Be Revolutionary
University of Massachusetts
Brand + Media + Research
Overview
UMass began working with BVK in 2017 to create a compelling brand position. As the public flagship located in what is commonly considered the home of higher education, UMass was on a mission to carve out what was uniquely ownable for the university.
Goal
Evolution was the name of the game. Or perhaps more aptly, we’re talking about Revolution. A combination of the Commonwealth’s pioneering roots and UMass Amherst’s legacy in social change led us to the developing of the Be Revolutionary campaign. UMass tapped into this platform to improve perceptions of residents, prospects, alumni and more.
Our Work
- Brand
- Media
- Research
Be Revolutionary tapped into the core human value of Freedom, and expressed the university’s strategic position: Changing the world by inspiring people to pursue opportunities that promote progress for the common good. Revolutionary spirit became a point of unification for the campus, and ultimately became the name of the university’s strategic plan.
The Results
#26
up from #52 in U.S. NEWS & World Report national ranking
+9 %
increase in likelihood to recommend among alumni
+33 %
in fall visit day attendance during most recent enrollment cycle
Following years of a broad media strategy, UMass saw the need for a more targeted, audience journey-specific approach to paid media efforts. Through the use of connection planning and a succinct articulation of goals, BVK introduced a much more nuanced plan targeted at the university’s most desired audience—all the while, reducing on particular segment’s spend.
The Results
1B
nearly 1 billion paid media impressions deleivered over three years
+25 %
increase in unaided brand awareness
+12 %
in campaign recall
▾CPMs
media performance improved with maximized impressions, making outreach more cost effective
UMass had an absence of brand health data from which to assess its marketing activities. And in a time when every penny of external spend is scrutinized, there was a need to demonstrate ROI for all marketing budget expenditures. Our research assessed perceptions of:
- Key internal audiences (faculty, staff, current students—both graduate and UG)
- Alumni (segmented by various subcategories)
- Residents and taxpayers
- Prospective students (segmented by various subcategories)
Finally, the research was used as an opportunity to test positioning viability.
When all was said and done, UMass established a healthy baseline of 3,288 total respondents across all audience segments. From there, the sky was the limit in terms of subsequent studies, marketing effectiveness campaign and brand scorecards.