One of my favorite episodes of the short-lived, late-‘90s sitcom Veronica’s Closet features Kirstie Alley’s lead character, Ronnie—the flashy, brassy CEO of a large lingerie company—blithely approving a press release in which her employee has used the made-up word “accribitz” because he’s tired of using the word “increasing” over and over to report on the company’s financial successes.
I think the reason I love that episode so much—and still remember it 20 years later—is because I’ve been there so many times. I’ve struggled along with countless college and university clients trying mightily to differentiate themselves when many of their offerings are so similar to their competitors’. Perhaps that’s why a recent Inside Higher Ed article on the topic really struck a chord when it stated, “To sell themselves, colleges try to stand out. But often, their marketing efforts look practically identical.” That line really hit home, particularly among the legions of college marketers who try—really try—to find new ways to say “nurturing critical thinkers,” “inspiring global minds,” and “preparing the leaders of tomorrow.”
Short of making up new words—tempting though it may be!—there are a few steps marketers can take to encourage and lead their institutions in developing language and taglines that describe their attributes and offerings in more compelling, authentic ways.
Keep an eye on the competition. This should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many institutions couldn’t tell you the taglines of their closest competitors. Several years ago, I did a quick scan for one of my clients in the U.S. West and found that three of its 14 closest competitors used the word “mountains” in their taglines, SIX used “minds,” and some even had both! Needless to say, both words were quickly eliminated from the list of tagline contenders. In addition to reviewing competitors’ websites regularly, check the Stamats tagline repository as well as just spend some time doing general searches on words and phrases you’re considering. Keep an eye out for any other wide-scale uses that could be potentially problematic, see how other organizations are using similar terminology, and gather ideas for how you might vary the structure of your tagline or messaging in order to stand out from the crowd. And, last but not least, always do a trademark search for any tagline that makes it past file 13. The last thing you want is to develop a full brand strategy using a tagline that’s already registered under a competing category.
Get specific. The foundational purpose of most colleges and universities is to educate citizens to be productive members of society who contribute to the economy and greater good of our states, country, and world. It’s how your institution does it that sets you apart and provides students a choice. Don’t rely on generalities and clichéd platitudes to convey the spirit and personality of your campus and its people. Through research, both qualitative and quantitative, look for attributes that add a unique dimension to the overall educational experience. They might be found in your location, in a particular academic approach or perspective, or in a discipline for which your institution has achieved distinction. They key is to show how this attribute or idea is integrated across disciplines and throughout the different layers of campus, positively and distinctively influencing the experience of every individual who engages with the institution. For example, SimpsonScarborough’s research for Bentley University pointed to the institution’s uncommonly good track record for career preparation. Instead of just leading with the dry facts, we worked with Bentley’s creative partner to develop the brand concept Prepared, which portrayed the emotional and literal benefit to the student.
Let a wordsmith do the wordsmithing. We always counsel our clients to assign a proven professional writer as the lead for developing institutional brand and messaging platforms. Don’t leave it up to a committee of administrators and academics to come up with the language that you will put forth to the world. Their input and ultimate approval is critical, of course, but so is capturing the authentic language of your campus and presenting it with compelling prose that motivates and inspires. In our recent partnership with Stony Brook University, for example, the brand mantra “Far Beyond” was developed. The words aren’t new, but listen to the way the idea is described to university audiences: “Stony Brook University unites an imaginative community in the relentless pursuit of tomorrow’s big ideas.” No institution-speak here. The bottom line: You wouldn’t ask the president to draw the architectural plans for the new science building or have a geography professor run the endowment, right? In the same way, you should hire a skilled reporter and writer to craft your institution’s unique and important story.