Drc: Unt Seeking Brand, New Image

NT80 · May 5, 2011

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_UNT_0505.2ec4282b7.html Edited May 6, 2011 by NT80

aztecskin · May 5, 2011

ugh. i don't care about the other stuff so much. I really just don't need a new logo.

Roadruner · May 5, 2011

I am not sure why UNT needs too update it’s image every 5 or so years .

I know of no other University in the State of Texas that does that. In 2005 UNT spent 149,638.00 to change it’s image

– so here we go again – new colors – new logos for the stadium – we could end up purple and white and known as the UNT lizards.

How many hundreds of thousand of Dollars will this new image take to implement – no one knows.

MDH · May 5, 2011

I highly doubt this is going to cost anywhere near what we spent in 2005. Creating slogans and enhancing your brand is entirely different than creating a new logo. McDonald's has done this many times (I'm lovin it). SOW is hopefully our golden arches from now until forever.

Edited May 5, 2011 by mdh0192

KRAM1 · May 5, 2011

Don't see that this includes new colors or new graphics, but I, too, have to wonder why this sort of thing needs to be done every 5 years or so. If UNT is going to do it, let's get it right and go forward. I am hopeful that this is an "image" campaign not centered so much around the branding, but the overall image of the University in the minds of people...such as; "it's a commuter school", "it's a music school", "it's a small school", "it's a teacher's college", etc., etc. Even some of the grads of UNT seem to have a less than stellar image of their own university...see the thread answers on GMG.com regarding "would you send your kid to UNT' for proof of some of our own feelings. Image is a very important thing as the Ivy League, Duke, Rice, Notre Dame, USC, UT, OU, OSU, etc., etc., etc. will be very quick to tell you.

If UNT can accomplish an image makeover, even in the eyes of its own, this could be a very good thing, but, on the other hand, it does seem that the timing may be a bit off with tuition and parking fee increases just recently being announced. These "consultants" don't come cheap! Good luck to Dr. Rawlins and UNT with this project. It can be a very good thing, indeed, if handled properly. I'll reserve judgement until we all see the results. Could be the best money ever spent or it could be just more money down the consultant rabbit hole.

GO MEAN GREEN!

Stan R · May 5, 2011

These "consultants" don't come cheap!

"Cheap" is a value proposition. Let's hope that Rawlings is wise enough to pick a firm with a message that intelligently changes the commuter tag and brings the image up several notches.

EagleGreen · May 5, 2011

I've heard it is an overall branding scheme for the university and a push for the athletic department to use "UNT" instead of "North Texas". I think they are going to push hard for the UNT brand and steer away from regional modifiers. I believe they started this talk after fitting the new stadium for a sign. The athletic deparment want the sign to say "North Texas" with a logo. Some officials wanted just "UNT". I think it should say, "University of North Texas", personally. It seems the branding, perception, etc. started and has grown to looking for a branding firm.

UNTFan23 · May 5, 2011

I've heard it is an overall branding scheme for the university and a push for the athletic department to use "UNT" instead of "North Texas". I think they are going to push hard for the UNT brand and steer away from regional modifiers. I believe they started this talk after fitting the new stadium for a sign. The athletic deparment want the sign to say "North Texas" with a logo. Some officials wanted just "UNT". I think it should say, "University of North Texas", personally. It seems the branding, perception, etc. started and has grown to looking for a branding firm.

I don't like using "UNT" as the primary way to brand the university. It's too easy for 'UNT' to get lost in the alphabet soup of acronyms for all the other schools. People that aren't familiar with the school aren't going to know who UNT is.

If the UNT "brand" is so strong then why do need to put "University of North Texas" next to UNT on the index page of the main site?

We are North Texas!

KRAM1 · May 5, 2011

"Cheap" is a value proposition. Let's hope that Rawlings is wise enough to pick a firm with a message that intelligently changes the commuter tag and brings the image up several notches.

Stan...actually you are singing my song here and I actually thought about using "inexpensive" .

My Dad used to always tell me when i used the word "cheap" incorrectly that..."son, cheap means inferior quality, if you mean something is inexpensive say so, but if you mean it is inferior go ahead with cheap". I was often, as is the case here, speaking more of the cost not the quality. Good catch, Stan, and I am glad you pointed it out...and my Dad would be very proud of you as well.

GO MEAN GREEN!

UNT 90 Grad · May 5, 2011

If the UNT "brand" is so strong then why do need to put "University of North Texas" next to UNT on the index page of the main site?

It's interesting looking for schools whose initials are so strong of a brand where they don't spell it out on their main page. I looked at USC, UTEP, and UCLA. UCLA was the only one that didn't spell it out of those three.

