CHALLENGE

The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan tapped Stratacomm for a three-year engagement to raise brand awareness and increase membership. Our charge included creating a key message platform, solidifying the Association’s brand, reaching members through digital strategies and conducting grassroots outreach.

STRATEGIC APPROACH

Stratacomm facilitated a message development session, testing outputs with opinion research to identify a platform that would resonate best with alumni. We developed and led a series of training sessions for all staff and volunteer leadership that focused on how to integrate key messages at every alumni touch point. Additionally, we conducted a brand audit to guide our recommendations for creating a consistent visual identity for the Association that complemented the messages.

RESULTS

Through the brand audit, we discovered that the Association would benefit from integrating more structure into its brand. To provide a brand framework, we developed brand pillars and, ultimately, redesigned the visual brand system, resulting in an all-new comprehensive brand guidelines book for the Association. To round out the brand, we also created a library of digital assets through multiple photo and video shoots.

Using the new guidelines, the team designed and launched a new website for the Association in fall 2008. The final stage of digital implementation included maximizing online presence through Web content optimization, targeted online advertising and social networking.

Stratacomm also implemented word-of-mouth marketing through grassroots events. Designed to raise awareness for Association membership benefits one conversation at a time, these events incorporated a unique drive-to-Web component to reconnect alumni with the Association after the conclusion of each event.