Everyone is familiar with brands within the scope of advertising. Brands highlight the special characteristics of a particular product or service, emphasising how they differ from the competition. What has long been important for businesses is also becoming increasingly important at universities as they compete for students, specialists and research funding. Ulm University has therefore set out to define its unique features and identify what sets it apart from other universities. The results have been presented to the university community, along with the next steps that are planned.
Ulm University has a lot to offer, including a wide range of courses and highly specialised research. Whether as an employer or as a cooperation partner in knowledge transfer, ours is an attractive university. Looking forward, the University wants to use its values and service portfolio to become even more visible to the outside world. For this reason, the University will be presented with a standardised brand image in the future. Three adjectives will build the foundation of this new image: excellent, specialised and personal. And the foundation will be complemented by the new slogan, "At the highest level".
"We can only increase our visibility if we call attention to ourselves," says Professor Michael Weber, president of Ulm University. It is about signalling to students as well as to researchers and specialists that their needs will be best met at Ulm University, with its excellent standards of research and education, its focused profile of subjects and the personal interaction that is made possible by the medium size of the University.
In a participatory process involving multiple phases, various members of the University worked in groups to identify the characteristics that define Ulm University's brand identity, determining what sets it apart from other universities. Now the results are in: Ulm University is excellent, specialised and personal. Here, excellence refers to both a commitment and a tradition. Highly specialised researchers set standards in their disciplines and train students who have excellent career prospects and are later highly respected in their professions. First-rate results are combined with a commitment to the personal development of the staff and students. So at Ulm University, it is not just about acquiring knowledge; it is also about shaping the world of the future.
"A brand is something that already exists and comes from within", explained Oliver Groh from the agency Sumner, Groh + Compagnie at an informational event in mid-January, to which students and employees were invited. Sumner, Groh + Compagnie is supporting the University on its way to becoming a brand. The essence of the brand, on which all future communication will be based, is enhanced by the newly created Ulm University slogan. "At the highest level" not only refers to the practised excellence, the high level of specialisation and the enriching cooperation, but also playfully alludes to the fact that Ulm's Oberer Eselsberg is home to Germany’s highest university campus in terms of altitude.
The first project in which the University's new brand image plays a significant role is the 2024 campaign to attract new students. In addition, university representatives are being trained in applying the new image and examples are being developed for external presentation that are designed to draw the attention of specific target groups.
Text and mediacontact: Christine Liebhardt
Translation: Kate Gaugler