Frequently Asked Questions

Q - What is a brand anyway?

A - It may be easier to first explain what a brand is not. It is not a logo, although a logo is part of a brand. It is not a color scheme for publications and web pages although colors are part of a brand. It is not a tag line or slogan although such tools are used to convey a brand. Above all, a brand is a promise. It represents a promise about who we are and what we do at UNF.

Q - So isn’t a brand basically the mission statement for the University?

A - No. The two are quite different. Mission statements for a university are, by their very nature, very broad and inclusive. Brand statements are designed to find a single promise that is important, distinctive and believable to the greatest number of target groups.

Q - So why do we need a brand?

A – We live in a competitive marketplace full of brands. Higher education is one of those markets, which is becoming more competitive with each passing day. For example, public universities nationally have lost market share to the for-profit sector. These businesses have relied on extensive marketing to attract students to their services. In addition, competition remains intense for the best and brightest students who have a variety of public and private institutions from which to choose. To compete effectively with these and other institutions in the marketplace, universities need to be more proactive in branding and marketing themselves.

Q - Public universities already have very limited state resources. Why should additional dollars be devoted to marketing and branding?

A - The object of enhancing branding and marketing is not to create another expense center for the University. The object is to make it possible for the University to be more competitive in the marketplace and in so doing generate more resources for the institution. Improved recruitment capability and enhanced fundraising potential are two of the major benefits that frequently result from successfully executed branding programs.

Q - How long does it take to execute a successful branding program?

A - Building a brand does not happen overnight. It takes time and commitment by the university. It is not a marketing program that can be followed for a year or two and then abandoned for something else. It may take decades to build a brand depending on the resources that are available. The strength of the original brand promise and the geographic area that is selected as a target also greatly influence the success of a branding program.

Q - UNF has experienced steady enrollment growth and has been very successful in fundraising. Doesn’t the saying “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” apply here?

A - UNF has been very successful. That doesn’t mean we can afford to become complacent. Resources needed to operate a successful university are never adequate to fund new initiatives in curriculum and student services. It is clear that state support for higher education is not adequate alone to fund a successful university. Universities must find ways to generate additional resources, and a successful branding program is one way to accomplish that.

Q -What is UNF’s brand?

A - Remembering that a brand is really a promise, UNF has decided to focus on the individual attention it provides to students as being it greatest strength and therefore its strongest promise.

Q - How did UNF reach this decision?

A - An Integrated Marketing Team was appointed by President Delaney in November of 2003. The first step was to begin extensive research. A working group examined branding programs at other universities and compared them with UNF’s strategic plan. The group devised a series of three broad brand concepts. Campus-wide forums and an on-line survey were then used to solicit reaction to these concepts and suggestions for other concepts. More than 200 faculty, students and staff participated in the forums, survey, and focus groups.

Q - What groups were involved in the focus groups?

A - Nine focus groups were conducted over a two-month period. Three focus groups were conducted with students and prospective students; two with alumni and parents; two with donors and business leaders and two with faculty and staff. Participants were selected at random. Each focus group reviewed possible brand concepts and possible logo designs.

Q - What did you learn from the focus groups?

A - All of the focus groups ranked highly a branding concept built on individual attention to students. The two most highly rated brand statements were: “UNF offers the resources of a large university and the individual attention of a small college,” and “UNF offers students the resources and the opportunities to be the scholars of today and the leaders of tomorrow.”

Q - Did the marketing team do any other research besides focus groups?

A - Yes. The Integrated Marketing Team also contracted with the Public Opinion Research Lab at UNF to do a comprehensive identity survey in the Jacksonville and Daytona metropolitan areas covering 11 counties of Northeast Florida. About 2,000 individuals were contacted as part of the survey.

Q - What was the primary thing you learned from the survey?

A - In the Jacksonville area, UNF has a generally positive but undefined image. In the Daytona Beach area UNF is largely an unknown entity with little or no name recognition.

Q - So if UNF has a positive image at least in Jacksonville, what more can a branding program produce in terms of image?

A - Because UNF has a good but undefined image it is basically considered a commodity in the higher education market of northeast Florida. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, the last thing a university wants to be viewed as is a commodity. Two primary factors are used by consumers in selecting a commodity - price and convenience. A university with a brand makes it possible to add another value to this equation and improves the competitive position of the institution.

Q - If a brand is a promise, what exactly is UNF’s promise?

A - Our brand promise:

The University of North Florida recognizes that every student is an individual, with different goals, different learning styles and different needs. UNF is committed to offering each student a highly individualized educational experience made possible by an engaged faculty and opportunities for life-changing experiences such as internships, study abroad or off-campus programs and dynamic research projects. At UNF students are our first priority.

Q - What do you base this promise on?

A - Our promise is based on the following positioning statement or brand essence.

UNF knows how to create the right environment for learning: a customized blend of rigorous academics, research and real world contact. Students are expected to master their studies and take advantage of opportunities provided for internships, study abroad, research and leadership training on and off the campus. Faculty and staff are recruited not only for their teaching ability, but for their personal commitment to work closely with students, sharing research, mentoring and guiding them in classroom lessons and lessons in life. Through carefully conceived partnerships with leading businesses and institutions, students and faculty come to understand the needs of the world around them and apply their skills, ideas and experience in challenging and practical ways to make a real contribution to society.

At UNF, our collaborative culture means we’re constantly pushing the bar and embracing bright ideas. We’re not afraid to challenge tradition, outdated thinking or each other. Small-class size and robust interaction bring different perspectives and ensures we are up-to-date, open-minded and, above all, relevant — now and for generations to come.

Q - How will you measure whether or not your branding program is successful?

A - A well-executed, long-term branding program should make direct marketing more effective. In other words, the per-head cost of recruiting students should eventually be reduced. The cost to raise a dollar should eventually decline. Even the cost to sell a ticket to a special event should decrease. This is why good brand marketing must work hand-in-hand with all university direct marketing efforts to maximize the potential benefits.

Q - What is the biggest obstacle to an effective branding program?

A - A misunderstanding of the difference between branding and marketing is the biggest obstacle to an effective program. That misunderstanding leads to the assumption that the real costs of the initiative are associated with marketing expenses. In reality, the real costs of the initiative are associated with keeping the brand promise. The realization that those costs affect institutional priorities is sometimes unexpected by top administrators. This underscores the importance of coupling any branding program with the institution’s strategic plan.