Attracting students with a bold brand identity refresh

Case Studies
Branding
Industry Education
Deliverables
Brand GuidelinesBrand ImplementationBrand MarkCollateralStrategy
Bianca Gaspini

Recruitment & Marketing Officer, MMPA, University of Toronto Mississauga

“Working with Hyphen Co. has been such a great experience. Their knowledge and design ideas have helped our program step into the future with our new branding initiatives. Having worked with all the team members, I can say with confidence, they are all very responsive and willing to assist with anything.”

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.

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.

Responsibilities
  • Brand discovery – analysis of existing brand & environment
  • Brand articulation – value proposition & tagline development
  • Brand identity refresh – brand mark & elements design, brand guidelines
  • Recruitment collateral design & copywriting – brochure, banners, swag
Outcomes
1
Strategic guidance on aligning branding & recruitment efforts
2
A refreshed MMPA brand identity & value proposition statements that appeal to ideal student recruits
3
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

Finding the one that fits

We don’t limit how many brand creative options we present. Comparing & finding the one that excites everyone and just ‘fits’ is part science & part art form.

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.

Setting MMPA apart

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.

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