Brand Positioning Through TV Ads
Even though TV is not a primary component of most college marketing plans, it’s fascinating to look at the TV spots created by various institutions to get a sense of how they are attempting to position their brand. So, we’ve compiled a list of them on our website as an online resource: http://www.simpsonscarborough.com/resources.html
We are not suggesting that we feel all of these are strong ads. In fact, take a few minutes to review these and the basic principles of branding will become painfully clear to you. Some ads are the “same old, same old” with a montage of images of students and faculty and promises of personal attention and endless opportunities. But some are different. The Utah State space ad communicates a powerful and simple message, “Utah State sends more experiments into space than any other university in the world.” How’s that for differentiating? Big university ads tend to focus on the benefits of their research to their state’s population. But, Florida State effectively weaves in the emotional attachment to athletics without overpowering academics as the focus of the ad. A delicate balance perfectly struck. Take a look at these examples and let us know which ones you think are the most powerful.