LSU Branding Strategy presented at March 13, 2013 meeting of Transition Advisory Team - External Affairs Task Force Meeting

1. Branding…What’s it all about?
Emaan Abdelbaki
Director of Marketing
Holly Houk Cullen
Assistant Vice Chancellor
LSU Office of Communications & University Relations

2. Outline of Today’s Presentation
• Definition of brand/brand essence
• Where we’ve been, where we’re going
• Research, planning, implementation, evaluation
• The brand gap
• House of Brands vs. Branded House
• Conclusions/questions

3. What is a brand?

4. Let’s start with what it’s not…
Or cooked up in a well-intentioned meeting
A logo
A tag line

5. A brand is…
“…a CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE represented by a collection of
images and ideas; often, it refers to a symbol such as a name, logo,
slogan, and design scheme. Brand recognition and other reactions are
created by the ACCUMULATION OF EXPERIENCES with the
specific product or service, both directly relating to its use, and through
the influence of advertising, design, and media commentary."
American Marketing Association: www.marketingpower.com/_layouts/Dictionary.aspx?dLetter=B#branding

6. What is a brand essence?

7. Definition of Brand Essence
• The brand’s promise or essence expressed in
the simplest, most single-minded terms
• The most powerful brand essences are
rooted in a fundamental customer NEED
• Internal; provides verbal & visual vocabulary
• It is rational & emotional

8. Brief Background
• 2001 – Brand cacophony
• 2004 – Brand Management Team
• 2006 – Visual Identity Task Force
• Today – VIP, CMS, Style Guide, Wayfinding

9. Research
Planning
Implementation
Evaluation

10. RESEARCH

11. Brand Audit Research
• 2009 – 2010 (personal interviews)
– Leadership (Deans, Vice Chancellors, etc.)
• November 2009 (email survey)
– Undergraduate Prospects
• August 2010 (email survey)
– Graduate Prospects
– Alumni/Donors
– Current Students
– Current Faculty & Staff

12. Focus Group Research
• Prospective Undergraduates
– College-Bound, High School Juniors and Seniors
• Parents
– Spring Invitational Attendees

13. Focus Group: Key Findings
• Create a sense of belonging
– Students want to picture themselves in their
university of choice
• Be literal
– Be sure to include images of the cliché and expected;
don’t assume anything
• Be real
– Portray a “not-posed” feeling
• Showcase the LSU brand
– Use images for which LSU is known (e.g., purple and
gold, big, athletic, tiger)

14. External Advisory Feedback
• April 27, 2010
• Group of LSU alumni reviewed creative
direction
– Wright-Feigley Communications
– Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana
– Otey White & Associates
– STUN Design
– Creative English Communication
– Maxon Media

15. PLANNING: DEFINING BRAND
ESSENCE

16. What We Learned
• Big
• Spirited
• Athletic
• People don’t know us; neutral

17. Task Force/Campus Communicators
• Support from the top
• Interdisciplinary team
• Frequent, well-planned, inclusive meetings
• Sought input/feedback at every opportunity
• Initiated, strengthened campus relationships

18. Brand Objectives
• To position LSU as a high-achieving academic institution
• To position LSU as Louisiana’s Flagship institution
• To showcase LSU’s tier-one research and educational
accomplishments
• To leverage the brand equity within Athletics to increase awareness
of the academic accomplishments of LSU
• To leverage the culture and geographic location of LSU
• Demonstrate how LSU transforms you – taking potential and
turning it into greatness

19. LOVE PURPLE. LIVE GOLD.

20. Love Purple. Live Gold.
• Purple =
passion &
spirit
• Gold =
academic
excellence &
athletic
achievement

21. EVALUATION

22. Results
• Recruiting successes, 5725 (Largest class since
implementing admissions standards in 1988)
• Nike, licensee adoption
• Popularity on campus & among all audiences
• Developed a life of its own

23. Presentation vs. Perception
THE BRAND GAP

24. When companies combine…
Logo out of the gate - 2008
Current Logo - 2010

25. Take a couple of minutes to think
about how this hurts or helps the
brand for two companies merging…
The experience for the new company’s:
• Vendors
• Partners
• Employees
• Investors
• Customers

26. Now let’s take a few minutes to see
what you think the LSU brand means
to…
• Students
• Prospective Students
• Faculty
• Staff
• Donors
• Alumni
• Athletics
• Academics

27. HOUSE OF BRANDS

28. BRANDED HOUSE

29. If you’re protecting a brand…
• You must ensure you use it properly, set the right
example in everything you do so others follow
• Be consistent, not random or unclear, on how to use the
brand
• Protect it against uses that can hurt it inside and outside
of the organization
• Protect it against those that may try to infringe on your
brand or misuse it in their own communications
• You must watch it carefully
– How is it portrayed internally and externally?
– How is it portrayed in social media, news media, your
competition, websites, local businesses?

30. I’ll leave you with a couple of things
to think about…
What is the “POWER” of the LSU
brand? How have we touched people…
• Within Baton Rouge?
• Within 80 miles of Baton Rouge?
• Within the state of Louisiana?
• Within the SEC?
• Nationwide?
• Worldwide?

31. THANK YOU!
Questions?
Contact Info:
Emaan Abdelbaki Holly Houk Cullen
225.578.3866 225.578.3872
eabdelbaki@lsu.edu hhouk@lsu.edu