In order to take better advantage of their affiliation with the State University of New York and position the institution as a lifelong partner in higher education for Saratoga, Warren and Washington Counties, Adirondack Community College has rebranded itself as SUNY Adirondack.
Launched officially on March 1, the new branding of the college has been studied since 2008 and is part of a larger strategic plan. Last summer SUNY Adirondack created an internal strategic enrollment management team and hired an internationally known consultant to review economic and demographic trends and adjust strategic priorities within the college to ensure its programs and processes are in alignment with the education and corporate training needs of Warren, Washington, and Saratoga counties.
"The new brand identity is just the beginning," SUNY Adirondack President Ronald Heacock said. "During the next several years we plan to work extensively with the community to make sure SUNY Adirondack is doing its part to support the economic development of our region, from the thriving tourist industry in the northern part of our service area to the growing tech industry just south of us."
Focus groups consisting of college students, adult returning students, high school students and local business leaders were asked their opinion of the new brand and it was overwhelmingly embraced by most of the participants, said Mark Parfitt, director of marketing and community relations at SUNY Adirondack.
"A lot of people didn't know that we are a part of the SUNY system, which overall has a great reputation," he said. "The term 'community college' carries a stereotype that somehow we just can't get by even though we are in a much more competitive environment with online universities."
For the Spring 2010 semester, there are currently 3,734 students studying at SUNY Adirondack, an 11.5 percent increase over last year and the highest total number in the history of the college. With the variety of degree programs continually rising and partnerships with four-year institutions to obtain a bachelor's degree on the SUNY Adirondack campuses in Queensbury and Wilton, the numbers are only expected to ride in the future.
"The new SUNY Adirondack brand allows us to further connect the outstanding academic reputation of the nation's largest university with the quality and affordable programs we've been providing for nearly 50 years," Parfitt said. "We're confident we can work with our SUNY partners to create a premier four-year college experience in the lower Adirondack and northern Capital regions."
Last fall the college hired Trampoline Design of Glens Falls to assist in collecting the market research necessary for a new brand identity. Once the SUNY Adirondack concept was adopted, the team then developed a new graphic identity for the college, including a new logo for SUNY Adirondack. The logo is called the "Adirondicon," short for Adirondack Icon. It was designed to be abstract, whereas some may see a lowercase "a," a leaf or a seed. The goal behind the icon was to make it definitionless in order for the icon to grow and develop with the new brand, new name and the school as a whole.
With the new brand and marketing campaign, a housing feasibility study has taken place and showed that there is a market for on-campus housing for students.
"We conducted an exploratory process of feasibility of student housing and hired an outside group to conduct the study and the preliminary results said there is a high demand for housing," Parfitt said. "Absolutely nothing has been decided yet and we still have to seek funding if a project is approved but I believe the school would absolutely benefit from having housing. It would help to recruit students from outside the three main counties we serve and offer unique programs such as Adventure Sports to students who may not have that program near where they live. Having housing is attractive for out-of-the-area students."
SUNY Adirondack is also planning to expand their presence in Saratoga County with ad campaigns and operating classes in local high schools.
"We want Saratoga County to know that we are their community college," Parfitt said.
"The new brand identity is just the beginning," SUNY Adirondack President Ronald Heacock said. "During the next several years we plan to work extensively with the community to make sure SUNY Adirondack is doing its part to support the economic development of our region, from the thriving tourist industry in the northern part of our service area to the growing tech industry just south of us."
Focus groups consisting of college students, adult returning students, high school students and local business leaders were asked their opinion of the new brand and it was overwhelmingly embraced by most of the participants, said Mark Parfitt, director of marketing and community relations at SUNY Adirondack.
"A lot of people didn't know that we are a part of the SUNY system, which overall has a great reputation," he said. "The term 'community college' carries a stereotype that somehow we just can't get by even though we are in a much more competitive environment with online universities."
For the Spring 2010 semester, there are currently 3,734 students studying at SUNY Adirondack, an 11.5 percent increase over last year and the highest total number in the history of the college. With the variety of degree programs continually rising and partnerships with four-year institutions to obtain a bachelor's degree on the SUNY Adirondack campuses in Queensbury and Wilton, the numbers are only expected to ride in the future.
"The new SUNY Adirondack brand allows us to further connect the outstanding academic reputation of the nation's largest university with the quality and affordable programs we've been providing for nearly 50 years," Parfitt said. "We're confident we can work with our SUNY partners to create a premier four-year college experience in the lower Adirondack and northern Capital regions."
Last fall the college hired Trampoline Design of Glens Falls to assist in collecting the market research necessary for a new brand identity. Once the SUNY Adirondack concept was adopted, the team then developed a new graphic identity for the college, including a new logo for SUNY Adirondack. The logo is called the "Adirondicon," short for Adirondack Icon. It was designed to be abstract, whereas some may see a lowercase "a," a leaf or a seed. The goal behind the icon was to make it definitionless in order for the icon to grow and develop with the new brand, new name and the school as a whole.
With the new brand and marketing campaign, a housing feasibility study has taken place and showed that there is a market for on-campus housing for students.
"We conducted an exploratory process of feasibility of student housing and hired an outside group to conduct the study and the preliminary results said there is a high demand for housing," Parfitt said. "Absolutely nothing has been decided yet and we still have to seek funding if a project is approved but I believe the school would absolutely benefit from having housing. It would help to recruit students from outside the three main counties we serve and offer unique programs such as Adventure Sports to students who may not have that program near where they live. Having housing is attractive for out-of-the-area students."
SUNY Adirondack is also planning to expand their presence in Saratoga County with ad campaigns and operating classes in local high schools.
"We want Saratoga County to know that we are their community college," Parfitt said.
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