Know-How Exchange : Branding

Thank you Marcus I appreciate your speedy response! I understand what you are saying and we certainly are not Havard. I still do not see how we can "rebrand" our university with the tools we have learned in our brand management class. Our specific project focuses on rebranding the university and not the implementation or actions of turning the university green.

Thanks Thinkpersonality!

In regards to your questions:

“How do we go about repositioning the current UNT brand to a UNT-Green (environmentally friendly) brand?”

That is the only direction we have regarding this report. The university is actually using our brand management class in partner with the marketing research class to come up with information and ideas for this transformation. This is the first and only real step that the university has taken to becoming a green university. So I guess we are the beginning. Below is the reference market, segmentation, postioning and repostioning from our groups point of view. It explains the different segments and why they would choose the university. To be perfectly honest my concerns are directly linked with my grade and executing branding tools used in class to score a high grade and not exactly whether this proposal can be done with respect to monatary issues with alumni and logistics. Thanks!

UNT operates within a reference market where they provide personal development to people and businesses through degree programs, research, organizations, lecture series, and education.
2. Macro-Segmentation
Who: People
What: Personal Development
How: Education
3. Detecting Variables for Micro Segmentation
• Geographic: DFW area, distance learning
• Demographic: all levels of income, locals and non-locals (including international students), varying ethnicities, multiple languages and cultures represented
• Socioeconomic: teenage students and up, slightly greater concentration of males, varying family types (originating from and currently apart of)
• Psychographic: full time and part time students, mixed levels of employment, urban to suburban
4. Electing Variables:
• Emotional Variables: Degree of self-worth, how one views themselves
• Esthetic Variable: Degree of social acceptance, the degree to which others view the individual as socially acceptable
5. Variable Operationalization
• Degree of self worth: % of time spent studying
• Degree of social acceptance: % of money spent on education

