People with talk bubbles

After over a year of data collection and analysis, the LMU Brand Development Initiative’s research phase is complete.

LMU Marketing and Communications completed the qualitative and quantitative perceptions study in collaboration with our brand development partner agency, SimpsonScarborough, the leading market research firm in higher education. The research project comprised interviews and focus groups with over 250 members of the LMU community, followed by a complex survey sent to many of LMU’s core audiences: prospective students and parents, current students, alumni, faculty and staff, guidance counselors, business leaders and elected officials, and others. The survey reached over 75,000 inboxes in total, and included 7 separate survey instruments for different audiences. Over 650 LMU faculty and staff participated, with a participation rate of 20.6%.

A few highlights from the survey:

  • 67% of current students are very likely to recommend LMU to a prospective student.
  • Out of a list of 30 personal characteristics, the most common adjectives that prospective students chose to describe themselves were friendly, hardworking and respectful.
  • 15% of faculty said that an “innovation and tech emphasis” describes LMU very well today; 62% said that LMU should place strong emphasis on innovation and tech in the future.

Now that data collection and analysis are complete, LMU will use this market intelligence to build a brand platform, a strategic document that will guide all future messaging strategy for the university. The research and brand platform will also inform work to develop new visual expression of the LMU brand in 2018.

This winter, LMU Marketing and Communications will host Brand Development Open Forums to present and discuss the research and the brand platform with the LMU community. Open Forums on January 16 and 17 will present the key research insights, and Open Forums in February (dates to be announced) will present the draft brand platform for feedback. MarComm invites and encourages all members of the LMU community to participate in these sessions.

Register for a Brand Development Open Forum here.