Butler University
Once the underdog.
Now, a household name.
Uncovering the data that
unleashed the Butler brand.
The Opportunity
Fame can be fleeting. You don’t have to make back-to-back NCAA tournament championship appearances, as Butler University did in 2010 and 2011, to know that. But even a brief moment (or two) in the sun provides a rare opportunity to think long-term. Soon after the wins, Butler launched the first of multiple research studies to not only measure and track brand perception but also to use that data to evolve brand strategy and creative—over the course of a decade. It's quite a story.*
*In fact, a book about it was recently released called The Cinderella Strategy: The Game Plan Behind Butler University’s Rise to Prominence. Let us know if you’d like a copy; we’re confident we can get our hands on one (or two).
The Solution
In 2014, we helped Butler launch its brand strategy — “The Right Outcomes. The Right Way.” At that same time, we also established a proprietary brand equity index and aligned it to Butler’s 2020 strategic plan, enabling Marketing to regularly and reliably measure the strategy’s success and if they were mapping to the brand. Replication studies conducted in 2016 and 2018 showed they were.
Butler’s consistent strategic and creative evolutions, informed by long-term research data, has led to significant improvements to brand equity, as well as to new initiatives.”
