Building brands that inspire and endure.

Research Strategy Creative Digital

Research Strategy Creative Digital

Asking questions that matter,
on a scale that makes a difference.

Research Strategy Creative Digital

Connecting data points
to deepen, and focus, thinking.

Research Strategy Creative Digital

Telling informed and inspiring stories.

Research Strategy Creative Digital

Reaching new audiences
in powerful ways.

SimpsonScarborough is the data-driven partner for higher education marketers.

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Our Work

Indiana Tech

The power of brand planning — from changing minds to making an impact

The word “Tech” can be a challenge in higher ed — it often provides a limited impression of what a school is really all about. Indiana Tech is no exception.

Research & Strategy, Creative, Digital

Virginia Military Institute

Equipping a timeless institution to tell a timely story

In the decade since VMI internally examined its brand, many misperceptions remain. “They only accept men,” for example, or “all cadets must commission in the military.” Of course, neither is true. Here’s how we’re working with VMI to set the record straight.

Research & Strategy

Northwestern

Research proves brand strategy through replication

How does a well-known powerhouse among our nation’s large, private, teaching, and research institutions develop greater clarity around their story?

Research, Strategy

Cal Poly

A 117-year old brand, a single year in the branding

California Polytechnic State University, Cal Poly, led its first rebrand honing in on a new identity optimized for web communications and marketing

Strategic Planning, Visual Identity

Kenyon College

Infusing video and visuals with emotional narrative drives motivation

Escalating tuition and external questions surrounding the value of a liberal arts education magnify the importance of the capital campaign and Kenyon’s role as a leader in private education.

Creative, Digital

Illinois College

Showcasing the huge value of a small school

Illinois College’s small-town feel, and student focused culture, was an essence at its core that that was missing from IC’s digital presence.

Integrated, Strategy, Creative, Digital

We've partnered with over 300 institutions

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Quote

Colleges and universities need insights to inform strategies, seek out what sets their institutions apart, measure their impact, and bring academics along with them on the brand journey.

Elizabeth Scarborough Johnson
Chief Executive Officer and Partner

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What's Trending in Higher Education

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Thought Leadership

Best Practices of Higher Ed Web Design

So you're about to embark on your next .edu redesign. One of the crucial first steps is to know your audiences and to know them well (hint: it's not your administration, faculty, or board.) This will help guide not only the planning and design process, but also give your team clear direction with content generation.

Thought Leadership

AMA 2019: Let’s Try Something New

If you left the 2019 AMA Symposium for the Marketing of Higher Education after the first ten minutes, you might have gone straight home to close up shop at the university marketing and communications office. After all, the statistics and trends shown to kickstart the conference did not necessarily paint a necessarily bright outlook for the future of higher education. It ...

Announcements

An Interview with SimpsonScarborough's Creative Director, Cole Londeree

Cole Londeree is SimpsonScarborough's recently promoted Creative Director, overseeing an ever-growing creative team of six including graphic designers, copywriters & videographers. She reports to the venerable Mike Roe, our VP of Creative. We sat down with her to learn about what it takes to lead a high-performing creative team, what she wishes more ...

Thought Leadership

An Uncommon Approach to an Uncommon Campaign

The Campaign for the Uncommon Good was taking shape long before we ever arrived on campus, but to see it cast into public view — and inch ever-closer to its goal of $275 million — makes it all the more fun to celebrate. It all started when we first stepped on the Seattle University campus in early December 2018, nearly 11 months ago. In the time since, we've conduct...

A Year in the Life of Launching a Brand

College Homecoming – that unmistakable combination of crisp fall air, changing leaves, and deep nostalgia for days gone by. But there's also something about being on a college campus that feels like you're watching the future unfold – like you can get a glimpse of what's coming next. Last month, on one of those crisp fall mornings, we had the opportunity to glimpse into ...

Thought Leadership

Time to tidy up your [.edu]

Each time we are engaged in a higher education website redesign, we find ourselves in a conversation about the purpose of the [.edu]. It serves many different audiences with vastly different needs. Our belief is that a great college or university website serves the needs of prospective students first. If we can serve that audience well, we can impact all other audiences ...

Thought Leadership

7 Steps To Optimizing Your Alumni Magazine Reader Engagement

A high-level college administrator once said to me that the institution’s most important publication was not the alumni magazine but the president’s annual report. From their point of view, the print version of the magazine was an expensive, outdated, and perhaps even an expendable form of outreach. The presidential state-of-the-state report, they argued, was by far the ...

Thought Leadership

What Type of Marketer Are You?

Not all higher ed marketers are created equal. Four main types exist today, and each can be identified by reporting structure, KPIs, relationships, and the tactical approaches they employ. While many will be a blend of two or more of the types described below, one is likely dominant. I hope these descriptions propel you to consider which type of marketer you want—or nee...

Announcements

We've got big news.

We are unabashedly proud to tell you that, this past summer, SimpsonScarborough acquired Knowble Media, a digital agency that specializes in website and video production for higher education.In welcoming the Knowble team to the SimpsonScarborough family, we're now able to fully integrate digital services, including web and video, into our offerings. Their co-founders Bob...

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