Mendoza College of Business

Differentiation is key in brand positioning, which is particularly true today in higher education. The challenge is finding a position that captures the attributes that make a school unique and is also valued by prospective students. To find the answers for the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business, we employed both qualitative and quantitative research activities across multiple stakeholder groups to identify brand promises resonating with prospective students, existing students, alumni, faculty, staff, and advisory board members. This led to the brand narrative of Growing the Good in Business. The position highlights Mendoza’s focus on moral responsibility for business leaders. It also captures a trend by a growing number of students who hold an aspirational belief in making the world a better place. Since launching the new brand imperative in 2020, the school has seen its reputation increase and is now ranked among the top 25 MBA programs by US News and World Report.

The new positioning was rolled out through a brand video, new website, campus signage, and online and offline advertising campaign, developed through our Smarter Marketing and Recruitment Playbook methodology. The results were extraordinary:

• 25% increase in started applications
• 29% increase in submitted applications
• 30% increase in enrolled students
• 11% increase in female students enrolled
• 13% increase in underrepresented minority students enrolled