Repositioning a College: Every Word and Image Counts

SUNY Cobleskill is a unique institution. It is a pioneer in applied learning, and a premier college of agriculture and technology. But outside of some educational and professional circles, it was either unknown or thought of as one of those “tech sector” schools. My mission was to build national recognition of the college as the extraordinary place that it is through internal and external communications.

By uncovering and expressing the college’s newsworthy stories, I secured coverage by NPR, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, and hundreds of print, web and broadcast outlets nationally. Through strategic rethinking of college’s image and voice, I established a fresh new direction for marketing and communications campaigns. The college web site was completely revamped and redesigned with cleaner architecture and navigation leading to greater engagement, and largely rewritten to translate “academic-speak” into effective messaging. To launch the new strategic plan, I created a campaign photographed in unretouched black and white to express the determination and commitment of the students. Working closely with strategic partners such as the Farmers’ Museum, I further projected the message that by cultivating innovation, SUNY Cobleskill and its graduates help feed the world.

“Designing the Future” Campaign

To celebrate the college’s commitment to its new strategic plan and herald a new beginning for the campus, I created a campaign focusing on the students who make SUNY Cobleskill what it is. The campaign included print, web, exhibit, campus graphics, application to the annual report and the college magazine. The first print component of the campaign received an excellent review by Paper Specs available here.