Dear Members of the University Community,

As you may know, the Marketing Advisory Council (MAC) has been continuing the branding work begun by the Edelman agency several years ago. The next step they are taking in building the university’s brand platform involves distributing a survey later today to a random sample of alumni, donors, students, prospective students, faculty and staff to validate the Edelman research on the perceptions our stakeholders share about the university.

The overall goal of this work is to position our institution in the competitive marketplace in a unique and compelling way that is relevant and believable for our stakeholders. This work will provide the foundation necessary to build and implement a cohesive brand strategy that effectively defines and communicates the promise of what the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign does and its impact – with a bold and unified approach.

The MAC, Public Affairs and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement are guiding this effort and have been keeping your Chief Communications Officers updated on their progress. I intend to begin a search for a Chief Marketing Officer for the university this summer, so strategic branding work can begin as soon as the survey results are analyzed.

If you receive any questions or concerns from those who are asked to complete the survey, please direct them to Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs Robin Kaler at 333-5010 or rkaler@illinois.edu.

Best regards,

Robert J. Jones
Chancellor