When many people hear the word "brand," they immediately think of a logo, an advertising campaign or a product. While these things represent how a brand is communicated, a brand is something different.

A brand is the intangible representation of what a company -- in our case, a university -- stands for.

Our brand represents our promise to those we serve. It implies trust, consistency and a defined set of expectations about how DePaul interacts with them, whether they are a student, alumnus, corporation or trustee.

In order to build a strong brand, it is important to first understand the quality and strength of our relationship with those we serve. We then must develop a strategy to leverage that relationship with our key constituents. This is what DePaul has done the last several years as part of our integrated marketing and branding efforts.


Source: Brand Asset Management: Driving Profitable Growth through Your Brands. Scott M. Davis, Jossey-Bass Inc., 2000