Berklee2005: Pursue New Directions 3.3

3.3 Increase institutional visibility

Conduct an image-building campaign that provides visibility for college initiatives and helps deepen and broaden respect for contemporary music and the mission of the college. Develop a clear and unified promotional message.

(progress as of August 2004, August 2003, August 2002, August 2001)

Progress as of August 2005
A primary outcome of this initiative is a set of new messages and design guidelines that clearly positions Berklee’s identity. Since this new identity was introduced in 2002, awareness of Berklee in U.S. households has increased 5.4%, and the pool of prospective students has increased 21%, from 22,735 in 2001 to 27,587 in 2004. Other indicators of the reach of the Berklee message are applications to the college, which are at an all time high, and visitors to Berklee.edu, which now exceed 1.2 million visits per year.

Stories about Berklee appeared on the Today Show, in the New York Times, and in the Wall Street Journal. The college produced a live, coast-to-coast, New Year’s Eve concert broadcast on NPR. Frequent articles in the Boston Globe, included lead stories about students, concert reviews, and stories about commencement guests and other events. Commencement was also covered in a network news review of college commencements around the country. The appointment of new president Roger Brown and the December inauguration were well covered by the media and helped to underscore the college’s new direction.

The college is developing a strong set of partners for shared visibility. Berklee collaborated on public events with Macworld, Mercy Corps, Song airlines,WGBH-FM, the Center for Latino Arts, and BeanTown Jazz, and collaborations with Bose, the Boston Red Sox, and Essence magazine are being planned. The annual concert series, sponsored by Song, received significant press coverage and growing ticket sales to Boston area concertgoers. The event newsletter now has more than 6,000 subscribers.

Berklee students and faculty performed at college-sponsored events at the Kennedy Center; Blue Note; the Monterey, Umbria, and Puerto Rico jazz festivals; the Smithsonian; World Café Live; Blues Alley; Roxbury Community College; the Boston Parks; and on NPR and XM Radio. Each of these events will be reprised, and further built upon, in the coming year.

New marketing materials designed to promote and enhance the college message produced this past year include three “New from Berklee” CDs, an updated prospectus, and an award-winning DVD production. A wide array of intriguing posters, programs, and handbills supported the college concert series, as well as series at Roxbury Community College and in the Boston Parks system.

Much of the focus in the year ahead will be to expand the reach of the college message further into the electronic media, grow the concert series, increase—and further leverage—student performances, and set the stage for a capital campaign to support the college vision.

Progress as of August 2004
Create new and improved messages for student prospects, alumni, and the public
Brand definition. Initial work was completed in spring 2002 when the cabinet approved a positioning statement, tagline, and targeted messages. All college promotional materials are undergoing revisions to clearly communicate the new message and identity. Completed projects include the college prospectus and search piece for prospective students; the annual report to donors; college business cards and stationery; and many other promotional pieces. Web sites have been rebranded and will be further updated over the course of the year, as will environmental graphics. The Nothing Conservatory About It concert series was launched in fall 2003 to reinforce college identity with the local and campus community.

Establish coherence in all messages and mediums
Brand expression. Basic identity guidelines for the Berklee brand were completed in October 2002. These guidelines are in use in all communications areas of the college, including admissions, Berklee Media, advancement, general communication, and public information; and in use by outside vendors such as ad agencies, graphic designers, bookstore, etc. All print materials cycle through the communications office to assure coherence. A monthly electronic newsletter that pulls together lead stories for the public interest is in circulation to about 4000 subscribers. The newsletter is a prototype for targeted communications. A Berklee Style Guide is soon to be published.

Broaden the role of public relations and integrate into communications planning
In November 2002, as the result of search process, Dan Klores Communications (DKC) was selected to be our public relations partner. DKC introduced us to the sponsor for the Nothing Conservatory About It concert series. A modest success so far, increased visibility for the series in partnership with Song Airlines is expected for the coming season. The Office of Public Information is more fully integrated into college communications. Media successes include wide coverage of Lee Berk’s retirement, the college’s new turntablism curriculum, Roger Brown’s appointment, Gary Burton’s retirement, and Pat Metheny’s residency.

Recommend an appropriate organizational framework for communications management to achieve coherence on an ongoing basis
Communications Council. Current projects include:

Planning for the 2004-2005 Nothing Conservatory About It concert series.
Plan for coordination of e-mail newsletters and targeted communications strategies.
Planning and coordination of festival partnerships and representation.
Coordination of print advertising campaigns.
Guide conception and planning for new communications pieces such as promotional video and instrumental brochures.
Coordination of the college visibility initiative.

A new vice presidential area was formed in January 2004. The new vice president for external relations will chair the Communications Council and provide oversight for the visibility initiative.

