Strategy 5: Promote a distinct identity and brand for UI COM

Articulate a unifying identity for UI COM that aligns with our mission, vision, and values and distinguishes UI COM from other medical schools. A distinct identity is the foundation of a strong brand, which will help UI COM attract and retain high-caliber students, staff, and faculty and create strong links to alumni.

Tactic 5a

Develop/Agree COM Branding: Engage major stakeholder groups on all campuses to develop a consistent identity and brand (including lock-up) for the COM, COM campuses, and COM departments.

    Target Completion Date: Q1 2022

  • Create key stakeholder list and involve at relevant stages of discussion
  • Finalize college-wide name and campus-specific naming conventions, including accepted abbreviations, spellings, and pronunciations
  • Finalize logo/mark-up for college, including approved campus customizations (if applicable)
  • Draft internal summary level guidelines (for college community) on name and logo conventions as established above

Carrie Foust, Susan Grebner, Katie Hession, Al Smith
Progress

Tactic 5b

Internal Roll-Out of Agreed Branding: Develop branding standards and guidelines and launch internal communications/marketing campaign(s) to gain internal buy-in. [possibly include internal roll-out of faculty practice branding

    Target Completion Date: Q4 2022

  • Develop a list of all internal communicators/Web personnel in the COM (implementers)
  • Develop plan for COM branding standards communications and website
  • Determine scope of internal campaign, including timeline for brand assets replacement
  • Develop on-boarding process/page for new employees and bi-annual brand-update workshops
  • Implement an accountability process (example – COM listserv – emails/flyers must have updated branding in order to be circulated)
  • Conduct a review of all web pages for updated branding and consistency

Tom Wyatt, Hoss Fatemi, Susan Grebner, Katie Hession, Al Smith, Trevonne Thompson, Michael Wesbecher

Progress

Tactic 5c

Co-branding: Clarify relationships between UI COM and its clinical affiliates to better define cobranding possibilities with clinical partners; Align faculty practice brands with COM, UI Health, and UIC branding.

    Target Completion Date: Q3 2022

  • Define “primary clinical affiliations” as relevant to the College of Medicine co-branding initiatives
  • Compile a list of “primary clinical affiliations” for all campuses (including the nature of the affiliate relationship)
  • Conduct peer review with other UIC Colleges for how they model affiliation co-branding practices.
  • Conduct peer review of AAMC colleagues on affiliation/branding best practices
  • Prioritize affiliation opportunities (and frameworks) with COM Leadership input and discussion
  • Create a briefing document that outlines opportunities for more direct affiliate co-branding practices
  • Integrate the affiliate standards/documentation into over-arching COM brand standards (and resources)
  • Develop a co-branding information campaign

Michael Wesbecher, Carrie Foust, Susan Grebner, Katie Hession

Progress

Tactic 5d

External Branding/Marketing: Increase awareness and elevate the reputation of UI COM and its faculty practices within the communities it serves. Build local, regional, national, and global awareness of UI COM.

    Target Completion Date: Q3 2024

  • Develop a list of all external communicators/point people within COM/UIC/System (external implementers)
  • Frequently communicate with external implementers of new branding, resources and guidelines.
  • Understand UIC/Health Sciences/UI Health Branding Campaigns and leverage potential synergistic opportunities to increase awareness of COM brand
  • Survey/Focus group to understand brand position, reputation, and awareness. Develop focus for re-positioning to effectively build perception.
  • Brainstorm around developing strategic partnerships
  • Structure targeted marketing toward different “customer” groups

Tom Wyatt, Al Smith, Beth Wrona Murphy

Progress

Success Metrics

Metric 1 (S5M1):

Brand awareness survey/focus group scores (internal and external metrics); measure of brand awareness and consistency

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 2 (S5M2):

Brand-awareness webspace completion (ease of access/locating for correct guidelines, frequency of usage, etc.) 

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 3 (S5M3):

Brand/Marketing orientation completion rate (% of staff, faculty, and students at what level, etc.)

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 4 (S5M4):

Proper usage of brand in signage/logo/lock-up/merchandise/news and PR/publications at all levels; official name match rate

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 5 (S5M5):

Co-branding options finalized and properly used

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 6 (S5M6):

External traffic to website

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 7 (S5M7):

Earned media metric

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 8 (S5M8):

Social media engagement

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0

Target Value:

0

Metric 9 (S5M9):

Interest in MD and other academic programs

DRAFT ONLY

Current Value:

0