Walsh College

Walsh College is one of the few institutions in Michigan that is solely devoted to business education.

Founded in 1922 by Mervyn B. Walsh, Thomas Edison’s former accountant, Walsh College was blending in with other Michigan business schools. It needed a rebrand. We created a simple, refreshing campaign devoid of lecture halls, smiling students and other collegiate cliches. And it worked.

BRAND STRATEGY

Finding a common thread.

Before we started working with Walsh College, it was one of a half-dozen or so unremarkable business schools in the state of Michigan. There was the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, and then everybody else. Competition between business schools to attract a dwindling number of prospective students was heating up. And lesser schools were encroaching on Walsh’s boardroom-trained faculty attribute. Walsh wasn't standing out from other colleges and losing the fight for enrollment.

There was an unusually long list of groups whose perceptions mattered–not only prospective undergraduate and graduate students, but also faculty, alumni, and employers who hire Walsh grads. It’s a broad list, and we had to figure out how to find a common thread that would resonate with all of them.

Walsh College hadn't figured out how to capitalize on the fact that it solely offered business-related courses, delivered by academic faculty who bring their real-world business experience into small classroom settings. This was Walsh College’s point of difference, and the key insight behind what became the new rebranding campaign.

Services

Brand Strategy
Print ads
Outdoor
TV
Radio
Collateral
Digital Advertising
Tagline
Social Media
Van Wrap
Lamppost banners

"Serious business students. A college serious about helping them. The perfect match."

BRAND POSITIONING

Seriously unstuffy.

Our research revealed that Walsh College students really only want to learn about business. And any aspects of the college experience which don’t help them learn about business are considered, well, unnecessary.

Walsh College is a serious business school where leaders are made, providing all the tools to prepare them for successful careers. Walsh students want to be taught by proven business minds who have been there and done that. They want smaller classes, so they can talk to their professors easily and readily. They want the business skills that can put them ahead of the pack, and enable them to climb a rung or two or more up the corporate ladder.

But a serious-minded focus doesn’t mean stuffy. The Walsh College experience is stimulating, lively and unlike any other business school. Its rebranding campaign needed to reflect the school’s core essence, and unique point of difference.

Serious students. A college serious about helping them become leaders and break barriers. It’s the perfect match. Which led us to three handwritten words on a yellow notepad: “Live. Breathe. Business.”

BRAND ROLLOUT

Live. Breathe. Business.

In stark contrast to the same-old college advertising consisting of images of students in graduation gowns and messages centering on unbridled success, all Walsh College needed was a Sharpie marker, yellow notepad, and the “Live. Breathe. Business.” tagline. The rebrand’s simplicity cut through the clutter and set Walsh apart from other Michigan business schools immediately. The notepad provided the perfect canvas to display serious-minded messages without feeling pretentious. And it had legs. The campaign was integrated across a wide variety of mediums, from TV spots to bumper stickers to the Walsh College events van.

Achieving record enrollment.

Within two months of launching the “Live. Breathe. Business.” campaign, enrollment inquiries quadrupled. In six months, their ranking among business schools in Michigan jumped from #6 to #2. In nine months, Walsh College’s brand awareness tripled. Unaided awareness as the “top business school in Michigan” rose from fifth to second, behind the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. And after two years, Walsh College attained the highest top-line revenue and enrollment in the college's 88-year history.