Connected offices include Administration/Finance, for building identity and positive credibility with the financial community and the local neighborhood; Institutional Advancement, for impact of all five alumni-relationships initiatives on this goal area; Information Technology, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs, for general interest in this initiative.

Institutional Visibility Leadership Oversight Group
Gary Burton Executive Vice President, Chair/Cabinet Liaison (retiring 10/04)
Don Rose Trustee
Lee Eliot Berk President (retired 6/04)
Lawrence E. Bethune Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students
Rob Hayes Assistant Vice President for Public Information
Steven Lipman Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Enrollment
David McKay Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Tom Riley Vice President for External Relations

Communications Council
Tom Riley Vice President for External Affairs, Chair
Damien Bracken Director of Admissions, Scholarships and Student Employment
Rob Hayes Assistant Vice President for Public Information
Rosie Huntress Assistant to the Vice President for External Affairs
Barry Kelly Marketing Manager, Berklee Media
David Kusek Vice President for Berklee Media
Steven Lipman Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Enrollment
Judith Lucas Assistant Vice President for Communications
Matt Marvuglio Dean, Professional Performance Division
David McKay Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Jennifer D’Angora Marketing Manager, Berklee Press
Rob Rose Associate Vice President for Special Programs
J. Curtis Warner Assistant Vice President for Community and Governmental Affairs

Progress as of August 2003
Create new and improved messages for student prospects, alumni, and the public
Brand definition. The Institutional Image Advisory Group (IIAG), task force for this initiative, conducted a search process for a communication partner in the fall of 2001. Four finalists were selected and interviewed by members of the President’s Cabinet and the IIAG. Siegelgale, a leading corporate identity firm based in New York, was selected to work with the college on this initiative. Siegelgale articulated the project in this way: For Berklee to achieve this new level of awareness, we must define what is essential about you in a way that is understandable, credible, memorable, and supportive of your long-term goals. That definition will guide all our subsequent work, from messaging to visual identity. Work was completed in spring 2002 when the cabinet approved a positioning statement, tagline, and targeted messages.

Establish coherence in all messages and mediums
Brand expression. With the messages in place, Siegelgale collaborated with the IIAG to express them visually, including a revision to the college logo. Work was completed in October 2002 with delivery of Basic Identity Guidelines to establish design coherence for Berklee publications in all media, and a “voice book.” The voice book conveys what is essential and unique about Berklee. It provides a stylistic framework and guidelines on what the college says and how it looks, and offers a perspective on its relationship to its students, to contemporary music, and to the world at large. It is the basis of a communications plan to help Berklee achieve greater recognition, leading to well-deserved support for the college as well as making it a more powerful advocate for contemporary music. An initial draft of the new college mission was included as part of the project and submitted to the mission review committee.

Brand management. Siegelgale conducted brand management workshops for over 60 members of the Berklee community designed to provide training on how to communicate the new college identity in a consistent and coherent way.

Broaden the role of public relations and integrate into communications planning
In June 2002, the IIAG prepared a request-for-proposal for public relations which stated a commitment to communicate with new audiences, and to achieve a higher level of effectiveness in building appreciation for the value of contemporary music and the contributions of the college to today’s music. DKC Communications, based in New York, was engaged to assist the college with public relations. Berklee’s Office of Public Information is working very closely with DKC to coordinate their efforts. In general, DKC positions stories for publication in the national media. DKC has been charged with five primary subjects:

President Berk’s retirement. Background copy was prepared and a press strategy defined in May 2003. Stories were placed in Billboard and The Boston Herald.
Nothing Conservatory About It Concert Series. DKC will support the planned 2003/2004 series.
Music Therapy. DKC placed a major story in The New York Times and a similar story on the AP wire. A second Times piece is in the works.
City Music. DKC has prepared several proposals for promoting this story that have yet to be put into action.
Music Technology. DKC has been actively pitching Berklee faculty, among them Stephen Croes and Peter Alhadeff, as experts. There have been some successes and more envisioned as our faculty are positioned as knowledgeable resources.

Recommend an appropriate organizational framework for communications management to achieve coherence on an ongoing basis
Communications Council. The executive vice president has assembled representatives from each of the college’s externally focused areas to discuss the role of a coordinating committee for external communications. Designated the Communications Council, this group will coordinate external marketing for the college. The Communications Council is steering the relationship with the college’s two public relations firms, DKC Communications for national media exposure, and Citigate-Cunningham for the launch of Berklemusic.com. The Communications Council is working to define additional projects for achieving visibility goals for recommendation to the leadership oversight group.

