Key Wins

• Led development of new brand strategy

• Co-led development of new school positioning and messaging

• Garnered prestigious international ReBRAND award as top 25 global rebrands of year

• Led qualitative testing of new identity and brand expression

• Set strategic direction and plan for brand activation with employees, partners and vendors across 250+ campuses and online communities

Years of aggressive sales tactics and a high drop-out rate eroded trust in the brand.

A Polarizing Brand

With 425,000 students and over 525,000 alumni, University of Phoenix is well-known as a pioneer in higher education for working adults—and for following a for-profit model. The institution enjoyed high brand awareness, but low favorability in quantitative studies, and trailed competitors in net promoter score.

A Path to Rebuild Trust

Years of aggressive growth and sales tactics resulted in admissions policies that were too inclusive, a 50% drop-out rate and lingering perception of low-quality education. Government regulatory pressure, negative media cycles, and potential threats from more well-known technology providers such as Google and Apple, contributed to an urgent need to transform this polarizing brand. The University needed a brand strategy that could rebuild trust; it had to communicate its pioneering heritage and crucial role as a disruptive innovator and tireless advocate for adult learners.

Changing the Conversation

We reconnected the brand with the organization’s purpose and highlighted the strength and vitality of working learners striving for more. The passion and commitment of students, counselors, instructors and the entire University community became a game-changer.

The Ambitious Community

We developed a brand that celebrated the school’s accreditation with a wide range of courses mapping to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs, as well as the tremendous passion and commitment from the University community for its students.