Michigan’s largest Catholic university that has roots back to 1877 as The Detroit College, has a new logo look and “brand positioning strategy” (that’s marketing talk for shaping how they’re perceived by the public and the how they’re going to make that happen).
One of those steps is a new logo. University of Detroit Mercy as it’s known today was created a little more than a quarter century ago in 1990 out of the merger of the University of Detroit (that’s the one with roots back to 1877) and Mercy College of Detroit (founded as a nursing school in 1934).
“We talked to constituents both on campus and off campus, in Metro Detroit and out of town and learned quite a bit,” said Antoine M. Garibaldi, Ph.D., President of the University of Detroit Mercy in a statement. “One of the clear findings is that the University is recognized for its academic excellence. They also perceive the University’s name to reflect its mission and commitment to Detroit. However, there is not a consistent way that they refer to the University. So we are beginning steps that will lead to more clear and consistent communications to generate greater recognition and understanding about the University.”
Their tagline is now “Build A Boundless Future,” and while the University maintains its name as University of Detroit Mercy, it will use “Detroit Mercy,” on second reference rather than various acronyms and nicknames of historical iteration. The new logo is below.
The new logo was created by Pittsburgh-based brand firm BD&E, a company with extensive higher education experience, has more of a collegiate and less corporate look.
“We want alumni, students, faculty and fans to wear Detroit Mercy wherever they go, said Garibaldi. “We want loud and proud. We want ‘the sweatshirt factor’ to represent us and create a strong connection.”
University leaders in a news brief said that they believe the new logo represents education, tradition, strength and Detroit., maintaining the University’s mission and Jesuit and Mercy traditions, while educating for the future.
“Detroit is an important part of our name,” added Garibaldi. “We are an active participant in the City’s revitalization and have a strong commitment to Detroit spanning our 139-year history.”
What do you think? Are you going to go get yourself a new Detroit Mercy sweatshirt?