Current projects coordinated by the Communications Council include:

A detailed schedule for the introduction or “rollout” of the new Berklee voice and identity in all publication, including college web sites. A completely revised college prospectus, incorporating new messages and identity, was produced in late summer 2003.
An aided awareness study to follow up on an earlier study, and set a baseline for visibility initiatives.
A concert series entitled Nothing Conservatory About It is planned for the fall 2003 and spring 2004 semesters, with a goal to develop it into an annual series. Sponsorship will be sought for the series. A series of four concerts was held in spring 2003 as an introduction to the series. Virgin Megastore co-promoted the event in their store. The fours concerts were very well attended: a concert of Gershwin’s music sold-out and a tribute to the great vibists, featuring Gary Burton, received excellent media coverage. The 2003-2004 series was announced at a September 9 press conference.
Environmental graphics including banners on college buildings and templates for promotional posters are being redesigned by Siegelgale. The project also includes original design for 12 concert posters, with images that will be used in college publications such as a new prospectus.
The college supported student Eric Wainaina and his group of Berklee students’ appearance at the Kora Awards in Johannesburg, South Africa. Wainaina won in his category, and his performance, mentioning Berklee, was broadcast to millions of homes internationally, including a planned broadcast in the U.S. on BET.

The Communications Council is working to define additional projects for achieving visibility goals for recommendation to the Leadership Oversight Group.

Progress as of August 2002
The following four goals have been established to support achievement of this initiative:

Create new and improved messages for student prospects, alumni, and the public;
Establish coherence in all messages and mediums;
Broaden the role of public relation and integrate into communications planning;
Recommend an appropriate organizational framework for communications management to achieve coherence on an ongoing basis.

Following a search process to identitfy a communications partner, Siegelgale, a New York-based brand identity firm was selected to work with us to achieve the goals create new and improved messages for student prospects, alumni, and the public and establish coherence in all messages and mediums.

In December 2001, three representatives of Siegelgale visited the college. Over the course of two days, they conducted a focus group with 15 students, interviewed 11 faculty and staff, and gave a presentation to the Institutional Image Advisory Group, probing them about Berklee's identity.

The site visit was followed by a series of phone interviews with alumni and "outside influencers" in the music industry. To determine how educational and cultural institutions connect their message to a larger social value, Siegelgale studied three peer institutions: VH1 Save the Music, Sundance, and the University of Phoenix.

In March, at a meeting attended by members of the board, council, and Institutional Image Advisory Group, Siegelgale proposed a positioning statement for the college. With input from this group, a final version was delivered and approved in April. Since that date, the focus has been on targeted message development, style guidelines, and an internal communication plan.

In May, the Leadership Oversight Group prepared an endowment grant proposal to fund this initiative, and it was approved by the Board of Trustees at the June meeting. Siegelgale gave a presentation on Berklee brand identity at the same meeting.

In response to the goal to broaden the role of public relation and integrate into communications planning, the Institutional Image Advisory Group prepared a request for proposal for public relations services and sent it to five leading firms. A public relations partner will be selected in the summer of 2002.

In response to the goal to recommend an appropriate organizational framework for communications management to achieve coherence on an ongoing basis, the executive vice president has assembled representatives from each of the college's externally focused areas to discuss the role of a coordinating committee for external communications.

Progress as of August 2001
The Institutional Image Advisory Group (IIAG) was formed in 1998 to provide a forum for discussion of the college image and how it is presented to the general public in order to assure coherence and unity in marketing programs. The IIAG will serve as the task force for this initiative.

Three goals have been approved for this task force under the present initiative: (1) research best practices in image-building communications, (2) lead a search process for an institutional image consultant; and (3) develop an image-building strategy.

To accomplish the first goal, the IIAG worked closely with the Doblin Group, a leading strategic innovation firm that had assisted the college in the formation of the new vision statement. Doblin recommended reaching out to leading brand communication firms to learn about best practices in image-building strategies, and assisted in drafting a thorough Request for Information that outlined our visibility goals.

The information received from these firms was closely reviewed and helped to form the basis of a Request for Proposal that was sent to prospective communications partners in July 2001. The search process will be conducted over the summer and early fall. Firms are being asked to propose the process they will follow to help us achieve these goals:

Create new and improved messages for student prospects, alumni, and the public;
Establish coherence in all messages and mediums;
Broaden the role of public relations and its integration into communications planning;
Recommend an appropriate organizational framework for communications management to achieve coherence on an ongoing basis.

It should be noted that this initiative will operate in close connection with the initiative to Communicate Berklee's Unique Identity Throughout the Organization. The Leadership Oversight Group for this initiative will oversee that initiative as well. A cross-institutional task force will be created to coordinate the integration of the two initiatives, and will be listed under the latter.

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