By Dennis O’Neil
The University of Louisville will initiate their new branding campaign in a noon ceremony at the Red Barn on today. The campaign will see the usage of several new marketing slogans and images, chief among them the university’s new logo, “It’s Happening Here.”
According to Vice President of Communications and Marketing John Drees, the new logo is meant to illustrate the many accomplishments of the university over the years and its prominence on a national scale.
“With the new logo, we really want to emphasize that we have arrived,” Drees said. “The new branding campaign is set up to show just how good of school we really are. We want to show that we can go toe-to-toe with just about any other university.”
Drees said that the new branding campaign happened as a result of the Challenge for Excellence last year, where the university set out to modify its image. Working with SME, a marketing firm out of New York, the university launched into a large research process consulting with many different parties. From faculty and students to public officials and local business leaders.
“What we wanted to do was figure out what our essence was and try to articulate that,” Drees said. “In our research process, we found that concepts of excitement and ruggedness were key to people’s appreciation of U of L. You’ll see those concepts emphasized throughout the campaign.”
Despite Drees’ optimism, some in the student body have expressed fear that the new branding campaign will circumvent tradition.
“I can understand the marketing benefit of changing the logo,” English graduate student Lane Hibbard said. “I would also like to see the university retain a sense of tradition. I don’t see that happening if the logo or brand gets changed.”
“I have always recognized the university via its current logo,” English graduate student Sara Ray said. “I think the logo is important as a means of identifying the school. I don’t really see the marketing benefit in changing the logo.”
Drees said that, even though the university is looking to move in a new direction with this campaign, the change won’t happen over night. The process of implementing the branding will take about 18 months to a year. Some already existing brandings on campus, such as the University of Louisville sign in front of Grawemeyer Hall, will remain.
“We aren’t trying to divorce ourselves from any sense of history or tradition on campus,” Drees said. “The point is, we are a new, better institution and it is time to demonstrate that.”
Student Government Association President Brian Hoffman agreed with Drees on this point, saying that he understands the upside in shifting from the “Dare to be Great” logo to something new.
“That logo is several years old by now, and we are a different university today,” Hoffman said. “This campaign is mostly a marketing tool, but marketing indirectly impacts a lot of things, such as national recognition and the recruitment of students. Overall, this is a positive thing.”
Drees also said that the current state budget crisis did prompt hesitation about unveiling the branding campaign at this time. He said that, ultimately, the university saw it as an opportunity to communicate its long term message.
“We will have to scale back the implementation of the campaign a bit because of the budget cuts,” Drees said. “But it was important for us to recognize our own momentum and to stay with that momentum.”
