With the new decade just underway, Wentworth Institute of Technology is set to roll out a fresh brand identity (above) and a strategic plan that will delineate a vision for the university’s future.
“Wentworth is one of the country’s leading institutions for return on investment in the STEM, design and management education disciplines,” said President Mark Thompson. “Our new brand emphasizes that we are a community that likes to roll up its sleeves and get things done.”
He said the brand reflects a new strategic vision in which students from all backgrounds thrive through high-value, personalized applied learning experiences, gaining competencies for work and life. Building on its reputation for graduating career-ready students through its mandatory two-year co-op program, Wentworth is also seeking to accelerate and deepen learning in conjunction with businesses and the local community.
The new brand focuses on who Wentworth is as a university; how the university appeals to prospective students, parents, faculty, staff, donors and partners; and how it distinguishes itself from its peer institutions. The strategic plan rests on four principles—inclusive excellence, high-value learning, a transformative student experience and next-generation partnerships.
The brand will appear across the Wentworth campus starting today, Jan. 21, said Michelle Davis, chief marketing officer for the university. The university will boost that launch with a campaign beginning in early February, featuring digital, podcast, radio, YouTube and public transit advertisements. Davis said the primary branding goals are to inform potential students and their families about key Wentworth features, including its hallmark cooperative education programs, let’s-get-to-work culture and learning-by-doing ethos.
With the help of two leading Boston creative agencies—Small Army and Stoltze—and stakeholders throughout the Wentworth community, the university developed a brand positioning statement of, “The sooner you take action, the sooner you improve your world.”
The group also developed a statement that illuminates Wentworth’s brand story:
“It’s what you do right now that defines our future—that’s the code we live by at Wentworth. It’s why we dive into our work, headfirst. When others see a setback, we see an opportunity. We have a relentless impatience with the world’s problems, never waiting to act and create anew. It’s a mindset that sets us apart and drives us forward. And when it comes to improving our world, The University of Now is where it all begins.”
The University of Now tagline will be paired with the school’s new logo (top, left). In addition, Wentworth’s official seal has been updated and will remain an important brand element for the university.
Davis said national research into the Gen Z mindset and specific testing of Wentworth’s brand messaging among this population indicate that Wentworth’s cooperative, practical learning model is highly desirable. More than 70 percent of Gen Z high school students are looking for one of the following: experiential learning opportunities, a high-demand degree by employers or the tools to make a concrete difference in the world, she said.
Source: Wentworth Institute of Technology
Leave a Reply