Henry Petroski, professor of engineering and history at Duke wrote a June 26, 2014 opinion piece in the New York Times about the use inferior products and labor in construction, leading to a pattern of poor infrastructure in the US. Infrastructure: That’s a term Higher Education communication planning should add to the vocabulary.
Building an effective brand is not unlike restoring an old home. The planning, materials, craftsmanship and execution choices have great importance in the outcome of a restoration. The same can be said for creating Institutional Identity. Colleges and Universities are historic structures. What they are is the accumulation of their history and culture. That is the foundation of an institution. Underpinning this is the goal building something that will last and effectively communicate the unique personality and culture (another word, I dare say, may be even more crucial, to that vocabulary list) of a college or university to prospective students yet to be embraced and those who educate and sustain an institution.