Case Studies

Positioning Mount Royal for the Future

Mount Royal is aspiring to transition from a traditional college – albeit one with significant applied and collaborative degree programs and a lengthy history of academic excellence – to full-fledged undergraduate university.

In addition to the structural, legal, and operational challenges posed by AUCC and Ministry requirements, Mount Royal needs to manage a much more difficult shift in the perceptions of the Alberta post-secondary marketplace. MR looked to Academica for a proven approach to develop a solid, effective positioning strategy, in-line with the institution’s core values.

Accelerating Westervelt College's website

Academica Group extended the Westervelt brand, focused on the tagline "Accelerate Your Success," from viewbooks and other print materials to a brand new redesigned website, built using ou

Multimedia DVD for BC High Schools

Academica Group developed Perspectives, an interactive multimedia curriculum tool, for the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation and the BC Ministry of Advanced Education.

Freshening the Lethbridge College brand

Lethbridge College celebrated its 50th anniversary in August 2007, and unveiled its colourful new brand identity with a splash.

Recruiting Students to Westervelt College

Since 1885, more than 40,000 graduates have completed their education at Westervelt College, a privately-owned career college in London Ontario. The school and faculty are naturally proud of their rich history, but also of the rewarding futures they have helped create for their students.

Academica Group has worked with Westervelt College since 2001, developing student recruitment marketing brand strategy and print marketing materials, from newspaper insertsto its new, redesigned website and most recently an update of its annual viewbook with a new logo and tagline.

Positioning Applied Degrees in Ontario

In 2003, applied bachelor degrees were still relatively new to Ontario’s community colleges, and largely unknown to PSE consumers. With university-level prerequisites and admission averages, many traditional college applicants were not ideal candidates for the programs. A consortium of five Ontario colleges retained Academica Group to research market potential and perceptions, and provide a strategic approach to targeted student recruitment.

Repositioning Sheridan College for Recruitment

Sheridan College needed a detailed understanding of enrolment trends in many of its programs, a clear understanding of its competitive strengths and weaknesses, and brand and marketing strategies to enhance recruitment.

National Perception Study

Athabasca University, based north of Edmonton Alberta, is Canada’s largest provider of online and distance education, and also “Canada’s Open University,” offering courses and programs to interested students without prerequisites. AU also runs the world’s oldest and largest online executive MBA program through its Centre for Innovative Management.

AU wanted a solid quantitative benchmark for brand awareness, institutional reputation, and positioning, as well as a detailed understanding of perceptions of AU and of distance and open learning among a range of key stakeholders, with particular focus on Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario.

Taking the Pulse of Stakeholders at Bishop's University

With recent, significant changes to the Canadian university landscape, and to the institution itself, Bishop’s administration felt a need to address fundamental questions about strategic direction, institutional priorities, student recruitment, fund development, and overall brand positioning for the new century ahead. Bishop’s wanted to address all of these informational objectives across the spectrum of their key stakeholders, from prospective students through staff and faculty, and ultimately including Alumni.

Recruiting the Best and Brightest to UWO

The University of Western Ontario, based in London, is one of Ontario’s largest research-intensive universities, known for vibrant campus life, strong medical research facilities, and the renowned Richard Ivey School of Business.

UWO’s long-term objective was to attract more high-achieving secondary school students from across the province, and particularly from the Greater Toronto Area, in order to gradually raise incoming entrance averages and academic reputation.