Boost Enrollment Today: The Impact of Cohesive Branding

Let’s say a prospective student sees one of your flyers at a college fair. They like what they see but they’re on the move—no time to linger. They might not even remember your institution’s name. Later, they’re researching colleges in the area. If the visual branding is consistent, your institution will pop out as the same one as the cool flyer seen earlier in the day. If the branding is inconsistent, your marketing will fall through the cracks and fail to connect their memory to the brand. Then the brand fell short, and the student’s busy life and limited attention span won the day.  

A student signs up for your mailing list and is attracted to the warm, personable tone in the email. It makes them feel heard and understood. But when they go on your website, they find your copy is clipped and professional—not warm at all. Both tones are valid but they will attract a different type of student. In this case, the contrast can be jarring to a potential student or family member. The experience leaves a student confused and losing interest if they find the website doesn’t have the same tone as the initial communication that brought them in. 

So, what is the common theme in both scenarios? Brand. These examples are something we have all experienced and may not have thought too deeply about. But the experience leaves an impression that leads to a decision. Branding is of the utmost importance. A brand is what makes you seem like a trustworthy and professional institution. In today’s competitive landscape, where attention spans are short and choices are abundant, strong branding sets you apart and positions your institution for success.

Audit Your Collateral

An institution’s marketing team encompasses a wide range of materials, including emails, website content, flyers, brochures, and text messages. Essentially, anything that communicates your brand’s message falls into the category of marketing collateral. Auditing that collateral means reviewing these materials to better understand the current state of a college’s brand voice and strategy.

So where does one start? First, make sure that the brand is consistent across assets.  

• Are the same colors used from one piece to another?
• Do the recruitment and internal staff emails follow a similar style?
• Is the logo or font the most up-to-date?
• Are there places where one can visually identify where the brand has fallen short such as graphics or a foreign font that somehow made it into the mix?
• Check the images. Do the pictures across assets look authentic and part of a larger story about the institution?
• How about graphics? Do the icons align with the look and feel of the website, emails, and other pieces?

Next, review for tone. How does one characterize the tone used on the college’s website? What about your emails? Do the two sources of information mesh, and sound like they came from the same source? What about the print materials? Access the institution’s brand guidelines and review the tone of the college. Keep this in mind when evaluating materials. Does the tone in the guidelines align with what is under scrutiny? If they match—that’s great! If not, you have some work ahead of you.  

Related Reading: Inclusive Branding for Diverse Audiences  

Find a Brand Standard

The next step is to decide on a standard piece that will act as an example or a reference that everything else compares to. Visually this means the asset aligns with the institution’s brand standard and checks all the boxes for color, logos, and tone. It fully represents the brand. For instance, maybe a digital asset, such as the website or a collection of emails captures the look, feel, and tone of the brand. Or, one may find an example in a publication, such as a fair piece or viewbook.  

This asset that checks all the boxes for brand is the north star for creating all other content. Use it as inspiration. Reference the details such as how the fonts line up. Are they all or mostly left-justified? Or maybe headers are mostly centered, bold, and heavy?  While working through and evaluating, it may become obvious that a secondary accompanying brand standard is needed to add additional information about tone or style to help shape the brand. 

As one works through these steps, it may seem all too much. Maybe the brand is tough to discern, and the institution has traveled too far down a trail with no return. Not all is lost at this juncture. Realizing the state of the branding and the preliminary work that needs to be done before evaluating assets is an amazing mile marker for the college.  

That is where we come in. At Stamats, we will conduct market research to determine what brand would best resonate with your intended audience. We collaborate in multiple workshops with your team to find your unique message and style. Through these processes, we generate a brand standard that is custom to the institution. 

Related Reading: 5 Signs Your Brand is Ready for a Refresh  

Following these steps can help launch a path to a strong brand with recruitment tactics. Whether it’s social media posts, print publications, or a website, a cohesive brand will attract and retain students, affecting enrollment numbers and overall outcomes year over year. If you’re having trouble pinpointing your brand, Stamats is here to help refine the institution’s focus.  

Ready to build a better brand? Contact [email protected] to schedule an appointment and discuss how to boost your enrollment numbers through effective branding.