Waterloo Identity & PositioningPresented to

WatITis | Making the Future | December 2, 2008

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Why clarify our identity and position?

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The big goal driving this exercise is to be ranked in the top five universities in Canada by our core audiences.We are currently 10th overall.

Why is this so important?We need to be in the top five to deliver on our vision of a better future for Canada and the world.We want to have a lead role in Canada in delivering that vision.Our sixth decade plan is taking us there and we need to communicate that position in order to hold it. We need all our marketing and communications efforts aligned to make our voice stronger.

Math, engineering, technology support, arts, student life and co-op are all “products” of Waterloo through which we deliver our Waterloo promise. While we are known for them, and they are the strong foundation of our success, alone they do not define our identity. Too much of what makes us strong is not captured by just talking about programs. They are more like proof points of a bigger idea of who we are.

Math, engineering, technology support, arts, student life and co-op are all “products” of Waterloo through which we deliver our Waterloo promise. While we are known for them, and they are the strong foundation of our success, alone they do not define our identity. Too much of what makes us strong is not captured by just talking about programs. They are more like proof points of a bigger idea of who we are.

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Products vs. promise

Our identity is the what, how and why of the experience that we create at UW – for everyone – regardless of the program they are in. The UW promise is the benefit you receive as a result of your experience.

Our identity is the what, how and why of the experience that we create at UW – for everyone – regardless of the program they are in. The UW promise is the benefit you receive as a result of your experience.

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The Waterloo promise:the why, the what and the how of UW

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Our promise will be built on not just what we do, but on why and how we do it – so that it touches every individual.

The why for Waterloo? Our vision?

Vision: A better future for Canada and the world.

Mission: The advancement of learning and discovery through teaching, scholarship and research in an environment of free expression and inquiry.

Values: Integrity, respect, courage, commitment, service and responsibility.

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What we do to advance the visionand deliver the Waterloo promise …

Strategy: Our sixth decade strategy will advance our vision and mission by seizing opportunities and pursuing global excellence. Selective and focussed programs and experiences, built from our base of strength and always relevant to the needs of today and tomorrow.

The “what’s” include the programs of our faculties, the services that support those programs and the student life experiences; they are the reasons to believe the promise.

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How we do it at Waterloo?What distinguishes the Waterloo way ?

Enterprising, experiential, innovative, courageous, critical, connected, relevant, rigorous, risk-taking …

These words describe the “how” at Waterloo. How we go about doing things. The services we provide, the new ways of delivering experiences.

The “how” is equally important to the “why” and the “what”. E.g., Velocity dormcubator

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Our character attributes are whatconsistently describe us and can be used

as a decision making filter …

Character attributes can be used as filters or criteria toassess how each program and experience advances our positioning and helps deliver on the Waterloo promise.

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These attributes can apply to the design, delivery, funding and results of our programs and services.

They should be reflected in everything we do to some degree.

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Innovative Relevant

Risk-Taking Enterprising

Experiential Entrepreneurial

Courageous Critical

Connected Unconventional

Positioning Waterloo internally:our core message

1. Waterloo is the university that operates at the frontier of innovation .… in learning, discovery, collaboration and experience.

2. Waterloo is the university that operates at the frontier of practical, productive learning and discovery, so we will be full participants in building a better future, every day.

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Ipsos Reid survey confirmed thatWaterloo owns the “innovation” position

in the PSE market.

• John Kao defines innovation:

• “I define innovation as the ability of individuals, companies and entire nations to continuously create their desired future … It is about new ways of doing and seeing things as much as it is about the breakthrough idea. Seen in this way, innovation is always in a state of evolution, with the nature of its practice evolving along with our ideas about the desired future”.This definition suits Waterloo well.

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The benefit of a Waterloo experience must be stated externally in a way that resonates with all the audiences we are targeting, based on what each audience values.

The following are examples of how we might position Waterloo for each core audience.

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Students

It’s your future, build it at Waterloo with innovation, experience and entrepreneurship.

Wherever you are headed – into professional practice or a career in research, Waterloo gets you participating sooner in the bold future you want to create.

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Faculty & Staff

At Waterloo we are building a better future, every day, through innovations in learning and discovery and our connectedness to the world around us.

We support rigorous and inventive inquiry, interdisciplinary discovery, individual achievement andfull participation in the world around us.

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Alumni & Donors

Participate in building a better future through Waterloo innovation, technology and experience.

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Collaborators: Government, Non-profits

A university that understands the speed of business,the responsibilities of government and the challengeof social development. A partner that understandsshared accountabilities.

Business Leaders

Waterloo is building a better future through fearless innovation, relentless relevance, student experience, application of technology and connections to the world around us.

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University Leaders

Waterloo is building a better future through innovation, creativity and informed risk-taking

So … what happens next?

Marketing & Communications plans: How does our identity/positioning framework guide the communications and marketing plans for each faculty and affiliated college? Each faculty and college is a sub-identity of the core Waterloo identity. Each has defining programs, qualities and attributes that are unique and supportive of the Waterloo identity and are key to delivery of the Waterloo promise.

What will the Marketing Communications Task Force do? How will it impact the roll out of an updated identity and positioning? How will we set priorities?

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Visual identity: How does our current identity standard convey our core message as a university at the frontier of innovation? As a university that distinguishes itself with its courage, connectedness, enterprising nature, relevance, critical perspective, etc. How do we visually convey the Waterloo identity?

Service identity: How does our service design and delivery system align with our identity ? How does this apply to the decisions we make?

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Can we come up with a sentence that conveys the Waterloo core message and applies to almost everything we do and everyone on campus doing it?

Waterloo: Building …. through

Experience & Innovation.

Campaign slogan … (still being tested)

Waterloo: Building the future

or

Making the Future20

Building …. IT systems and services…through innovation and experience

• How can this apply on a go forward basis?

• How can this apply to IT support for faculties, colleges, academic support units, students, teaching, research?

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What does a new identity mean for IT?

• How does this impact your work?

• How does this impact your ability to be creative and inventive?

• How can IT support and advance the Waterloo identity and positioning in the PSE market?

– What stands out at Waterloo in terms of IT?

– How can IT help Waterloo’s voice become stronger and more in harmony, while still allowing for faculty, college, support, research individuality?

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