The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford launched a new brand marketing campaign on Tuesday, March 26, which university officials believe will help them more effectively communicate the benefits of a Pitt-Bradford education and the University of Pittsburgh degree.
“This new campaign will convey the exceptional value our students receive,” said Rick Esch, Pitt-Bradford president. “At Pitt-Bradford, our students are part of a welcoming community where they can explore and belong and receive the inspiration and support they need to lead in their lives and their careers. And, as part of the University of Pittsburgh, they receive a degree that is forged in quality and commands respect around the world.”
The new campaign was developed by Red Cactus Marketing, a firm based in Tucson, Ariz., and was based on research conducted by Red Cactus, Prescience Associates and Stamats Inc. The research, which included surveys and focus groups, was conducted over the last several months and included faculty, staff, students, alumni and prospective students.
During that research, Esch said, four central pillars about Pitt-Bradford surfaced:
Pitt-Bradford is an anchor in the region, preparing students to make a positive impact on their communities; offers the Pitt degree with the added value of giving students more personal attention and hands-on experiences; is a place of belonging, where students are seen and heard; and is an explorer’s paradise, where students can explore both outdoors in neighboring forests and parks and indoors in specialized labs, a machine shop and a makerspace.
“In addition to these four pillars,” Esch said, “two central ideas emerged during the research: the importance of our students being part of a welcoming, energized and supportive community as well as the added value of being part of the University of Pittsburgh and earning the Pitt degree.”
Based on all of that research, a new campaign theme was created: “Pitt Forged. Bradford Inspired.”
“The beauty of this new theme is that it is authentic and uniquely ours,” said Pat Frantz Cercone, executive director of communications and marketing who, along with Dr. James Baldwin, vice president of enrollment management, lead the branding project.
“For nearly 25 years, we’ve seen many messages from other colleges and universities, and some of them have used similar themes, which can be confusing for college-bound students and their families,” Cercone said. “Pitt Forged. Bradford Inspired. describes our campus perfectly and is a descriptor that no other institution can claim as theirs.”
The new campaign, which was introduced to faculty and staff on Wednesday, will be used in many ways, including in advertising, recruiting materials used by the Office of Admissions, and on the university’s website.