BERKLEE:

BRAND IDENTITY DISCUSSION

14.APR.2015
LEGACY OF BERKLEE
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 NEED TO CONTEMPORIZE THE BRAND

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STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
 STRATEGIC TENSION OF THE LEGACY VS. THE FUTURE

THE LEGACY THE FUTURE

Mastering musicality Mastering technology

Learning music Learning the business
BALANCE OF BOTH
Classic training Contemporary methods
Jazz improvisation New improvisation
Technology (instruments) Technology (digitization)
Inspiring creativity Breeding innovation

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 WHITE SPACE OPPORTUNITY
AREAS OF ELEVATED IMPORTANCE

Contemporary
Innovation
Progressive learning
Knowledge & inspiration
Redefine improvisation
Imagination
Technology

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BRAND IDENTITY EXPLORATION
 SHORT-LISTED FINALIST

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 SHORT-LISTED FINALIST

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 SHORT-LISTED FINALIST

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RESEARCH STUDY TO IDENTIFY A WINNER
 WHO WE SURVEYED

!  Representative sample of key Berklee

constituents and stakeholders (N=273)
–  52 students
•  Boston, Valencia, Online
–  86 prospects
–  71 pre-prospects
–  39 alumni
–  25 internal
!  30% international representation

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
 THE NATURAL LOGO WAS BY FAR THE MOST PREFERRED

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

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 HOW THE NATURAL WINS ACROSS ALL SEGMENTS

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Prospects Pre-Prospects Students Alumni Internal

Low sample sizes—interpret with caution

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 THE NATURAL LOGO WAS MOST PREFERRED FOR BOTH GENDERS

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Male Female

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 ACROSS BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL RESPONDENTS

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
Domestic International

Low international sample sizes—interpret with caution

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 AND ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
16-17 18-22 23 and older

Low sample sizes—interpret with caution

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WHY THE NATURAL MOST RESONATES
 THE NATURAL LOGO CONNOTES THAT BERKLEE IS CONTEMPORARY,
A LEADER, PRE-EMINENT, AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME
4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

Pre-eminent music school

Contemporary

Leader in contemporary music

For people like me

Innovative

Encourages creativity

Forward-thinking

Major force in the world of music

Inspiring

Constantly evolving

Connects musicians from around the world

Enables me to realize my true potential

Has a heritage in jazz

Changing for the better

Fosters personal growth

Diverse

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 NATURAL: PROMINENCE OF CONNECTION METAPHOR

35%

30%

25%

20% Both connection to the music

community and connection to
15% one’s self, were prominent themes
for the Natural logo.
10%

5%

0%

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 NATURAL: A CONNECTION TO THE MUSICAL COMMUNITY
CONNECT THROUGH MUSIC
“Staying connected with
people of all race and gender
through music. This logo also
has a feeling of
professionalism and
inspiration. A home for music
you can rely on with great
support.”
Male, Age 31, Student
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SHARED MUSIC
“The white part that looks like
both a B and a natural sign
makes a blatant reference to
the world of music that we, as
musicians, share. It's what
connects us to each other,
like the people in the picture
are connected.”
Female, Age 21, Prospect
COME TOGETHER
“Looking at this image made
me feel that I could be
connected to other musicians
and people. Musicians
coming together to explore,
learn and share creative and
musical ideas.”
Male, Age 51, Student
TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER
“It shows how teamwork and
cooperation can lead to great
things, and that's what
Berklee is all about. Working
together to become greater
musicians while also keeping
a diverse student and faculty
culture.”
Male, Age 18, Pre-Prospect
 CONNECTING TO THE MUSICAL COMMUNITY

“It shows how teamwork and

cooperation can lead to great
things, and that's what Berklee is
all about. Working together to
become greater musicians while
also keeping a diverse student
and faculty culture.”

