This summer, important work will begin on elevating and energizing the Drake University brand. A stronger branding effort is necessary in order to better tell the Drake story, and to help boost prospective student inquiries, alumni engagement, development efforts, and other facets essential to institutional growth and success, including campus pride.

University Communications, the Office of Admission, and the Office of the President partnered on a competitive review process during Spring semester. Within the past few weeks, the University selected and hired 160over90, a creative agency with extensive expertise in consumer branding and higher education. To learn more about how 160over90 will approach its work with our institution, watch this short video prepared by the firm following its pitch presentation.

In the coming weeks, the discovery phase will get underway, beginning with focus groups and involving diverse perspectives from across campus. That step will be followed by a blend of quantitative and qualitative research designed to better understand how key audiences in the metro and across the region perceive the Drake brand. These findings will inform how the Drake brand should evolve, and help shape the strategy for elevating the University’s brand heading into the next academic year and beyond.

Look to OnCampus in the months ahead for periodic updates on this initiative.

—Dave Remund, University Communications