62og

Coming up next time: a surprise episode! Watch for it later in March, or subscribe to our free email newsletter now for exclusive early access. http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/