ECC Branding Awareness Report 1.8.16

Implementing the ECC Brand: An Introduction

What Makes

EXCEPTIONAL

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OVERVIEW

What attributes do you associate with Erie Community College? Do you envision three Western New York campuses where students can start, restart or redirect their education? Do you consider its ease of access that allows students a stress-free and manageable entry into their first college courses?

Do you acknowledge its career-focused courses that cater to first-time students and working parents; and do you find a college that instills its graduates with the confidence to either excel in a fast-paced profession or continue their education within a four-year university? We see all these things.

Now, after collaborative research with Stamats Higher Education Marketing, we’re focused on these strengths--all of which make up the refined brand of Erie Community College. The following pages will detail the specifics of this brand, and how we plan to implement it over the coming months.

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ECC helps students confidently navigate through a careerfocused education.

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A brand is not just a logo, a website, or a business card.

It’s an experience.

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WHAT IS A BRAND?

A brand is what distinguishes one organization from another. Branding is the emotional response an individual, group, business or organization evokes in a customer. This can be communicated through visual images, words and taglines, but it’s more than that. Our brand is communicated throughout the hallways on campus, the way instructors interact with students, and the processes and procedures students follow to receive services. Every ECC employee is an ambassador of the ECC brand, and our collective action plays a huge role in determining what students and the community think of ECC. A strong, positive brand will initiate an identity and, in turn, gain greater support from students, parents, donors, prospective employees and the community.

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BRAND PROMISES

What is ECC? Based on research conducted with students, employees and the community, we have established three brand promises:

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EASY ACCESS

EDUCATION THAT FITS

EARNED CONFIDENCE

Stress-Free Manageable Affordable

Customized Flexible Personal

Empowering Career-Focused Graduate Success

Students looking to start, restart or redirect their education should find clarity and simplicity in our processes, communication and environment. ECC should be easy to navigate for firsttime or re-entering college students; and affordable so that students can concentrate on first adapting, then thriving toward a certificate, degree or transferable credits.

ECC’s flexible course schedules, small class sizes and transferrable credits have always been three of the college’s most desirable attributes. Students can earn career-focused degrees while balancing necessary work and family commitments. They can earn both at their own pace, then take their education to high-paying jobs or four-year colleges and universities.

Through their time at ECC, empowered students will graduate with the skills to enter the modern job market, as well as the confidence to thrive in their field of choice. More than 50,000 alums living and working in Western New York are a testament to this, as are leaders who tout their ECC education--whether as a start or solution--as essential to their career success.

One student that has a great experience can be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.

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Students looking to start, restart or redirect their education should find clarity and simplicity in our processes, communication and environment.

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EASY ACCESS What words or phrases do you use to describe ECC to someone not familiar with the college? (Top mentions) Good place to start, good transfer opps, stepping stone to four-year college

34% 23%

Affordable, reasonable cost to attend

18%

Two-year college, community college, vocational Good atmosphere (welcoming, comfortable, helpful, professional)

16% 14%

Good faculty, staff Location attributes (WNY, has three campuses, in Erie Country, close to home, Buffalo, cold climate)

11% 10%

Good school Good academics, good education, accredited programs

8%

Small classes, offers personal attention

8% 6%

Good academic variety Nice campus (easy to navigate, adequate parking)

4% 0

5

10

Percentage of total mentions

15

20

25

30

35

Polling results based on internal audience. Complete Stamats market research findings and results can be found at http://tinyurl.com/eccbranding

40

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EDUCATION THAT FITS What are the three most important factors you consider when evaluating your college options? (Top mentions)

TRADITIONAL STUDENTS Location, proximity to home

53%

Academics, for a specific program

53%

Reasonable cost, affordable

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74%

Reasonable cost, affordable

65%

19% Academics, for a specific program

16%

Faculty

11%

Size

11%

Atmosphere (comfortable, supportive)

8%

Campus (appearance, easy to navigate, size)

8%

0

Location, proximity to home

49%

Small classes, personal attention Don’t know, not sure

NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS

20

Small classes, personal attention

Delivery options (online, in class) 40

60

80

Percentage of total mentions (multiple mentions possible)

0

57% 26% 13% 20

40

60

80

Percentage of total mentions (multiple mentions possible)

Polling results based on prospective students. Complete Stamats market research findings and results can be found at http://tinyurl.com/eccbranding

Students can earn cutting-edge training while balancing necessary work and family commitments.

