American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine Brand Refresh

[ about ]

In 2013, Adtalem Global Education (formerly DeVry Education Group) acquired Caribbean-based American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC). It already owned Ross University School of Medicine—a direct competitor in the space. A new shared services division—DeVry Medical International (DMI)—was created to concurrently oversee enrollment management, IT, HR, marketing, and finance functions for both MD-granting institutions.

AUC 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. Even worse, generic messaging failed to own a unique position in the minds of primary and secondary influencer audiences. This undifferentiated presence among the sea of Caribbean options only added to the challenge of successfully marketing the school alongside its new sister institution, Ross Med. In this state, the institution was essentially forced to reintroduce itself at every touchpoint, exacerbating marketing spend inefficiency, perpetuating brand confusion, and never achieving more than a transactional relationship with key audiences enrollment cycle after enrollment cycle.

APPROACH & OUTCOME

With no intention of merging the schools, the newly created marketing team, in partnership with their external agency partners, was tasked The rebranding and repositioning of AUC 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 mitigate the cannibalization of marketing spend and effectively position the institution as a school of choice.

A unique, shared mindset among AUC 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 AUC’s integrated marketing communications plan resulted in a lift in brand tracker awareness and preference metrics, reduced market confusion, improved lead quality, and consistent year-over-year growth in prospective student inquiries.

MY ROLE

Creative Direction & Strategy, Implementation Lead

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & TOOLS

• Strategy: Audience Segmentation | 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

KUDOS

• GOLD: 2015 MarCom Awards (entry category: Branding Refresh)