Loyola University Maryland unveils “Loyola Ready” brand
After a year of research and creative development, Loyola University Maryland is revealing its refreshed brand this month. The brand highlights the preparedness and confidence students achieve through Loyola’s distinctive blend of Jesuit liberal arts education and career preparation.
The brand’s key message is that Loyola University Maryland students are more than ready for what the future holds. They are “Loyola Ready.”
The refreshed brand will be reflected through strategic marketing and communications efforts that will highlight the experiences and outcomes of Loyola’s exceptional students and graduates. A redesigned Loyola website launches today, and the supporting advertising campaign and communication materials will begin to enter markets this month.
“The ‘Loyola Ready’ brand concept is about being prepared in a very specific, distinctive way for the new world of work,” said Sharon Higgins, associate vice president for marketing and communications. “It’s about the depth and breadth of a Loyola education, about connections as well as expertise, about gaining deep knowledge and practicing nimble thinking, and underscoring that this depth and nimbleness instill a confidence that generates excitement, inspiration, and anticipation of the unknown.”
“Loyola Ready” builds on the brand launched in 2009 when the University changed its designation from college to university. Loyola’s brand promise—to develop well-rounded graduates—holds true today. The brand refresh, however, hones, strengthens, and further defines that brand promise. “Loyola Ready” reflects the University’s culture, mission, values, and points of distinction. With a rapidly changing world and a focus on the Jesuit liberal arts education, the brand promises to prepare the Loyola community for academic achievement, the new world of work, and a balanced, flourishing, and purposeful life.
“Higher education institutions face a number of challenges, including declining and shifting demographics, an uncertain economy, and skepticism about the value of a college education—particularly a liberal arts education,” said Rev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J., president. “Marketing the education and guidance our faculty deliver within the context of the ‘Loyola Ready’ brand helps clarify who we are. A Loyola education truly ensures that our graduates aren’t simply ready for personal and professional success. They are more than ready. They’re Loyola Ready.”
The brand focuses on mentorship and guidance, Jesuit liberal arts education, career preparation, and the Greyhound Nation—Loyola’s talented, diverse, driven, intellectually curious community. Also highlighted within the brand are the University’s presence and role in Baltimore; Loyola’s distinctive program for first-year students, Messina; athletics; service; and the Evergreen campus.
“As Loyola University Maryland continues to evolve with innovative new programs to meet the demands of today’s competitive higher education market, the brand must evolve with it,” Higgins said. “Loyola deserves to be recognized for what we offer the world—educated, fulfilled, ethical leaders who are driven to better the world around them with their talents and compassion. This brand refresh positions us to share that story in compelling and far-reaching ways among our alumni, prospective students and their families, and the greater community.”