Out with the old, in with the new. University of Detroit Mercy Marketing and Communications (MarCom) is taking on a new rebranding initiative.
Since 2022-2023, UDM has developed a three-phase marketing research and rebranding process to help them replace the “Build a Boundless Future” brand, but what does building a boundless future really mean to us?
UDM strives to make sure those within the community feel heard and seen, and with these new changes, the Titan community is greatly valued by them.
Each phase has its own importance in shaping this new brand and will work with each other to make this change. Phase 1 has two key features. Elevate, a marketing research firm, is using its research to find the most important information that captures people’s honest opinions, such as taking surveys and speaking to students firsthand to understand people’s preferences on things such as which institution best fits them.
The other feature of this phase is incorporating reports and insights. In 2023, “The Wall Street Journal” ranked UDM as No. 52 in the nation, which with that report helped UDM reach its highest number of incoming students in Fall of 2024.
Phase 2 focuses on different strategies that can help UDM with how it will navigate this rebranding with the help of GreenHouse::Innovation.
When asking their founder and president Howell Malham what the most important part of the rebranding process has been, Malham said, “For us it’s about getting the University aligned with not only what it’s saying but what it’s doing and to make this a living brand for the University.”
Detroit Mercy believes strongly in this endeavor.
“One of the most important things would be making sure everyone has an opportunity and plays a role in this effort,” said MarCom Associate Vice President Gary Erwin.
With this new rebranding, making sure all voices are heard from staff, alumni, and students is such a crucial part to creating a brand that not only some believe in but a brand that the community as a whole can be a part of.
“The previous brand effort back in 2015-2016, a lot of people didn’t fully feel happy and not that you can make everyone happy, but they didn’t feel as invested as they’d hoped they would be,” Erwin said. “This is not a MarCom, alumni, or trustee decision, this is a university-wide effort to offer a new brand that is real, honest, sincere, authentic and true to what we are as an institution.”
MarCom has worked hard to get different perspectives before making their final decisions on how to go about this process and Phase 3 does exactly that. This phase of the marketing research and rebranding will work closely with alumni advisors. Marlena Peleo-Lazar had a unique perspective in this, especially with her being a fellow Titan at UDM in ’72 and now a consultant helping with this process.
“It could stand some new energy and new life and have some fun at the same time,” Peleo-Lazar said. “I think the most important thing in this process is that they need to continually revitalize themselves and make themselves even more relevant and important to students and everybody that touches this university and brand.”
Within these past few years marketing has evolved in so many ways, and many might think that Generation Z (Gen Z) might be the reason for that. Being known for being tech-savvy, diverse and entrepreneurial, they are the future when it comes to making a change to social media, marketing and advertising.
“We have actually engaged in dialogue with Gen Z, and we’ve heard it firsthand and I think it’s important not to just rely on what we might read but really engage in conversation, listen and understand what these values might mean to them,” Peleo-Lazar said. “That is something that is going to be really helpful in this rebranding because you guys pave the way for the future. I mean you guys are the future.”
MarCom has some interesting things coming in the near future. They plan to create a community council that will involve many people within and outside of the community to get more opinions from those who make up the community.
“This would involve stakeholders from inside and outside the University to come together and look at these community connections and look at our institution from a broader scope perspective,” Erwin said.
Although MarCom might be getting rid of the “Build a Boundless Future” brand, this new initiative will give UDM a new identity for all within the Titan community.
“This is not going to be one of those projects where it is one and done; this will be an ongoing effort,” Erwin said.