A Brand that Can Stand the Test of Time?
February 29, 2008
In the increasingly competitive world of higher education, developing a unique identity could make the difference in obtaining quality students, accomplished scholars, and greater research dollars. Efforts to produce a “Tufts” brand name that reflects not only the university’s overarching goals, but also the spirit of its students, are therefore welcome developments. Nonetheless, the administration must acknowledge that while a well-known brand may help sell an inferior product in the marketplace, no branding efforts could mask a university’s shortcomings in academics. The administration must uphold the university’s traditions and academic excellence, even at the expense of promotion and marketing.
In the process of developing a brand name, the university took steps to ensure that the result would be something more than selling new sweatshirts and mugs. The consultant hired by the Office of University Relations, Mark Neustadt, conducted a nine-month study in which he performed focus groups on students, faculty, and alumni in order to gain a new perspective on the university’s identity. As Gail Bambrick, Director of Publications, remarked in an interview with The Observer, “Neustadt immersed himself in campus and culture because a brand has to reflect the truth or it just won’t work, it won’t fly.” The introduction of the new logo marked the culmination of the process to portray “the essence of Tufts,” and provided the administration with a tool to pursue the university’s aspirations.
A distinct logo for the university raises a concern about the role of tradition in the branding of Tufts. Although the new logo offers a “distinctive” and “younger” imaging of the university, it rejects tradition in favor of what Ms. Bambrick describes as “cutting a path into what higher education should be in the 21st century.” This marketing focus on the university’s innovative approach to education, at the expense of tradition, may fail to please the older alumni whose time on the Hill was defined more by freshman beanies than by “active citizenship.” Universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton market both their rich tradition and their innovative approaches to academics. With Tufts’ rich history of academic excellence and tradition spanning over 150 years, there is no reason why the new marketing campaign cannot take the same approach.
One should not underestimate the importance of attracting alumni with the “Tufts” brand. The livelihood of the university, the endowment, depends on the annual donations made by alumni, and universities with deep pockets not only produce graduates with the abilities needed for success in the real world, but they also forge an everlasting connection with alumni that ensure consistent donations. One source of the close ties between the university and alumni comes from an emphasis on a school’s history and tradition, factors that a “Tufts” brand must consider.
Regardless, even the best marketing cannot mask a university’s shortcomings, and the administration should not allow expenditures on branding to prevent advances in facilities and resources on campus. Nor should the marketing affect the academic environment on campus. Greater national attention is fruitless if it compromises the capacity of the university to deliver an exceptional, challenging, and rewarding academic experience.
A balanced branding campaign that draws national attention to a Tufts education, however, could have lasting benefits for current and former students. Graduates with nationally renowned Tufts degrees will have better prospects in an ever-competitive job market. Geographic diversity on campus, with more students hailing from outside the East Coast, will add new perspectives to campus dialogue. Most importantly, a stronger “Tufts” brand may evoke stronger feelings in some students towards the university. Not having to explain to strangers or relatives where Tufts is located or what it is known for may give an increased sense of pride in being a Jumbo, a sentiment that would pay off for the university once they begin to solicit young alumni for donations.
Finding a way for Tufts to differentiate itself from other top-tier universities is not an enviable task, and the administration deserves commendation for its attempts to develop a unique identity for the university. Nevertheless, branding should not come at the expense of our traditions and commitment to academic excellence; such a development would make the university undeserving of national recognition. The Observer believes that it is better to maintain our high standards rather than sell more sweatshirts in Boston.