Powerful brands are more than great creative.  They're based on in-depth research, a deeply felt and widely accepted brand platform, clear strategy, and well-designed tactics. That’s why we offer a combination of services: research and analysis, strategic planning, brand platform development, compelling creative, and multi-platform tactics. Our approach gets results, and we're proud to present three short case studies below.

Indiana State University
Virginia Tech
Washington State University

Indiana State University

In 2004 Indiana State University faced a number of serious challenges: Enrollments had been flat or declining for a decade, brand awareness was low, and perceptions of quality were mixed and unclear. ISU was being squeezed by rapidly increasing competition from both“above and below.  At the president's request, we conducted market research including a comprehensive Situational Analysis that identified important challenges and provided recommended solutions.

Based on our analysis, we helped create a consensus-driven brand platform that identified a differentiating leadership position in a seriously competitive marketplace. We developed a unique and compelling creative framework for the ISU brand, and launched and managed an integrated brand campaign from 2005 - 2009.

The branding platform, exemplified by the award-winning “More. From day one.” strategic tagline and a unique brand personality, was built around ISU’s competitive advantages: its hands-on philosophy of education, opportunities to get involved from day one, and focus on teaching real-world skills.

The strategy coordinated external messaging, publications, web communications, and PR efforts, along with targeted recruitment activities. The awareness campaign used outdoor billboards, airport signage, and high-profile, "buzz-generating" :30 TV spots to raise awareness and generate positive attitudes and interest.   

Integrated tactics including Google adwords, animated banners, social networking, email blasts, consistent prospect follow-ups, and a variety of integrated events and viral activities helped convert awareness to applications. Traditional and new-media tactics were carefully coordinated with on-the-ground recruitment efforts.

The campaign targeted Indianapolis, Evansville, Terre Haute, Gary, Lake County IL, and 21 Illinois counties contiguous to Indiana (eligible for tuition waivers).  Despite under-spending competitors in the marketplace by 50% and more, the campaign achieved outstanding bottom-line results, and ISU has exceeded its strategic goals for awareness, image enhancement, and enrollment growth.  Influencer perceptions have improved significantly and measurably.

Applications from qualified prospects grew by 16% in 2007 and 22% in 2008, and strong growth continued through 2010. This allowed the university earn a health ROI on its marketing investment, and to exercise greater selectivity in accepts and enrolls, and has led to the need for enrollment caps in 2010.

The campaign was also singled out by University Business magazine in December 2009 as the first-named example of the "50 Best Branding Ideas" in higher education. 

Virginia Tech

In 2004, Virginia Tech requested expertise in creating an enduring brand identity that would achieve two specific strategic objectives:

• Increase student enrollment and quality
• Improve awareness of VT research functions and increase research funding

We conducted a Situational Analysis examining both internal and external environments and providing insights into VT’s organizational structures, staffing, resources, planning, and processes compared to national benchmarks for best practices. 


We surveyed stakeholders to understand how they perceived the university and identify deeply held core values and competitive advantages.  We guided the creation of the Virginia Tech brand platform, and developed a strategic tagline and a series of signature materials to define a creative framework for the brand. 

The Virginia Tech brand platform establishes the institution’s leadership niche position in the fiercely competitive Virginia marketplace: The "Invent the future" strategic tagline reflects the institutional market position and has remained the community's inspirational rallying cry for more than six years.  

We also supplied sophisticated creative based on the platform and messaging structure.  We created a set of signature campaign collateral materials and supplied the basis for VT’s brand toolbox. 

Campaign outcomes have been quantifiable and dramatic: Data from ongoing opinion leader tracking polls showed steady improvement in awareness and perceptions of quality, importance, and prestige of compared to competitors.  VT has advanced to the leadership position among opinion leaders in critical brand attributes:

• The university that best prepares students for the future global economy 
• The university best known for innovation and progress 
• The university is best known for groundbreaking research 

Research income and private giving have increased significantly and steadily, as have Virginia Tech’s national rankings.  Applications and enrollment of high performing undergraduate and graduate students are at record levels. 
 

Washington State University

The Washington State University (WSU) brand campaign has been cited by international organizations as a model for effective multi‐campus integrated marketing.


Our services included quantitative and qualitative research for the main campus and those in Spokane, Tri‐Cities, and Vancouver. We also conducted research on behalf of multiple WSU schools and units, and developed a brand architecture for the statewide system, which now accommodates growth of emerging entities.

We created the platform for the core brand and coordinated platforms for each campus and high‐profile division, including WSU Extension.


The high‐profile tagline we developed (World Class. Face to Face.) has been the visible creative theme and rallying cry for the brand for ten years. We created signature materials and coordinated color palettes, typography schemes, tone, and style for each of the interlinked campaigns.  

The campaign repositioned the statewide system in a leadership position and as a premier choice for motivated, high‐achieving students who want a highly engaged campus life and active, hands‐on, “face to face” learning opportunities.   The brand promise of “World‐class quality and challenging individual involvement” is expressed by the entire brand family, supported by brand drivers that articulate the institution’s competitive advantages among its competitive set: Premier Student Experience; Leading Research; Challenging Individual Involvement; World‐Class Faculty.

The campaign has won numerous awards and has helped WSU exceed progressively higher strategic goals in student performance, research funding, private and corporate giving, and image enhancement. Dr. V. Lane Rawlins, former President of the WSU System and Chancellor of the Pullman campus, has noted, “The simple fact is that EMG was the principal architect of the enduring WSU identity. It defines who we are, how we approach our mission, and how we define our future.”