Gatton College came to Bayard Advertising with two main challenges. The first was how to re-position the brand so that all of its constituencies (faculty, business partners, students, business news and media
organizations) would take notice of their redesigned MBA program, achievements, new professors and the school itself. The second was how to create a professional visual language that was expressive of the wealth of value and pockets of excellence the school had developed, but at the same time, not alienate its local Kentucky constituencies.

Gatton’s challenge was formidable. Rally the attention of major media organizations, such as BusinessWeek, to help the school improve its rankings, increase attendance, attract higher caliber students and faculty, and all the while not alienate existing Kentucky students and the rest of the University community…all to be done within the University’s mission of addressing the needs of Kentucky constituents first and foremost.

As our research unfolded, we developed assumptions and tested them. We examined hundreds of competing schools and their programs, looking critically at every point, every communication, every message. We spoke with parents and deans of other colleges. We interviewed scores of students,
faculty, alumni, guidance counselors and media opinion leaders. And after all that, we knew quite a bit.

Armed with this information, we went about the task of filtering and interpreting it into meaningful brand and creative strategies. This covered brand positioning, a segmented brand promise for their three core constituencies, brand personality development and editorial voice. Additionally, our logo study was exhaustive. We developed graphic symbols, typographic treatments, custom-drawn icons and more. To the surprise of the Dean himself, we did not recommend creating a new “logo” per se, but thought a newly invented Seal would better communicate heritage, prestige and Acamedia more effectively. In addition, we redesigned Gatton’s word mark to be contemporary and fluid. Not marked in any typographic history, the new symbol, combined with the tradition inherent in a ‘Seal’ was a powerful base of corporate identity.

We expanded that identity to cover all departments, divisions, partnerships, key programs and cross-development alliances. This was vital to build a solid brand architecture so that each level of the College could align itself properly with Gatton, whether as brand partner or brand affiliate, and so on. With the new identity created, the next phase was to bridge the gap between strategy and creativity. We explored a range of aesthetic and thematic approaches that fit the criteria our Discovery laid out. We needed a flexible system that could be used by design professionals and administrators creating flyers and memos or room changes. We needed to formulate processes for use and misuse. In all, we developed a comprehensive Brand Voice Guide. The guide maps all communications spaces the College currently engages in, and a host of potential ones. Over the next year or two, several hundred pieces of collateral, from advertising, the College’s web site, billboards, alumni magazine, newsletter, marketing, signage, will all be driven by this Brand Voice. With Bayard’s help, Gatton College of Business & Economics is well on its way toward making a large impact on a world that easily overlooked it.