Brand New

BRAND NEW MICHIGAN KINESIOLOGY BRAND GETS A NEW LOOK

Clockwise from top left: Branded pillars in the Commons, recruitment collateral, website homepage

The School of Kinesiology not only has a new building – it also has a new brand.

In early 2019, the school’s marketing and communications team began working with Ologie, a higher education marketing agency, to research and identify current sentiments about the school, its individual majors, and the field of kinesiology in general. The goal of the rebranding initiative was to find the best way to articulate the school’s unique differentiators, strengths, and values, and increase awareness, reputation, and advocacy for the school while also remaining true to the University of Michigan brand.

In April 2020, Ologie delivered a style guide that included rebranding strategies and assets, including unique messaging, taglines, and colors for each program. The team then worked with Michigan Creative, U-M’s internal creative group, to translate the guide into branded templates, recruitment materials, environmental signage, a website redesign, and a brand video. All materials launched in fall 2020, just in time for the move to the Kinesiology Building. This spring, the SoK website won a silver Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE). “The school did a great job of branding itself, but also keeping it in the overall University of Michigan brand,” the judges said. “The video and imagery are extremely dynamic, and pulled in viewers. The navigation was clean and clear, and the use of typography popped. The site was very engaging, and had strong interactive qualities. Accessibility was apparent. Overall, the layout and look were impressive.” n