Work — Indiana Tech
Research & Strategy / Creative / Digital

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

Project Scope

Brand anthem
Brand campaign
Brand guidelines
Brand platform
Campus immersion
Competitor audit
Digital
In-depth interviews
Marketing collateral
Online surveys
Outdoor
Recruitment collateral
Trainings and workshops
Video and radio
Web, digital and social
Research

IT had clearly defined strategic goals when we entered into our partnership with them. To understand the best ways to achieve these goals, we engaged internal community members in qualitative discussions across campus. The insights gained from these discussions allowed us to design customized research instruments to dig deeper into IT's core brand elements. We deployed online surveys among a variety of internal and external audiences to capture a holistic view of attitudes and perceptions of IT.

Our research showed that many traditional university prospects considered Indiana Tech to be a trade-focused institution, but were equally likely to describe the university as a college or university. At the same time, a majority could not discern whether IT was a for-profit or not-for-profit institution. These gaps in perception revealed a major opportunity for IT to tailor its messaging so its audiences better understand who IT is and what it has to offer.

Strategy

To help IT build awareness and update perceptions, SimpsonScarborough created a smart, strategic and authentic positioning framework that underscores the full magnitude of the university’s people and programs.

We developed a brand strategy for Indiana Tech centered around three key pillars:

  • Education for one and all – all types of students are welcome and will thrive at IT
  • Engagement at the core – interactions with professors like no other school
  • Leading-edge mindset – we are agile, cutting-edge and are prepared for what’s next.
Creative

We then developed a confident brand identity and a full suite of creative materials — from videos to programmatic ads to environmental messaging to viewbooks — that tie our insights together and spread the word across Fort Wayne and the Midwest. Go For IT

Quote by -Brian Engelhart

The Go for IT campaign created by our partners at SimpsonScarborough not only captures this idea perfectly, it also helps us reach prospective students, partners, and community members to make sure these audiences are aware of — and inspired by — our Indiana Tech story.

Brian Engelhart
Vice President, Marketing and Communications

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