• “The Typical Student”
o Positioning Variables:
 Current Dimensions of Perception: Lower cost, convenient location, wide array of offerings, family loyalties, varying levels of school spirit, competitive athletics, advanced technologies
 Latent Dimensions: Lower tuition costs, convenient location in terms of job offerings and families based in DFW area, increasing school spirit, increased competition from athletic programs, increased recognition of programs, high level of cultural offerings, greatly increasing level of environmental responsibility
o Current positioning against competition: “The typical student” is currently enticed to choose UNT because of the low tuition cost, product offerings, and location to the Metroplex. This positioning strategy we feel has been successful when compared to local colleges; UTD, UTA, UD etc.
o Re-Positioning Strategy: To determine how this target segment perceives UNT and their green effort, the University needs to highlight their accomplishments, their goals, their excitement towards the movement, the fact that they are THE environmentally responsible university, and that the University is working to further ensure their future (their education and their world around them).
• “The Striver”:
o Positioning Variables:
 Current Dimensions of Perception: Wealth of organizations and scholarships offered, active and engaged environment, rich social community
 Latent Dimensions: Denton is known for their art programs, with that comes art, design, and music communities and groups that “the striver” perceives as more common and plentiful at UNT. UNT has increasing school spirit, increased competition from athletic programs, and increasing levels of environmental responsibility.
o Current positioning against competition: “The Strivers” want to be involved both academically and socially. They are currently persuaded to choose UNT because of the very large social community. They perceive UNT as being in the middle of two large cities with a lot that they could do/get involved with. Even though schools within close proximity should have this same advantage, they don’t. Both UTD and UTA have the “commuter school” persona and strivers feel that there is less of an opportunity to get involved/make a difference on the campus. On the other hand schools like Texas A&M and Texas Tech may have a great opportunity to get involved/meet people on campus, students do not have this same opportunity off campus due to the fact the schools are located in small town “out in the middle of no-where”. The only school that does promote an on and off campus social environment is UT.
o Re-Positioning Strategy: UNT needs to position their green brand in a way that highlights how their organizations and communities differ from their strongest competitors, and the green movement is a perfect way to do so. Strivers want to be “in the know”, they want to get involved, and they want to make a difference. By highlighting the fact that UNT is the leader in environmental responsibility the University is able to attract this group of students who strive to be the best/coolest/leaders.
• “The Acceptance Seeker”:
o Positioning Variables:
 Current Dimensions of Perception: Numerous community-university ties and relations, wealth of organizations and scholarships offered, active and engaged environment, rich social community, student body representation, and accredited programs.
 Latent Dimensions: UNT has transitioned from being thought of as a commuter school to a more traditional campus recently. With that comes the need and easy opportunity for people/students to step up in roles and positions that were not so important before. Students perceive the University as a place where they have the opportunity to step up and make changes/make a name for themselves. Acceptance seekers are also enticed by the fact that several professors hold second jobs in the industry. This in of itself gives students the perception (and the reality) that they have the ability to learn from someone in the field and present the ability to network.
o Current positioning against competition: We believe that UNT is positioned as a very industry integrated campus which has led to the same perception in the students’ minds. Because of tight relationships between the University and several Businesses, acceptance seekers perceive that UNT is viewed by these industries as a quality education. Unfortunately the local competition for UNT is also perceived by the acceptance seekers in this way.
o Re-Positioning Strategy: All of the strong competitors for this segment (UT, A&M, SMU, and Baylor) are established with developed representation and community programs, while UNT would be considered emerging. To successfully target this group UNT should highlight the fact that they need leaders to help solidify these programs to a point where they can compete with the competitors. They need to highlight the fact that they are the brink of great things and that they need the Acceptance Seekers to take them to the next level. The green movement is the perfect re-positioning tool. UNT needs these acceptance seekers to help solidify their efforts and get people on board.
• “The Successful Mingler”:
o Positioning Variables
 Current Dimensions of Perception: Networking opportunities, numerous community-university ties and relations, wealth of organizations and scholarships offered, active and engaged environment, rich social community, student body representation
 Latent Dimensions: Wealth of surroundings, Leadership/ambassador/new student relationship opportunities and programs, increasing environmentally responsible programs
o Current positioning against competition: UNT is currently positioned to attract this crowd through their developed and visible Greek life, social surroundings, and array of organizations. UNT heavily dominates their local competition in this arena. Students looking for these experiences realize that UNT heads above the competition.
o Re-Positioning Strategy: UNT needs to position the green brand to these students by showing them this is a school-wide and community wide effort. The increased social aspect will further differentiate UNT from competitors in the perceptions of these students.
• “The Golden Child / Uber Involved”:
o Positioning Variables:
 Current Dimensions of Perception: Diverse portfolio of offerings (sports, education, facilities, faculty, organizations, company relations and networking, community involvement), they are looking for a school with everything.
 Latent Dimensions: TAMS, Wealth of surroundings, Leadership/ambassador/new student relationship opportunities and programs, developed career center
o Current positioning against competition: UNT is currently positioned as a traditional college, with diverse offerings, within the Metroplex to appeal to this segment. Even though schools within close proximity should have this same advantage, they don’t. Both UTD and UTA have the “commuter school” persona and less of an opportunity to get involved/make a difference on the campus. On the other hand schools like Texas A&M and Texas Tech may have a great opportunity to get involved/meet people on campus, students do not have this same opportunity off campus due to the fact the schools are located in small town “out in the middle of no-where”.
o Positioning Strategy: The green effort provides UNT the perfect competitive edge and it needs to be highlighted to obtain this segment. These students are looking for their schools to provide them with everything and anything and while UNT may have similar offerings to say UT, UNT can differentiate themselves as THE green school. This ability to differentiate themselves would be the “icing on the cake” for this segment.

Thank you ThinkPersonality!

Would this be an extension of the university or an actual rebranding?

Thank you everyone for your help! It was greatly appreciated!!!

Jessica