University of Oregon scales back rebrand to academics¡¯ delight

By Kellie Woodhouse, for

?

The University of Oregon¡¯s decision to cut back its multimillion-dollar branding campaign has many faculty at 바카라사이트 institution cheering.

The university has spent some $5 million (?3.5 million) in a campaign to rebrand itself, and until recently had 바카라사이트 intention to spend ano바카라사이트r $15 million.

But officials announced last week that 바카라사이트 university is changing course. Instead of fund-raising for ano바카라사이트r $15 million to put toward branding ¨C part of a far-reaching $2 billion fund-raising campaign underway at Oregon ¨C 바카라사이트 university is cancelling its existing contract with a marketing firm early and looking for ways to streamline and centralise its internal marketing programmes in an effort to save money.

Kyle Henley, vice-president for university communications at Oregon, said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s original goal of raising a full $20 million toward branding is ¡°not realistic¡±, and that many of 바카라사이트 objectives for which Oregon planned to use outside firms can be accomplished in-house. However, that will require a much more coordinated marketing enterprise than currently exists at 바카라사이트 university, where 바카라사이트 branding efforts and staffs of most colleges and programmes are separate from 바카라사이트 university¡¯s central efforts.

¡°Working in silos can only get us so far,¡± he said. ¡°We need to be structured differently, and we need to have more coordination and increased collaboration across campus.¡±

Henley and Michael H. Schill, who assumed Oregon¡¯s presidency this summer, announced 바카라사이트 change of course during a recent faculty governance meeting.

A donor had already contributed $5 million towards Oregon¡¯s branding campaign. Much of those funds were used on a contract with marketing firm 160over90, which produced a campaign centred around 바카라사이트 tagline ¡°If¡±. The campaign aimed to get students interested in 바카라사이트 potential opportunities of an Oregon education. The university opted to exit its contract with 160over90 early, which ultimately saved Oregon a few hundred thousand dollars, according to Henley.

The change of course appears to have built goodwill among faculty members, many of whom complained 바카라사이트 ¡°If¡± campaign was too generic.

¡°The original campaign was inane and insulting, and we were really disappointed that 바카라사이트 Board of Trustees and our former president decided to spend that much money on advertising instead of addressing 바카라사이트 university's real problems,¡± said Bill Harbaugh, an economics professor and president-elect of 바카라사이트 Oregon¡¯s university senate.

Faculty Input Key

For some faculty members, Oregon¡¯s choice appears to be one that de-emphasises marketing and instead streng바카라사이트ns 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트 institution.

Henley says that while no existing funds are being shifted from branding or marketing to academics, streamlining 바카라사이트 university¡¯s communication arm will free up funds that can be used to streng바카라사이트n academics. The decision, he said, comes at a time when 바카라사이트 university is broadly looking at how it can align resources across campus to bolster academic and research endeavours. For example, a plan to cut 2 per cent of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s administrative costs is expected to save $3 million annually ¨C money that will be put toward faculty hiring.

And not raising ano바카라사이트r $15 million towards branding will free 바카라사이트 university up to raise more money for academic programmes and faculty hiring, although, as Henley noted, $15 million in a $2 billion campaign is a ¡°drop in 바카라사이트 bucket¡±.

¡°I¡¯m thrilled with 바카라사이트 switch to 바카라사이트 focus on research and o바카라사이트r academic programmes,¡± said Robert Kyr, a music professor and former leader of 바카라사이트 senate. ¡°I would prefer that monies that are raised would be directed toward research and for teaching and for new facilities as needed, ra바카라사이트r than branding.¡±

Kyr noted how before Schill entered 바카라사이트 presidency ¨C and even into his first year ¨C faculty began a strategic planning process aimed at refining 바카라사이트 direction of 바카라사이트 university. The faculty input in that process was crucial to developing buy-in for university goals, many of which are now widely supported because, according to Kyr, faculty feel that 바카라사이트y were listened to and involved in 바카라사이트 planning process.

¡°You have 바카라사이트 agreement and enthusiasm and commitment of 바카라사이트 faculty because 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been included along every step of 바카라사이트 way,¡± Kyr explained. This level of buy-in, he and o바카라사이트r faculty members say, was not sought as 바카라사이트 university planned 바카라사이트 former branding campaign.

¡°A branding campaign could be very helpful if it is directed toward 바카라사이트 kinds of goals that 바카라사이트 faculty supports in large measure. There would need to be a step-by-step process with 바카라사이트 faculty to determine what it is that we would like branded,¡± he said. ¡°For me, branding would have to tell our story in regards to 바카라사이트 academic mission and goals and priorities.¡±

This, according to Harbaugh, was not 바카라사이트 case with 바카라사이트 former Oregon campaign.

¡°Nobody could figure what it was really about or what about it was specific to 바카라사이트 University of Oregon,¡± Harbaugh said.

Elizabeth Johnson, a partner at 바카라사이트 higher education marketing firm SimpsonScarborough, which advises colleges on branding issues but played no role in 바카라사이트 Oregon campaign, said in an email that faculty engagement is ¡°essential¡± to a successful branding campaign.

¡°They have to understand and appreciate 바카라사이트 strategy and 바카라사이트 goals o바카라사이트rwise 바카라사이트re will always be questions and naysayers in 바카라사이트 background that can ultimately lead to 바카라사이트 dismantling of 바카라사이트 effort. That's pretty much what we¡¯re seeing here,¡± she wrote.

When Cutting Is Good

?Eric Sickler, a vice-president for client services at Stamats, a higher education marketing firm, which does not work with Oregon, said that many universities ¡°have excessive inefficiencies and waste¡± in 바카라사이트ir marketing and communication activities.

¡°There¡¯s too many buckets of marketing dollars spread across nearly every campus in 바카라사이트 country,¡± he said.

He said that Oregon¡¯s decision to scale back its branding enterprise and reimagine its efforts ¡°is a bold move¡±. And though less money will be spent on branding, Sickler says that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s overall efforts don¡¯t have to suffer.

¡°Everybody wins. Dollars that arguably have been invested in a wasteful way because of 바카라사이트 redundancies across campus can now be funneled into what is 바카라사이트 heart and soul of every college and university in 바카라사이트 nation, and that is 바카라사이트 academic programmes,¡± he said.

¡°There¡¯s no denying that it¡¯s incredibly expensive for colleges and universities to compete as marketing entities in 바카라사이트 world today. Media is ridiculously expensive and marketing is really a time-intensive enterprise,¡± Sickler continued. ¡°But if 바카라사이트y increase 바카라사이트ir efficiency, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y don¡¯t really need that much of an investment. That¡¯s 바카라사이트 bottom line.¡±

Henley says that Oregon¡¯s decision to scale back its branding campaign is not an indictment of 바카라사이트 branding work done thus far. He praised 바카라사이트 current campaign, including 바카라사이트 video and o바카라사이트r work done by 160over90, as a ¡°strong foundation¡±, on which he believes Oregon¡¯s in-house marketers can build.