Dylon Harrison
Staff Writer
ISU is making a change that could completely redefine the way the school is viewed within the state of Idaho and in the U.S.
Since President Satterlee arrived, ISU has seen a big push to change its brand. The next step in changing that brand is the hiring of a new advertising agency, Mitchell and Palmer, a Boise-based agency that President Satterlee worked with at Boise State.
President Satterlee suggested bringing in Mitchell and Palmer during his first few weeks at ISU and has hired the firm in an effort to create an advertising campaign designed to create more awareness of ISU throughout the state and country.
“We are undergoing a comprehensive look at our brand,” said Stuart Summers, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communication. “What is Idaho State University’s brand? What are our brand attributes? What are the logos and marks that we use to reflect that brand? What are we known for?”
Mitchell and Palmer are tasked with helping study this “brand” and provide recommendations to help strengthen it.
Summers said Mitchell and Palmer are here to help resonate with all audiences receiving some sort of communication from the school. This spans from perspective students all the way to alumni.
The ads will span across all types of media including, but not limited to, social, digital, and print media.
To help prepare for this campaign, Mitchell and Palmer, along with ISU, will be conducting a statewide survey during November to gauge how the school is perceived in various parts of Idaho, in hopes of putting together “statewide awareness.”
“We want anyone in the state of Idaho to know that Idaho State is here and that we’re strong, and that we’re making a difference here in the state,” Summers said.
They will also be holding listening sessions on campus for students, community and alumni over the next four to six weeks.
“It’ll be exciting because in a couple months the entire campus community will be involved in helping us to create that brand,” Summers said. “This will be something that everyone will have a voice in.”
The location of these listening sessions will be announced closer to the dates that they will occur.
“I want to make sure that we have a buy-in from all parts of campus,” Summers said, adding, “and that we have support, and that we’re doing an excellent job of telling ISU’s story.”
The ads are expected to premiere sometime in early 2019.
The ads and community outreach are not expected to be a “one-time thing,” but plan to be ongoing for many years to come.
“My challenge for people is, as we start to plan these listening sessions and brand workshops and opportunities for feedback, we want to be sure that everybody has a chance to have their voice heard,” Summers said. “The brand is all of us. The brand reflects every single person in the Bengal community. So, let’s get a brand that we can all get behind, and rally, and support, and be excited about.”
