Harvard school of public health

Appealing to Diverse Audiences

BRAND REFRESH

PURPOSE | As part of Harvard University’s Centennial Capital Fundraising Campaign, the School of Public Health was asked to raise $450 million over five years. To do this, the School’s leadership saw a need to educate policymakers about their work, differentiate the School from other institutions, and convey to prospective students why HSPH could best help them reach their professional goals.

CHALLENGE | In addition to the external communications needs the School faced, there was a need to align faculty and staff within the School. Those involved with the hard sciences stressed different points than those involved with behavioral sciences and environmental issues. This muddied the School’s impact, and its ability to connect with critical donors and policymakers.

SOLUTION | Craft a new brand narrative for the School, putting people at the center of the story, instead of abstract academic language, to capture the varied and complex disciplines incorporated under the umbrella of “public health.” To do this, my team:

IMPACT | HSPH was the University’s first school to launch its fundraising campaign, rolling it out alongside its newly refreshed brand message. In short time, the School had secured more than one-third of its $450 million goal.

TAGS | Brand; Qualitative Research; Quantitative Research; Academia; Audience Segmentation