Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine Brand Refresh

[ about ]

Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine—the US’s largest AVMA-accredited veterinary school—suffered from brand drift in its annual enrollment marketing execution, characterized by disjointed visual identity and messaging. Inconsistent use of color palettes, typography, and imagery negatively impacted brand awareness and recall in brand tracker studies. Changeable messaging was not in market long enough to be memorable. Further, generic messaging failed to own a unique position in the minds of primary and secondary influencer audiences. In this state, the institution was essentially forced to reintroduce itself at every touchpoint, exacerbating marketing spend inefficiency and never achieving more than a transactional relationship with key audiences enrollment cycle after enrollment cycle.

APPROACH & OUTCOME

The rebranding and repositioning of Ross Vet began in 2014 and concluded in 2015. This undertaking comprised an exhaustive review of all marketing tactics, channels, messaging, calls to action, cadence, and areas of friction throughout the marketing funnel. An external review of the competitive landscape and an internal review of marketing systems and processes, combined with insights gained through on-campus focus group sessions involving students and faculty, revealed key points of differentiation to lean into with regard to messaging. There was clearly an opportunity to more effectively position and promote the institution as the DVM school of choice.

A unique, shared mindset among Ross Vet prospective students, current students, and alumni was identified through the focus group research. Visual standards were established, including specifications with respect to color palettes, typography, iconography, photography, and videography. The brand voice was crafted, echoing key differentiated messages and reasons to believe uncovered by the studies. The core brand standards were implemented across all online and offline touchpoints to create a seamless 360º brand experience that resonated with target audiences and captured mind share.

The comprehensive activation of the rebranding and repositioning initiative alongside execution of Ross Vet’s integrated marketing communications plan resulted in a lift in brand tracker awareness and preference metrics, triple the annual prospective student inquiries, and a 43% year-over-year increase in applications for veterinary school enrollment.

MY ROLE

Creative Direction & Strategy, Implementation Lead

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & TOOLS

• Strategy: Brand Development | Brand Differentiation | Brand Standards | Brand Stewardship | Change Management | Competitive Analysis | Creative Problem-Solving | Customer-Centric Mindset | Higher Education Marketing | Market Research | Stakeholder Management
• Creative & Production: Color Theory | Creative Development | Creative Services Management | Creative Team Leadership | Photo Shoots | Vendor Management | Video Shoots
• Tools: Adobe Acrobat Pro | Adobe Illustrator | Adobe InDesign | Adobe Photoshop | Microsoft PowerPoint