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Empowered students will graduate with the skills to enter the modern job market, as well as the confidence to thrive in their field of choice.

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EARNED CONFIDENCE For each of the following statements, please indicate how much you agree or disagree using the 5-point scale provided.

FACULTY

STAFF/ ADMIN

STUDENTS

mean

% strongly agree

mean

% strongly agree

mean

% strongly agree

ECC is the right choice for students who are pursuing a two-year degree.

4.3

49

4.4

54

4.4

57

Being part of the SUNY system is advantageous to ECC.

4.3

55

4.5

62

4.3

57

ECC is the right choice for students who plan to transfer to a four-year college or university.

4.1

41

4.4

53

4.3

57

ECC is the right choice for students who are pursuing a certification.

4.1

39

4.3

52

4.2

48

ECC provides a quality education at an affordable price.

4.1

45

4.3

52

4.2

48

(5=strongly agree, 1=strongly disagree)

Polling results based on internal audience. Complete Stamats market research findings and results can be found at http://tinyurl.com/eccbranding

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EARNED CONFIDENCE Please indicate how important each attribute is to you.

TRADITIONAL

NONTRADITIONAL

mean

mean

4.8

4.7

Quality of faculty as teachers and mentors

4.7

4.8

Quality of academic advising

4.7

4.7

Cost to attend

4.7

4.5

Amount of financial aid and scholarships offered

4.8

4.5

Ability to take classes at times that are convenient

4.6

4.8

(5=very important, 1=not at all important)

Quality of your major, program or certificate of interest.

Graduates of the college get good jobs.

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4.8

Polling results based on prospective students. Complete Stamats findings can be found at http://tinyurl.com/eccbranding

4.9

More than 50,000 alums living and working in Western New York are a testament to ECC’s training expertise.

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APPLYING THE BRAND

Now that we have promises to consistently communicate to students and the community, we must make deliberate efforts to infuse the brand into what we do every day. Our next step is to develop new ways to effectively communicate the brand in five focus areas.

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BRAND | Focus Areas ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION Communicate to the general public through media and messaging.

CAMPUS ENVIRONMENT

Apply to all physical space and facilities.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE Introduce to incoming and current students through application and interaction.

RECRUITMENT AND OUTREACH Relay to prospective students through recruitment efforts.

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE Help ECC employees become ambassadors of the college’s brand.

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BRAND IMPLEMENTATION | Plan

Beginning in January 2016, a task force for each focus area will develop an action plan for communicating the brand. These plans will be folded together into an Integrated Marketing Plan in the summer of 2016, with the release of the plan scheduled for Opening Day Fall 2016.

Throughout this process and into the future, we will work together to produce the information, training, and resources essential to communicating the brand every day. Whether it be as a member of a task force, a governing body or committee, or as an interested and dedicated ECC employee, please join us in the effort to build a stronger ECC brand and tell students, staff and our surrounding communities what makes Erie Community College both exceptional and critical to the ongoing resurgence of Western New York.

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BRAND IMPLEMENTATION | Plan Timeline 7/14/16

Action Plans Finalized

Initiate Development Teams

NOV

2015

DEC

JAN

Teams Develop Action Plans / Team Leads Report Progress to Marketing Advancement Committee FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

2016 5/31/16

Action Plan Drafts Submitted to Marketing/Advancement Committee

Committee Gives Feedback on Plans JUN

Action Plans Integrated JUL

AUG

SEP

9/1/16

Integrated Marketing Plan Presented

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You Make EXCEPTIONAL

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