Is There a Gap in Your Strategic Marketing Plan?
How One School Found Just the Right Solution
Your brand probably doesn’t need a 180° turn. And you may not even need an entirely new strategic plan or marketing campaign. Sure, there’s a time for a comprehensive rebranding and invention of all the assets to support that initiative. Often, though, you just need a little glue to fit together the pieces you already have on the table.
Last year we had the pleasure of working with a school where filling a gap was exactly the action step they needed.
Strategic Glue
Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is already positioned for success. The entire Saint Vincent experience is grounded in a rich Catholic and Benedictine heritage, and the energetic student body thrives.
When the 5° team began working with Saint Vincent, the college had already completed constituent research and a brand discovery initiative. Simon Stuchlik, Vice President of Marketing, explained their strategy:
“We needed 5° to validate that we were interpreting our research the right way, and turn that research into a messaging framework that would be unique to Saint Vincent in the competitive space of private, faith-based higher education. We felt that the external expertise brought by this partnership would be invaluable to operate not just based on guesses, but on a thorough understanding of the space and the position Saint Vincent occupies within it.”
The Puzzle Pieces
The project included a thorough assessment of research findings, followed by the development of a messaging strategy and messaging map.
Based on the review of existing research, the 5° team, in collaboration with Stuchlik, started by honing Saint Vincent’s brand platform. Taking the identified “brand pillars,” we repurposed each one to showcase the benefits of the stand-out features. It would be the distinct translation of these harmonious characteristics, now recognized as the “brand differentiators” that would enliven the identity.
Academics: Love for Learning
Find joy in learning as you pursue deeper meaning.
Community: A Place to Belong
Discover a community where you’re part of something bigger.
Affordability: A Greater Value
Imagine the value of your college education —for a lifetime.
Outcomes: Whole Life Outcomes
Aspire to more as you excel in your field and live with greater purpose.
Throughout the project, the 5° team also recognized the distinctive beauty of Saint Vincent’s Catholic and Benedictine heritage woven into each of the brand differentiators. It was clear that these principles would be part of shaping the brand messaging.
And keeping with Saint Vincent’s sense of community, we also discovered that the college’s beloved mascot, the bearcat, would be a meaningful—and fun—boost to the messaging.
The Work of Art
Putting all the pieces together led to a compelling narrative that serves as the North Star for brand messaging:
Saint Vincent College takes students on a journey of discovery—where higher learning leads to truth and insight—for a meaningful and more rewarding life. Rooted in our Catholic and Benedictine principles, we prepare students for personal, spiritual, and professional fulfillment. Bearcats pursue greater purpose, for a lifetime, influencing the world around them for good.
Subsequent theme copy succinctly captures the essence of this big idea, or a particular aspect of the narrative, for the intended audience. The brand differentiators support the narrative, so all the pieces are working together.
Stuchlik says his internal team has extensively leveraged the framework. “It now shines through all of our admissions print materials, our website, our new virtual tour, our legacy media and digital ad campaign, and all other messaging seen by our core audiences for recruitment.” A new video, “Bearcats Climb Higher” shows the narrative in action.
A PRACTICAL FOUNDATION
The Saint Vincent team has since leveraged the messaging framework to infuse its recruitment materials, like this ad, with the consistent brand narrative.
How Can You Fill a Gap in Your Strategic Marketing Plan?
When developing a brand framework, Stuchlik advises marketing leaders to “avoid operating based on hunches.” He recommends letting the data drive you to conclusions instead of just trying to guess.
“Internal bubbles of what marketing offices and institutional leadership think is true about your institution is not necessarily shared by your students and the rest of the community,” Stuchlik recognizes. “Don’t be afraid to leverage external help,” he says, “which can become an extension of your resources and also validate your work, both for accuracy and to the internal community.”
Are you ready for a 5-degree shift? It may make all the difference. Let’s talk!
