How to launch a brand with no name Buckinghamshire New University Presented by: Peter Thomas Nov 1 st 2007

Names you may know

Names you may not Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College

2007-a good year for re-branding?

”The brands they are a changing” The 2012 Olympics The Conservative Party HE-the end of Acronym APU became Anglia Ruskin UCE Birmingham becomes Birmingham City University

The Bucks Mission Mission: to manage the brand transition from University College to University

The Re-branding Task To make a splash in a crowded market To find something that expresses what we are

BCUC students (6000 FT) 3 Old Campuses 1 Town Centre,1 Edge of Town,1 Rural 6 Faculties with different styles Weak central services Conservative, consensual, collegiate Longevity of staff Student supportive culture

The Campus

BCUC Old Logo

The management mind set Not really committed to marketing change -necessary evil/support service Committed to campus consolidation University status a given Taught degree awarding powers for 10 years Strong Institutional Audit record University College status since 1999

What happened since 8 University Colleges became Universities early Not BCUC New CEO appointed Jan 2006 Radical structural change 6 Faculties down to 3 Faculties aligned to employment markets New SMT structure/New Strategic Plan New Vision-externally facing/forward looking

3 Faculties of BCUC

Crucial time The Branding strategy aligned to the strategic plan and the Vision Direct line to CEO Rebuilding commences Restructuring of all departments of the University College Major Naming/Perception Research study via HEIST Reapplication for University Title Appointed new Advertising/branding agency-SMRS

2006 Prospectus

How we got here: research (1) c.1000 students responded c.400 staff to an e- survey. Focus groups, postal surveys, telephone and face- to-face interviews Half of current students favoured BCU; less than a quarter of staff did. + minimum fuss; obvious name. - did not signify real change; name was very long; Chilterns is confused with Children's. Staff favoured Chilterns University + it is short - rural feel out of keeping with a new generation university; where are the Chilterns?

How we got here: research (2) Other names tested included  South Buckinghamshire (too small)  Buckinghamshire Swan  Buckinghamshire Disraeli  Buckinghamshire County Wycombe names were not liked. Buckinghamshire University arose spontaneously as the best, most important group was the potential students and those from outside the local region. Familiar use of Bucks was also liked as it sounded less posh to many potential students. A derivation of this was recommended by HEIST.

Buckinghamshire New University

NEW modern, contemporary, up to date, latest, different, current, advanced, original, fresh, topical, novel, state of the art, ground-breaking, innovative = a new generation university, always open to fresh ideas and thinking

A new identity for a new generation university

The new logo forward-looking expresses continual renewal distinctive and unapologetic

The Roundel eye-catching distinctive confident dynamic our ‘focus’ on the student

Bucks informal, direct, open, non-elitist what people already call us our visual and marketing identity

What to do when you don’t yet have a name

Clearing Ad

Wasps Shirt

Wasps Advertisement

Launch Ads

New Recruitment Campaign

Challenges This was not just a name change Change of status/change of stature Change of Vision Some staff do not share vision Current students wanted their preferred name Face book Delay was the worst aspect

Key Learnings A brand is not a logo but a logo must reflect a set of attributes and aspirations The brand must reflect a vision and the strategic plan for the University People will react positively and negatively Consult but not be deflected if vision is sound Current Students/Staff are influenced by peers and do not like change Be FACEBOOK aware but not frightened by it

It’s roll-out time