Interbrand Partners with Boston University’s School of Management to Inspire the Next Generation of Business Leaders

Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy, today announced the launch of a revitalized brand for Boston University’s School of Management (BU SMG).

Interbrand Toronto worked closely with BU SMG to create a comprehensive brand program that would signal the institution’s transformation into a global, top-tier business school – and coincidentally celebrate its 100-year history as a leader in education.

As higher education institutions become increasingly competitive and battle to admit top students and attract best-in-field faculty, many fail to communicate what they stand for or their unique set of educational offerings. The need to stand out is matched by the desire to increase reputation and meet the industry-wide standards required to be a top-tier school. It was against this backdrop that BU SMG identified the need to communicate its leadership position and differentiate itself amongst other leading business schools.

Embarking on a yearlong effort to create a comprehensive brand program, Interbrand conducted extensive research around the world—research that included a combination of one-on-one interviews, internal workshops, surveys and online focus groups. Such research enabled Interbrand to uncover BU SMG’s key points of differentiation. The research also revealed that BU SMG tends to foster business leaders who not only care about successful business outcomes, but who also care about creating social value for the world.

“At Boston University’s School of Management, we seek to attract extraordinary people who dare convention and who are driven, yet mindful,” said Midge Wilcke, the school’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “Our brand is the promise we make to our students, our alumni, and to our stakeholders: to continue to be the most forward-thinking and innovative leader in management education.”

The brand strategy developed by Interbrand—and the subsequent visual identity and messaging system—was brought to life across five key themes: Dare Convention; Think Dynamically; Lead with Heart; Connect Now; and Consider the World. Each theme ensures that all audiences—current and prospective students and faculty, as well as corporate partners—understand what BU SMG stands for and why it is unique.

“All strong brands have a clear understanding of what they stand for and what makes them relevant and different,” said Alfred DuPuy, Managing Director of Interbrand Toronto. “Faculty, students, alumni, and corporate partners all play a vital role in a school’s continued success. Our goal was to create a compelling brand experience that would uniquely engage and inspire each of these different audiences and propel BU SMG on a path to excel in today’s - and tomorrow’s increasingly competitive market.”

Since the creation of BU SMG’s comprehensive brand program coincided with its 100-year anniversary, Interbrand developed a distinctive centennial celebration name and logo. The BU SMG 100 YEARS BOLD campaign effectively conveys BU SMG’s unique personality, storied history and strong reputation in the world of higher education.

The rollout of the revitalized BU SMG brand and the BU SMG 100 YEARS BOLD campaign can be seen throughout Boston University’s campus and, perhaps most notably, on a billboard overlooking Fenway Park—home of the Boston Red Sox.

On January 30, 2014, BU SMG and Interbrand spoke at the sold-out 2014 Case District 1 Conference in Boston on the process of revitalizing the Boston University School of Management brand. Please visit http://www.cased1conference.com/ for a listing of the events/speakers. For more information on BU SMG, please visit: http://management.bu.edu/.

About Interbrand
Founded in 1974, Interbrand is the world’s leading brand consultancy. With nearly 40 offices in 27 countries, Interbrand’s combination of rigorous strategy, analytics, and world-class design enables it to assist clients in creating and managing brand value effectively, across all touchpoints, in all market dynamics. Interbrand is widely recognized for its annual Best Global Brands report, the definitive guide to the world’s most valuable brands, as well as its Best Global Green Brands report, which identifies the gap between customer perception and a brand’s performance relative to sustainability. It is also known for having created brandchannel.com, a Webby-award winning resource about brand marketing and branding. For more information on Interbrand, visit interbrand.com.