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This book was created to outline what the people-first engineering brand is and how it is manifested in marketing materials in order to help members of our community adopt and use the brand.
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This deck is an overview of all the marketing materials made for the internal and external campaigns associated with the people-first engineering reputation and brand strategy rollout.
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Variations of this deck were used in more than three dozen presentations to our community, as we visited individual offices, departments and groups to speak to them personally about the people-first engineering strategy.
People-First Engineering
Category
Marketing > Marketing: Branding (Department or Subunit)
Description
Best of CASE District V Award
Institution: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Title of entry: People-First Engineering
About this entry: Amidst the turmoil of COVID-19, we led a process of assessing the marketplace of engineering education in the United States and charting a path for the University of Michigan College of Engineering brand. This research and perseverance led to the crafting of a nuanced and ambitious platform that could be considered surprising for an engineering school. Built on excellence and equity, “people-first engineering” leverages the interdisciplinary opportunities, global outlook and values of the University of Michigan, positioning our differentiators as a necessary mix for developing the world's future engineers.
The new brand and reputational strategy is a detailed framework for how engineering should be practiced and taught. Articulating this framework required care and attention to what our institution’s strengths are, where the field of engineering is headed and how society is changing. This required both qualitative and quantitative market research with those most responsible for our reputation and the field of engineering, as well as internal research to understand our community's view of itself.
The final platform bridges the gap between current constituents – faculty and alumni who are practicing engineering under the Michigan name – and future ones – prospective students and faculty who are looking for an institution in alignment with their values. It also charts a path for the fields of engineering and education, setting a vision to reimagine what engineering can be, close critical gaps and elevate all people.
In its first year of implementation, we have seen tremendous success and adoption.