In collaboration with my business partner, we were hired by the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) to develop an overarching branding concept, with a campaign-specific tagline and logo, for use across multiple formats.
UMSON launched a national campaign in summer 2017 to highlight the quality and impact of the School’s research. UMSON’s Master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are ranked in the top ten nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The campaign supports the School’s objective to maintain and enhance those rankings in 2018.
The challenge
UMSON sought to “humanize” nursing research, emphasizing the personal impact the work has on patient care from “bench to bedside.” This distinguishing characteristic needed to be communicated to internal and external audiences, as there can be a lack of complete understanding and appreciation of nursing research within the profession itself.
The work
Two key UMSON differentiators were identified—its researchers’ compassionate commitment to patient care and the real-world impact their work has on improving lives—to develop the “Who Cares” campaign: www.nursing.umaryland.edu/whocares. UMSON used the concept, tagline and lockup in print and electronic communications and a branded website and video series.
Turning what is colloquially known as a question into a simple, bold assertion breaks audience expectation and grabs attention. The logo utilizes UMSON’s approved colors; the circle in complementary yellow reinforces a sense of community and humanity that is central to the concept.
Outcomes
• Initial campaign established benchmarks for emails sent (13,000), Web and social media traffic.
• Email open rate exceeded education and health care industry standards.
• And perhaps the best feedback of all—qualitative and personal: “You are doing a great job. Nursing
research makes so many significant contributions to individual, family and community health but the
public is basically unaware of these contributions. I really support your efforts.”