SimpsonScarborough is a higher education marketing, branding and research agency.

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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.

Let's talk about your brand

Our Work

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Indiana Tech - Lacrosse players

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

vmi

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 Student

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

Professor and Student

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

IC Graduation

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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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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An Uncommon Approach to an Uncommon Campaign

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 ...

Time to tidy up your [.edu]

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 ...

7 Steps To Optimizing Your Alumni Magazine Reader Engagement

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 ...

What Type of Marketer Are You?

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...

We've got big news.

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...

Reaching Gen Z, Part 1: Paid Media Strategy

Resources

Reaching Gen Z, Part 1: Paid Media Strategy

Gen Z is the most recent generation headed to college, and just to keep you on your toes, they bring their own particular set of values, beliefs, and preferences to the college-search process—including how they use and consume digital media.

Filling the Funnel: A Case for Less

Resources

Filling the Funnel: A Case for Less

We're facing a cliff of sorts. By the year 2025, the number of college-age students is expected to plummet like lemmings into a cold, barren sea. Many schools are already preparing by conducting research, finding ideal market positions, and launching new brands and creative—all smart, strategic initiatives. Almost always, these efforts lead to increased awareness, intere...

How Social Listening Can Benefit Your Content Marketing

Resources

How Social Listening Can Benefit Your Content Marketing

Here at SimpsonScarborough, we are increasingly adding social media audits and social listening trends analyses to our work with colleges and universities to help them develop and amplify more impactful marketing content. One of our key partners is Campus Sonar, a firm that assists institutions in leveraging social intelligence in their marketing and branding efforts. Th...

Resources

Finding the “What Else” that Really Drives Your Brand

When we kick off any new branding initiative, our SimpsonScarborough team always starts by spending several days on a campus, meeting with faculty, staff, administrators and students and asking them to share what is distinctive about their institution, what they see as its strengths and weaknesses, and how it is relevant to its constituents. The goal is to find the stron...

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