- Our Work
- BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION: Amplifying Higher Ed.
BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION: Amplifying Higher Ed.
With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we helped launch Discover the Next, a national initiative designed to broaden the conversation about the value of higher education. The campaign gave colleges and universities a shared platform for telling stronger stories about how they advance individuals, communities and society.
The Challenge
Increasingly the discussion around the value of higher education institutions is being narrowed down to cost of attendance. However, these institutions offer so much more to today’s society than they are often given credit for. Given this challenging landscape, how do we reclaim the narrative of the value of higher education?
Our Approach
We determined that an information campaign fueled by colleges and universities–and their success stories on the positive impacts of higher education–could effectively reclaim the narrative through:
Business Alignment:
- We identified philanthropic organizations who have missions aligned with the interests of stimulating the conversation about the public value of higher education We applied for and received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support this important work.
- We verified that providing a grassroots digital toolkit could be an efficient way to encourage colleges and universities to amplify this initiative’s branded messages.
Brand Strategy:
- We created overarching brand message “Discover the Next”, strategically designed to encourage audiences to explore how colleges and universities “lead the way”.
- We developed a visual identity that reflects the energy behind this initiative, including a visual identity guide to maintain brand consistency as colleges and universities adapted the materials.
Creative Storytelling:
- We encouraged colleges and universities to use the Discover the Next branded resources to be applied to their respective stories.
Digital Marketing:
- We created a digital tool kit, distributed to colleges and universities with a call to action for them to amplify the value of higher education through these branded materials.
The Results
We reached hundreds of colleges and universities, garnering commitments from them to use the branded materials to amplify their institutions’ stories.
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- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
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