Male, Age 18, Pre-Prospect

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 NATURAL: A CONNECTION TO ONE’S SELF – BE YOURSELF
FIND YOURSELF
“Berklee is about finding
yourself as an artist, and by
the time you've finished at
Berklee, the creative process
will come naturally. Hence
the natural symbol in the
logo.”
Male, Age 17, Student
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FIND YOUR MISSING PIECE
“Berklee is a place that can
allow pieces to come together
in everyone, anywhere. Also,
it can help students identify
the missing piece in their life,
and help them find it.”
Female, Age 17, Pre-Prospect
PERSPECTIVE TO SELF CONNECT WITH MYSELF
“Because Berklee give us a “I will look at this into a
opportunity to achieve our perspective as such like the
dream. Let us do what we people at the university will
come out with different ways
want to do. A wider
to connect with myself and
perspective to music, to together, they will bring out
yourself.” the best in me and will
nurture my talent like their
Female, Age 22, Student own. It's more of a helping
hand coming with magic in
it.”
Female, Age 16, Pre-Prospect
 BEING YOURSELF

“Berklee is about finding yourself

as an artist, and by the time
you've finished at Berklee, the
creative process will come
naturally. Hence the natural
symbol in the logo.”

Male, Age 17, Student

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 NATURAL: A CONNECTION TO ONE’S SELF – BE NATURAL
UNADULTERATED SELF
“Since the logo looks like a
natural sign with the name
Berklee afterward, it seems like
Berklee is fostering the natural
growth of all types of musicians.
The natural sign instantly makes
me think not only of music, but
of being accepted for who you
are, not being forced to exist in a
box of only one mode of thought
and being in a place in which
you feel like your true,
unadulterated self.”
Female, Age 33, Alumni
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BE TOGETHER, BE YOURSELF
“This image characterizes
what Berklee stands for
because it unites people.
Berklee brings people together
so they can be their natural
selves and do what they love.”
Male, Age 32, Alumni
“B” NATURAL FEEL FREE
“When I look at this new Berklee “This image mirrors the given
mark, because I am familiar with
music and musical notation I think of logo in that it's a picture of
the natural sign, in relationship to
musical notation. Of course, it also nature. The logo is an natural
looks like a b for “Berklee" so that sign. You should feel free to
works. When you put those 2
thoughts together you get "b natural." be yourself at Berklee. Be
That reminds me of those sayings we natural.”
had when we were kids, "Always b
natural" which is kind of cheesy, but
at least it expressed a feeling for you
to be yourself. This image of this Male, Age 33, Alumni
woman in the picture looks like she is
just being herself and acting
naturally. ”
Male, Age 32, Alumni
 BEING NATURAL

“Since the logo looks like a natural sign

with the name Berklee afterward, it
seems like Berklee is fostering the natural
growth of all types of musicians. The
natural sign instantly makes me think not
only of music, but of being accepted for
who you are, not being forced to exist in a
box of only one mode of thought and
being in a place in which you feel like
your true, unadulterated self.”

Female, Age 33, Alumni

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 NATURAL: A CONNECTION TO ONE’S SELF – STAND OUT
STAND OUT IN OUR OWN WAY
“To me, the logo I chose
stands for 'Be natural'. The
spools of thread, instead of all
being the same, stand out in
their own ways due to the
different colors.”
Female, Age 18, Student
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STAND OUT AND BE TRUE TO SELF
“This logo features a natural
symbol which is found in music.
When a note is played naturally,
it is true to itself. Berklee
students will be true to
themselves and stand out in a
crowd of people pretending to be
others as the yellow umbrella
does in the crowd of black
umbrellas. Also, Berklee is the
"natural" choice.”
Female, Age 17, Pre-Prospect
STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
“This image shows
individuality and standing out
in the crowd; I feel that the
new logo gives Berklee an
image of fostering personal
creative talent, rather than
trying to mainstream a
person's creativity.”
Age 19, Prospect
STAND OUT AND BE UNIQUE
“This image characterizes how the
logo characterizes what Berklee
stands for many reasons. First of all
the school of fish represents how
Berklee fits into the world of music,
how it belongs in the music
community like the red box in the
logo. While at the same time the
blue fish shows that while Berklee fits
in it's still unique and doesn't hold to
tradition standards like its focus on
contemporary music and jazz, like
the natural sign "cut-out" of the box
representing that Berklee doesn't just
fall into the box like other music
schools.”
Age 17, Prospect
 STANDING OUT

“This logo features a natural symbol

which is found in music. When a note
is played naturally, it is true to itself.
Berklee students will be true to
themselves and stand out in a crowd of
people pretending to be others as the
yellow umbrella does in the crowd of
black umbrellas. Also, Berklee is the
"natural" choice.”

Female, Age 17, Pre-Prospect

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THE WAY FORWARD
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Contents
Why Berklee

Life at Berklee

Study at Berklee

Apply to Berklee
 QUESTIONS?

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