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University rolls out its first integrated marketing effort News Staff Reporter "Education First." That's the slogan at the heart of Eastern Michigan's new, $1 million marketing campaign, which was unveiled Wednesday afternoon at the EMU Student Center. The tagline will be the focus of a broad effort to spread EMU's name and message throughout Michigan, said Ted Coutilish, EMU's associate vice president for marketing and communications. The slogan celebrates EMU's emphasis on academics, its College of Education, and its founding 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, with a mission of training teachers, Coutilish told a group of about 180 staff members, students and alumni at the presentation Wednesday. Maurizio Digiandomenico, a senior from Livonia majoring in education, said he liked the crisp feel and relevance of the slogan. "I didn't expect it to be so simple," he said. The campaign represents EMU's first such integrated marketing effort, involving a broad variety of approaches that advertise the university. Research for the campaign began several years ago. Its launch Wednesday coincides with the new academic year and EMU's effort to re-center itself on academics and the classroom after what has been a turbulent year at university. President John Fallon was fired in July and two other top administrators left the university after investigations found that EMU violated federal law by not adequately informing the campus about a student's murder. Provost Don Loppnow, a 34-year veteran of EMU who's serving as executive vice president and EMU's interim leader after Fallon's departure, said the campaign is a fresh start at telling EMU's story. "It makes it clear who we are," he said. "It's a more cohesive approach to presenting our strengths." Student Body President Greg Jones, a senior from Allen Park majoring in political science, termed the slogan "very exciting and very appropriate." Starting Friday, EMU will be on 21 billboards around the state, including 15 in southeastern Michigan, four in Grand Rapids and one in Lansing. There will be one in the Ann Arbor area, located on Michigan Avenue heading east toward Ypsilanti, Coutilish said. The publicity blitz will also involve radio campaigns on four student-oriented FM stations, a cable TV ad and signs on 12 SMART or AATA buses. The slogan will also be on banners on 250 light posts around campus. The image campaign will focus on the number one, using assertions such as "1 of every 4 teachers in Michigan earns an EMU degree." EMU usually spends between $300,000 to $400,000 on marketing annually, but this year is tapping into revenues from its print shop and licensing for extra funds, Coutilish said. "This is an investment in the future of EMU and its growth," Coutilish said during an interview this week. "It's not an expense." Research efforts on the campaign began in 2002 and 2003 and then stopped, but were renewed last December when Coutilish was hired after working a similar job at Wayne State. EMU also studied slogans from other universities, including "Centered on You" at Central Michigan University, "World-Class Education in the Real World" at Wayne State and "Imagine More" at Ferris State. EMU surveyed more than 4,800 people over three years, in 2002 and 2003 and then 2007, and conducted discussion groups involving 660 people as to what represented EMU's brand, Coutilish said Wednesday. The slogan was derived from a longer brand promise statement that participants felt summed up EMU. The university originally developed 15 statements, then members of Coutilish's office narrowed it to five finalists. Those went to a group of 20,000 EMU stakeholders, including students, employees, donors and alumni. EMU employed the firm of Stamats, Inc., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help with the statements and surveys. The 1,601 respondents chose the statement: "EMU's focus on education provides students and faculty with a caring and practical learning environment for personal and professional achievement." From that came "Education First," which filled the criteria of being usable, memorable, unique and flexible, Coutilish said. Geoff Larcom can be reached at glarcom@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6838. Copyright © 2007 The Ann Arbor News. All Rights Reserved. DIALOG NewsRoom |