Kelsh Wilson Design & Oregon State University: A Case Study

ORE GON STATE UNIVE R SITY / A Case Study in Campaign Communications

THE CHALLENGE TO EXCITE OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY’S ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY’S ACHIEVEMENTS AND ASPIRATIONS, AND INSPIRE THEM TO RALLY BEHIND ITS FIRST-EVER CAMPUS-WIDE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

THE SOLUTION A COMPREHENSIVE, MESSAGE-DRIVEN CAMPAIGN BRANDING AND COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAM THAT CAPTURES THE SPIRIT AND POTENTIAL OF OSU

THE RESULT MORE THAN $1 BILLION RAISED DURING THE CAMPAIGN— MAKING OSU ONE OF ONLY 35 PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO ACHIEVE THIS MILESTONE

AN HISTORIC CAMPAIGN With 12 colleges, nearly 28,000 students, and a land-grant mission of service to Oregon, the nation, and the world, Oregon State University combines world-class research programs with a commitment to making a difference in the lives of Oregonians. In 2004, OSU launched its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign, with a goal of $625 million, to propel the institution forward. The success of this historic effort depended on meeting a key communications challenge: engaging alumni and friends in OSU’s sense of momentum and its vision for the future.

OUR APPROACH Research and analysis: To learn about OSU ’s distinctive strengths, vision, and the potential impact of the campaign, Kelsh Wilson visited Oregon several times and interviewed more than 100 University and OSU Foundation leaders, faculty members, students, alumni, and friends. Message development: Based on our interviews, campus tours, reviews of OSU publications and advertisements, and conversations with University Communications, we developed a set of messages focused on OSU’s impact and potential, achievements of OSU people and programs, and reasons for giving, along with several possible campaign names.

Message testing: We solicited reaction to these messages through on-campus focus groups with trustees, administrators, staff members, deans, and faculty members; phone conversations with donors and key alumni; and a web-based survey completed by OSU alumni and friends.

Recommendations: Finally, we gathered our findings into a report of recommendations about the aspects of OSU that appeal most strongly to alumni, donors, and other potential supporters—and are most likely to motivate them to make OSU a priority for giving.

These recommendations became the basis for selecting the name and developing the campaign brand.

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THE CAMPAIGN IDENTITY The Name: “This Amazing Place. This Historic Moment. The Campaign for OSU. ” grew directly out of our conversations with OSU community members. This name combines a phrase used by many administrators, professors, and alumni to describe OSU —“what an amazing place”—with an emphasis on the University’s potential to make history not only through the campaign, but also through groundbreaking research and life-changing education. The Logo: We created a campaign logo that does not simply feature the campaign name but brings it to life. The logo conveys a sense of momentum and modernity through the placement of the words and the upward movement of the building blocks. The colors and shapes evoke OSU’s wide-ranging research and teaching initiatives related to land, ocean, space, and energy—new knowledge with real-world applications that alumni and friends found exciting.

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THE CASE STATEMENT OSU needed a case statement that would not only discuss the campaign priorities, but also showcase the University as a place of real impact and a truly worthwhile cause. The opening section, “This Amazing Place,” features stunning photos of OSU people, places, and projects intended to draw the reader in, along with message-driven captions inspired by our research. The next section, “This Historic Moment,” details the campaign priorities while also humanizing them with real-life stories and profiles. The case statement won a Gold Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

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THE WEB SITE For the campaign web site, campaignforosu.org, Kelsh Wilson adapted the case statement content into web-friendly format and developed several interactive features, including campaign progress bar charts and online giving capability. We also provided page templates that the OSU Foundation is using to update and expand the site with recent news and announcements.

A UNIFIED LOOK The key to any successful brand is consistent application in many different contexts. We worked closely with the OSU Foundation to ensure that all campaign materials would have a unified look and feel. In addition to developing a style guide prescribing usage of the logo and other visual elements, we designed the campaign stationery, business cards, and a set of templates for creating publications in-house. This system of communications earned a Silver Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

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MAKING HISTORY Using the materials designed by Kelsh Wilson, in 2007 the OSU Foundation publicly launched “This Amazing Place.

This Historic Moment. The Campaign for OSU.” By 2010, the Campaign had exceeded its original goal, and as of 2014, the campaign has raised more than $1 billion. This makes OSU one of only two organizations in the Pacific Northwest to achieve this amazing milestone. So far, donors have helped OSU: • Create more than 600 new scholarship and fellowship funds • Double the number of endowed faculty positions • Construct, renovate, and/or acquire 28 new facilities • Increase the endowment by 47 percent In addition, The Campaign for OSU has engaged more alumni and friends in giving to the University. Nearly 1 in 4 OSU alumni have given to the campaign, and 36 percent are first-time donors. In addition, 44 percent of campaign donors are not OSU alumni. Even after the campaign ends in December 2014, OSU will benefit from a greatly strengthened culture of giving.

Kelsh Wilson was honored to play a role in helping OSU generate excitement about the institution and its potential—potential it has far surpassed, thanks to the momentum of the campaign. The name and brand are still in place, and OSU is now using the tagline “This Historic Decade” as it prepares to close the campaign and celebrate its success.

A strong communications program is a critical first step toward engaging donors and inspiring them to make your organization a priority for giving.

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WE CREATE Campaign Names Campaign Logos Case Statements Campaign Websites Annual Fund Mailers Alumni Engagement Programs

With over 25 years’ experience and a staff of designers, writers, photographers, Web developers, and account directors, Kelsh Wilson Design is uniquely well-positioned to take your mission and messages and translate them into the most compelling visual terms. We design strategies: message recommendations based on an in-depth process of research—getting to know each client from the inside out. We design solutions: visual identities and logos, print publications, Websites, and interactive tools that transform these research results into communications with real impact.

CONTACT FRED WILSON fwilson@kelshwilson.com 267.765.0700 ext.701 BETH CAREY bcarey@kelshwilson.com 267.765.0700 ext.717

kelshwilson.com 267.765.0700 / 267.765.0400 f Six Poplar Street / Suite C / Conshohocken, Pennsylvania 19428