Quote:Catching reputation up with UH's reality
Ad campaign lauded as money well-spent, but some say image needs more work
By MATTHEW TRESAUGUE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

Signs of pride rise above the freeways of Houston. One reads "Masterpiece Theatre" while another trumpets "Nobel Ideas." The words appear next to a cougar with a luminous eye.
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These billboards are part of the University of Houston's five-year, $5 million campaign to generate a buzz about a campus often overlooked within its hometown.

As the Madison Avenue-style effort draws to a close this month, university officials think the time and money were well-spent, based on their market research. People are more aware of the university's accomplishments — such as professor Jody Williams' Nobel Peace Prize — and contributions to the region, including Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning faculty members in the theater school.

Those responsible for burnishing UH's image concede there is much work left to do. If the school's reputation is to catch up with reality, it will take more than five years, university leaders and academics said.

'Everybody is doing this'
Such salesmanship is increasingly popular in higher education. Although colleges and universities disdained corporate marketing practices a decade ago, many institutions, including Houston Baptist University and the University of St. Thomas, sell themselves in ways similar to Coca-Cola and Chevron.

"The problem is, everybody is doing this," said James Twitchell, a University of Florida professor and author of Branded Nation: The Marketing of Megachurch, College Inc., and Museumworld. "The University of Houston got an early start, but I'm sure in the state of Texas every university is hearing the siren call. If you have a nifty advertising campaign, you can move up the rankings, which is what this is all about."

The effectiveness of UH's promotional campaign remains to be seen as the school continues its quest to become one of the nation's leading research institutions. The United States has some 4,000 colleges and universities, and the top tier is tough to crack. It's also difficult to stand out in a crowded arena where competition is fierce for public dollars, private donations, the smartest students and top-notch faculty members.

Known for years as "Cougar High" — a commuter school of second choice — UH hired advertising giant McCann-Erickson, which created MasterCard's "Priceless" campaign, to recast the university's identity.

The firm developed a multimedia campaign that featured the university's mascot, faculty members and the new slogan, "Learning. Leading."

Making an impression
With local "influencers" — CEOs, lawmakers and human resource directors, among others — as the targeted audience, advertisements appeared in the Houston Chronicle and Wall Street Journal, among other publications, and 30-second TV spots aired during NYPD Blue, Good Morning America and Texans' football games. The cougar appeared on billboards throughout the city.

"It has expanded my awareness of the capabilities of the university," said Pamela Lovett, president of economic development for the Greater Houston Partnership.

The campaign also made an impression with faculty members. Allen Warner, an education professor and president of the faculty senate, said he was skeptical at first because of the cost. But the campaign has been consistent and seemingly effective, he said.

"It's a good start," he said.

Measuring success
Those accomplishments, however, are difficult to measure.

"In business, the measure is revenue," said Keith Cox, a UH professor and expert on the marketing of not-for-profit institutions. "In image building, it's what people think of you."

After the second year of the marketing effort, more than 50 percent of those polled ranked UH high for quality of education, faculty and academic programs. University officials had hoped to reach that mark by the end of the campaign.

Surveys also showed people considered UH comparable to the University of Texas, Texas A&M and Rice in areas such as spurring the economy and educating community leaders.

Membership in the alumni association has grown 10 percent in the past five years.

At the same time, applications for freshman admission are up to 8,351, from 6,079. The image of the cougar, known around campus as Shasta, resonated with high school students in recent surveys, so the admissions department has started using it in recruiting materials.

The cougar also could be at the center of a comprehensive fund-raising campaign, which is in the planning stages.

"It's an icon that allowed people to attach to us," said Darcie Champagne, the university's director of marketing.

Still in the fourth tier
Even with the good feelings surrounding the image campaign, UH still resides in the fourth tier of the highly popular U.S. News and World Report's rankings of colleges and universities.

Although hundreds of thousands of college-bound students and their parents turn to the published rankings, Wendy Adair, associate vice chancellor for public affairs, said improving UH's standing was not an objective of the image campaign. She has asked the university to spend $250,000 next year to continue the effort.

"It's the only way to repeat your message to people," Adair said. "We need to keep reminding people of these good things they have heard about us."