Green Lantern · May 5, 2011

Love reading the comments to the DRC article. Who would have thought that so many of the DRC readers were branding experts? Someone forward those suggestions to Dr. Rawlins ASAP. We could save a boat load of money.

Just think...if we'd have followed the advice of "more posters" years ago, we wouuldn't even be having this discussion.

WIFE2HOT4U · May 5, 2011

Pls help me stop having to explain to my kids why they never see UNT stuff with all the other Texas colleges stuff @ grocery stores, malls, restaurants, etc.

Get our damn stuff out there – or at least load up a car and drive to every restaurant in DFW and give away flags / jerseys to hang up.

Can start with Double Daves in Keller and Buffalo wild wings in Arlington (Just got back from lunch there, they had every college in Texas & Oklahoma except for UNT (At least I felt that way).

Want to improve PERCEPTION / IMAGE then start with two things:

1) Prove with facts (If possible) that we are NOT a commuter school

2) Get our merchandise out next to the other 4-5 schools people care about around here

I’m tired of explaining to my kids that UNT does not have any shirts @ Kroger like the OTHER 4 schools because….mmmmm, well I don’t really know- So the answer is “We are not very good in football”.

It’s embarrassing to Alumni to eat @ a restaurant in DFW and not see us represented like the others!

I’ll volunteer to drive around and give the stuff away – Man, am I the only one that feels this way?

All About UNT · May 5, 2011

Pls help me stop having to explain to my kids why they never see UNT stuff with all the other Texas colleges stuff @ grocery stores, malls, restaurants, etc.

Get our damn stuff out there – or at least load up a car and drive to every restaurant in DFW and give away flags / jerseys to hang up.

Can start with Double Daves in Keller and Buffalo wild wings in Arlington (Just got back from lunch there, they had every college in Texas & Oklahoma except for UNT (At least I felt that way).

Want to improve PERCEPTION / IMAGE then start with two things:

1) Prove with facts (If possible) that we are NOT a commuter school
2) Get our merchandise out next to the other 4-5 schools people care about around here

I’m tired of explaining to my kids that UNT does not have any shirts @ Kroger like the OTHER 4 schools because….mmmmm, well I don’t really know- So the answer is “We are not very good in football”.

It’s embarrassing to Alumni to eat @ a restaurant in DFW and not see us represented like the others!

I’ll volunteer to drive around and give the stuff away – Man, am I the only one that feels this way?

I wrote to RV and asked him to invest in a bulk order of solid bumperstickers for both the Texas Tech BBall game and the Houston game. Hand them out with ticket purchase, students that walk in, press, season ticket holders...etc. I do not mean the crappy ones that they currently give you but actually something that you would be proud to put onto your car.

These things bulk ordered could cost the school a modest buck per unit. 15,000 cars in the metroplex going to work everyday with Mean Green on the back is an investment...and one that pays off.

meangreendork · May 5, 2011

1.) It's not about a new logo. Logo =/= branding. Branding = logo/snapper lines/color choices/branding strategies/messaging/media choices/etc.

2.) It's about trying to improve relations with merchandise companies, retailers and small businesses, local or otherwise.

3.) Also, they ideas is to make UNT the campus of choice of our part of DFW and northward, then shift southwards and out to encompass all of DFW.

drex · May 7, 2011

Here is what's needed:

1. Get the exes to give money instead of bad mouthing their alma mater.

2. Be consistent winners in football and basketball.

3. Market the heck out of ball games, concerts, billboards, etc.

4. Pick an image and stick to it...no 'free lancing' every time a new coach or admistrator shows up in Denton.

5. Put the whammy on the Dallas campus to use green in their color scheme.

6. Put away the stupid idea that people across the country know what the hell UNT is.

jquincy · May 9, 2011

@97and03 -

"Sorry, drex. That is an independent university, not a campus. Think UT and UTSA or UTA."

i am an employee of UNT health science center in fort worth and a UNT alum. usually you'd be right, and technically you still are when you say that UNTD is an independent university and not a campus, BUT, as someone with insider knowledge on the direction the whole system is going in with our branding, i can tell you that UNTD will be changing their colors to match UNT denton, if they haven't already. we (UNTHSC) just changed all of our campus signage and colors from a rust maroon and cream to kelly green and black to match UNT denton. we too are an independent institution. the goal is to be the first college system in the US to have a marketing uniformity throughout (i.e. color scheme). the exception here is that if and/or when UNTD ever starts up an athletic program of any kind, they won't also be called the 'mean green'. with that, they are free to have whatever mascot they choose (i think currently it's some sort of panther or cougar or something).