RESHAPING OUR STORY WINTHROP REBRANDS AFTER 25 YEARS


“What will it look like?” “Will it still be garnet and gold?” Those questions, and many others, were overheard throughout the excited crowd of students, faculty and staff who filled the DiGiorgio Campus Center lobby on Feb. 22 to get a first look at the university’s highly anticipated new logo.


All of the excitement and build up over the last year of Winthrop’s rebranding initiative came to a head as the crowd watched a special video that detailed the process behind the rebranding effort. And as the inspirational and moving video ended, the crowd got what it wanted…the new logo appeared on the screen to raucous cheers and applause. Winthrop had a new and fresh identity for the first time in 25 years.


1,109 NUMBER OF SURVEYS


COMPLETED TO GATHER FEEDBACK BEFORE REBRANDING PROCESS BEGAN


25


NUMBER OF YEARS SINCE LAST OFFICIAL INSTITUTIONAL LOGO WAS INTRODUCED


13


NUMBER OF SESSIONS HELD TO GATHER FEEDBACK ON NEW LOGO


6


MONTHS OF MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY PARTNER FMB ADVERTISING


Some may ask, “Why rebrand now?” In short, it was time.


Since Winthrop’s last rebranding effort in 1992, when Winthrop officially became a university, Winthrop has had the challenge of staying true to the university’s traditions and history while also growing and evolving to meet the challenges of the changing higher education landscape.


As a result, according to Katie Price ’07, the university’s director of marketing, “the Winthrop brand became diluted in an effort to be all things to all people.


“It was time to refocus — to rediscover who Winthrop is and what truly makes Winthrop such a special place by working to refresh the visual identity and develop a consistent brand that would effectively tell the Winthrop story to the world,” said Price.


In late 2016, work began with FMB Advertising, an agency with more than 30 years’ experience in higher education marketing.


Clockwise from top: Alumnae posed for photos with the new logo after the unveiling; President Dan Mahony explained the process behind selecting the new logo; a large crowd gathered to watch the logo unveiling.


FMB started with a comprehensive brand perception research study, including feedback from both internal and external audiences. The results confirmed much of what was known: that Winthrop is a family — a close-knit community where students are cared for, supported and accepted by their peers, as well as their faculty mentors, who take a personal interest in their success. It’s these qualities that make Winthrop stand out from peer institutions and why students remark time and time again that Winthrop feels like home. From there, work began towards creating a more focused brand message, and likewise, streamlining the visual identity for a greater impact.


After months of creative work and testing, a new logo was developed that honors both Winthrop’s past and present. As a nod to the university’s mascot and inspired by the bronze Winthrop Eagle statue on campus, the new logo prominently features an eagle, backed by the shield found in the official university seal.


During his remarks at the logo unveiling, President Dan Mahony 2 3


said: “The end result is a new logo that is uniquely ours. It is the shield from our university seal, it is the eagle from our statue, it is the Winthrop that only we use, and it is uniquely our garnet and gold. With the help of all of the members of the Winthrop family, we have developed the basis for a consistent presentation of our university that connects the past with our future and is unlike any other. It is ours alone.”


The new logo comprises just one element of a comprehensive rebranding initiative. The university’s website redesign, which will debut this fall, remains a priority, and FMB


Advertising continues to craft messaging and a design theme for the recruitment of undergraduates. Additionally, the Graduate School’s online partner, Wiley & Sons, recently launched its marketing for prospective graduates interested in one of the university’s four online master’s degree programs.


All of these efforts, Price noted, supports Goal 1 of the university’s strategic plan to bolster enrollment growth and retention efforts.


“This is an exciting time at Winthrop. We’ve known for a long time what makes Winthrop such a special place, and we’re thrilled that this new rebranding initiative will help us effectively market Winthrop to prospective students in the state, the region and the world,” said Price.


View the video that was shown during the Feb. 22 logo unveiling.


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