UC Berkeley Brand Stewardship

Claire HolmesAVC, Communications & Public Affairs

June 14, 2012

We are the envy of many…

– The World’s Number One Public University

– 22 faculty won Nobel prizes– 25 alumni won Nobel prizes

A brand for life!

We are changing lives everyday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ_FCtRRgBk

How is our brand doing?

How is our brand doing?

Perception Reality

Organizational Factors

• Due to Berkeley’s decentralized nature, the same person can be contacted multiple times with non-aligned messages

The whole is greater than…

• All messaging working towards one unified goal

The journey begins

• Discover – What do we / others feel about Berkeley? Why? How deeply?

• Define – What will stay constant as all else changes? What is our essence?

• Express – How can we put our best foot forward? All together?

Phase I: Discover

• Perception study conducted in Aug-Nov 2011• Results shared with multiple stakeholder groups

across campus• Successful socialization – good response to

findings & unified commitment to continue the messaging effort

Highest quality faculty

PRIMARY MESSAGING THEMES

“UC Berkeley makes important far-

reaching discoveries and

economic contributions.”

Faculty deeply involved in their fields

Good value - education & experiences

Exceptional quality education in every way

Down to earth

SECONDARY MESSAGING THEMES

“Socially conscious – doing what is

right for the right reasons!”

Free thinking

Open and tolerant of different points of view

Chaotic

Quirky

13

“I worry that the budget cuts have stretched Berkeley too far – that they are causing a decline in the quality of education and research at Berkeley. My impressions are from the news, not from knowing first-hand.”

INDUSTRY PERCEPTIONS OF BERKELEY

14

“The public nature of Berkeley is what sets it apart. There is something very special about Berkeley because it has high academic standards and great faculty. The problem right now is the CA state and its damage to the UC system in general.”

COMPETITIVE PERCEPTIONS OF BERKELEY

Phase II: Define

• Extending the perception study into a strategic positioning strategy for the university– April-July 2012

• Outcome - Clarity on the broader university messages along with specific linkages to the component schools

Phase III - Express

• Creative messaging toolkit with guidelines for use across the university– July - September 2012

• Specific recommendations across all media - print, web, mobile, video

Overall Objective

• The goal is one consistent, compelling story.• Consistency is built through the deliberate

coordination of communications elements.• These elements define what we say and how

we say it.

Rollout

• Implementation should begin in the fall. • The rollout will include training sessions, tool

orientation, and plenty of guidance on the new communication and creative direction. It will blend inspiration and education.

Sample resources and support

• Creative resources — WebDAM photo sharing site (beta in progress)

• Templates — design templates for the web and other media

Benefits

• Sharing our story• Using our logo correctly• Knowing the right message to lead with• Determining how communications change to

fit the audience or to accommodate specific needs

• Selecting photos and graphic elements• Crafting headlines and copy that are on-brand

The biggest benefit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lnJwUW3YcE

Go Bears!