Research can be a lengthy, expensive process. Learn how you can avoid the pitfalls of repeating past work, not going deep enough to garner real insight or developing a study that could potentially lead to divisive or inconclusive results. In this session, the Discovery Collaborative will discuss its Discovery Workshop - an innovative approach for conducting institutional branding research kick-off sessions. Learn how clients such as The Evergreen State College and California State University - Chico have used this approach to glean all relevant insights from previous research, understand needs and expectations of key internal audiences and refine the objectives of future research. Clarifying research goals and objectives is crucial to garnering support for research and any resulting institutional branding decisions among key internal audiences for the research and any resulting institutional branding decisions. Presenters: Debbie Plawner, Discovery Collaborative

1. institutional branding
discover the hidden value of your existing research
Debbie Plawner

2. the brand council

3. admissions athletics
alumni
deans communications
association
what makes u stand out?

4. this is tyler.

5. tyler wants:
good business
program
division I sports
lots to do
beautiful campus

6. this is jen.

7. does Jen need the same things?
different majors and class years males v. females in-state v. out-of-state

8. how will they react to change?

9. what about them?

10. how can you get to one message?

11. brand u in a nutshell
Interdisciplinary teaching and learning, Value of integration, Team teaching
Coordinated schedule, Absence of grades, camaraderie with students and faculty
Continuity, Adaptability to different learning styles, Small class sizes
Seminar learning (participatory), Time in classroom (20 hours per week), Time spent reading
Amount of writing, Learning Contracts, Dynamic curriculum choices (change every year)
Freedom to select pathways to graduation, Absence of specific course requirements
Personal interaction with faculty, Narrative evaluations and personalized feedback
Student evaluations of faculty, Graduate school entrance success track record
Liberal arts and sciences curriculum, Perceived political/social environment
Perceived environmental accountability and emphasis, Relatively small size
Undergraduate research opportunities, Service learning, Forested campus with beachfront
Generous transfer credit acceptance, Olympia location, Public status
Housing options and setting, Absence of Greek system, Absence of football,
Affordability/Relatively low tuition costs, Liberal arts emphasis, Activist reputation,
Field work opportunities, Campus as natural classroom, Proximity to home,
Quality of faculty, Hands-on learning, Specific student organizations
Relevance of skills and knowledge to work environment/real world
Referrals from alums, Referrals from employers
Students collaborate rather than compete, Students design their own pathways
Students have a responsibility to take charge of their educational path*

12. moving beyond the attribute list

13. get a focused message in four steps:
glean all relevant insights
understand needs and expectations
clarify goals and objectives
discover brand essence

14. glean all relevant insights
research audit
communications audit
internal stakeholder interviews

16. understand needs and expectations
brand platform
Institutional
Capacity, Vision
and Mission
Differentiation,
Audience Image, Tone
Benefits and Core
Perceptions, and Manner for Supporting
Attributes
Needs and Communicating Elements
Values Brand
Competitive
Environment
Brand Value Brand Key Messages
Positioning Proposition Personality And Proof
Points

17. clarify goals
what we know.
what we don’t know.

18. case study
anywhere university (au)

19. admissions athletics
alumni
deans communications
association
what makes au stand out?

20. au case study

21. post-workshop analysis

22. get a focused message in four steps:
glean all relevant insights
understand needs and expectations
clarify goals and objectives
discover brand essence

23. discover brand essence
drive insight with
hybrid research

24. discover brand essence
get certain
about
what you
know

25. discover brand essence
Brand
Essence
Abstract Benefits
step up to reach
your brand Benefit
essence. s
Attribute/Image

26. discover brand essence
get clear on
your brand
persona.

27. discover brand essence
use your
connections

28. Our team
researchers,
strategists and
creatives

29. Learn More.