RANDOM LAKE UNIVERSITY ??

"Sumptibus bracchium et crus"

The 183 year old slogan of Random Lake University (a small college about an hour north of Milwaukee). Translated from the original Latin, it reads, "In conquest of the supremely brave."

Actually, that's a lie. "Sumptibus bracchium et crus" actually translates to, "Costs an arm and a leg." And I dare say it's a more fitting slogan for a place like Random Lake University! (Oh... it's also probably worth mentioning that RLU is made up too...)

In the last couple of weeks, Universities and their students have been making headlines as seniors pose for graduation pictures and President Biden considers student loan forgiveness. But this newsletter isn't about hot-button issues. I did not care to discuss free speech in the Twitter edition and I am uninterested in weighing the implications of student debt in this edition. Instead, what has kept my mind occupied these last two weeks is, how does a college brand itself?

Before I admitted to making it up, the Random Lake brand had quite a bit going for it! What else does a University need to attract students besides a long-standing history and a feel-good Latin slogan? According to a survey of students, two of the most prominent factors when a student is choosing their college are: Reputation of the school and their feeling that they will fit in or not. This is where a well designed University brand steps in to sway a teenager to come to Tech instead of State.

Now that I have my Latin slogan for RLU, here is my list of action items to grow the brand:

• Basketball - For a small school like RLU, basketball is the way we're going to get our name recognized in all 50 states. Admit it, you didn't know Loyola Chicago was a school until they started making the NCAA tournament.
• The Rocker Family - We're going to peddle this idea that once you come to Random Lake, you're considered a member of the Rocker family for life. (Almost forgot to mention that we are called the Random Lake Rockers)
• Famous Alumni - What's that? John Cena attended RLU for half a semester online before dropping out? Perfect! We'll post a story about him on Instagram and name our library after him!
• Niche - As a smaller school we are going to have to choose one area to really excel in academically to attract students. Let's go with software engineering! We'll make a video touting the credentials of our professors and showing off our beautiful facility. "RLU: Building tomorrow's tech leaders, today."

Now that's a place I want to go!

When I announced the newsletter in February I wanted to establish the premise. Brands are our identity and our culture. In my experience, there is no greater example of the latter than our relationship to our alma maters. When we meet fellow alumni we feel like we've met a brother or sister. When the school team makes the Sweet Sixteen we feel seen by the nation. When an old classmate announces they were hired by Google we feel like we went to a highly-respected university. When the school celebrates its 150th year of existence we feel like we are a part of a grand legacy.

To identify with our colleges is to enjoy the feeling of being a part of something bigger than ourselves. You could have gone to any random University in any corner of America and left feeling deeply connected to that place. There's a wonderful comfort in knowing that regardless of where life takes you, you can always find home back on campus with the rest of the Rocker Family.

PSA: If you are going to a graduation this month, do NOT give someone Oh The Places You'll Go! ??

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The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer

This newsletter comes out on opposite weeks of the?Just Ideas?podcast?so, while there won't be a newsletter next Thursday, there?will?be a brand new episode available!

Also, check out my book at?Barnes & Noble???