Murray State University is gathering feedback for a new branding and marketing concept to assist with enrollment and retention.
Director of Communication Shawn Touney said marketing consultant Stamats has put forward the idea of ‘Racers’ as a brand identity.
Slogans such as “Racers Will”, “Racers Lead”, and “We Are Racers” are examples of elevating the familiar term. Touney said the idea is to present it in a more “powerful” and “compelling” way.
“It promotes movement, positivity, achievement of a goal. It’s very unique, the name Racers. So, really, that word is the center of the spokes of the messaging we’re testing,” he said. As for which one will be chosen as the tagline, “time will tell.”
The fall 2020 recruitment cycle will incorporate some of the new branding. “This is a critical time for enrollment, for recruitment, for institutional awareness. I don’t want to say it’s unique to Murray State. It’s a very competitive landscape.” Touney noted that prospective students and parents have a lot options for higher education.
The slogan “opportunity afforded” was introduced in 2016 and will be phased out. The university's primary logo is not changing.
The Stamats contract is $150,000. Touney said the actual cost came in just under that amount.
