Attracting students with a bold brand identity refresh
In 2019, we were presented with a challenge: to help the University of Toronto Mississauga Master of Management & Professional Accounting (MMPA) program enhance its student recruitment efforts by refreshing its brand identity.
- Industry
Education
- DeliverablesBrand MarkBrand GuidelinesBrand ImplementationCollateralStrategy
We won over decision-makers with data-driven insights, rapid iteration and an eyes-on-the-prize mentality.
Undaunted by existing brand guidelines, legacy designs and a slow-moving bureaucracy, we jumped right in to help the MMPA team roll out a refreshed brand within just 3 months.
Outcomes:
- Strategic guidance on aligning branding & recruitment efforts
- A refreshed MMPA brand identity & value proposition statements that appeal to ideal student recruits
- A model for further dynamic branding work at U of T Mississauga’s Institute for Management & Innovation.

Impactful brands are built on strategic insights
The success of creative work is driven by strategic insights aligned with organizational objectives.
We spoke with MMPA students & alumni to understand their WHY behind choosing the MMPA program.
Student insights paired with input from stakeholders allowed us to develop a robust, creative, data-driven strategy for connecting with the ideal student recruits.

Agile design work requires rapid iteration
We facilitated rapid iteration and secured approvals from the U of T Mississauga team on an ongoing basis while maintaining momentum with clear deadlines for feedback

Respecting creative limits is key to successful innovation
Legacy organizations can have established design elements that are central to their identity and must be respected.

Standing out in a crowd
Recruitment teams try to stand out & appeal to their ideal student recruits at post-secondary recruitment fairs.
MMPA’s refreshed brand identity sets it apart from its competitors with a bold approach, just like the type of students MMPA attracts.

Implementing brand across the organization
We created a custom company brand guide to help everyone within the organization easily understand and implement the brand.
