UMass Dartmouth
Extraordinary Is What We Do
UMass Dartmouth faced a familiar challenge - standing out in a highly competitive higher education landscape. To drive enrollment, enhance reputation, and position itself as an extraordinary place of opportunity, UMass Dartmouth needed a fresh approach to branding and digital marketing.
We partnered with a strong higher education creative agency to redefine its brand positioning and creative strategy, and Decibel Media to execute a data-driven digital media plan. Together, we developed and implemented a scalable, integrated strategy to:
- Increase brand awareness and reputation among prospective students, parents, and influencers.
- Improve undergraduate enrollment through targeted, high-impact digital campaigns.
- Address geographic and perception challenges, competing with better-funded institutions.
- Optimize media efficiency while scaling efforts to reach new audiences.
Brand Strategy & Creative
Our research uncovered a compelling truth: UMass Dartmouth provides more research opportunities per student than many of its peers. This insight fueled a bold new brand platform—“Extraordinary is what we do”—which positioned the university as a place where determined students could push boundaries and shape their futures.
Brand Positioning: Defined a clear, compelling value proposition that emphasized student opportunity and achievement.
Visual Identity: Integrated UMass Dartmouth’s distinct brutalist architecture into the brand system, ensuring a unique and instantly recognizable look across all creative.
Integrated Brand Campaign: Developed messaging and creative assets across digital, social, out-of-home, and on-campus touchpoints to create a seamless Brand experience.
Paid Media Campaign
UMass Dartmouth partnered with Decibel Media to enhance undergraduate enrollment and elevate its brand reputation. Over the past two years, we have implemented a phased, data-driven digital strategy complemented by key out-of-home placements.
This approach addressed critical challenges, supported enrollment growth, and established a scalable framework for future success, increasing efficiency and impact from paid media efforts.
Our approach established brand and enrollment improvements with a nimble, fluid mix of Search, Social, Streaming Video and Audio, Digital Display, and Digital Out of Home.