Ideas for developing the OERu brand

OERu

Towards more affordable education for all students worldwide

Home  |  Quicklinks  |  About  |  Logic model  |  People  |  Planning  |  Communications  |  Meetings  |  Resources  |  Media  |  FAQs

Summary of activity outputs

Discussions below informed the development of the OERu website. A small working group with representatives from Otago Polytechnic, University of Wollongong, Excelsior College, Thompson Rivers University and the OER Foundation competed the website copy and branding for the OERu.

Initial consultation

Key points

Post ideas for the development of the OERu brand definition and related questions below - Your input is required by the close of business on 22 March 2013. Please add your thoughts and ideas in the wiki below. (Remember to sign your name using ~~~~ or clicking on the signature button.) Discussion items should be posted on the corresponding talk page. OERu anchor partners are invited to consult with their respective marketing departments to advise the OERu brand development process. Advice should be posted under the relevant question below by the close of business on 22 March 2013. Request for volunteers from OERu anchor partners to serve on two work groups: Brand strategy work group to draft the OERu brand strategy document. Nominations required by the close of business on 22 March 2013. Please add your names below. Information design and visual design work group to develop the design concept for the OER university website. Nominations required by the close of business on 22 March 2013. Please add your names below.

Outputs for this activity

Brainstorm list of questions, ideas and advice for developing the OERu brand. Establishing a small group to lead the drafting of the OERu brand strategy document. Consultative development of the OERu brand strategy document. Establishing a small group to lead the information design and visual design for the OERu website. Refining the OERu logo, tagline and design for the OERu website.

Resources

Web Resources

How to develop a brand (For Dummies) How to build your personal brand (Wikihow) FrogDog resources including: Brands are promises; How to develop a brand promise Create a compelling strategy for your brand, by Marketingmo

Strategic questions for OERu brand development (Brainstorm activity)

• How can we build on the existing brands of the OERu anchor partners? --Mackiwg 05:30, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

• Dear Dr. Wayne and other friends, in simple terms, brands are being developed to easily identify a product, an organization or a movement and to differentiate it from others. We have branded anchor partners. Therefore we have to think about a branding for the collective in a collaborative way :) - Institutions have become anchor partners since they decided to collaborate. It means OERu has already covered halfway towards branding. Fine-tuning the collective brand components may not be an easy task, but definitely, it will have to be very challenging and interesting one. Count me in. Warm regards Anil Prasad 02:35, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

• How can the OERu brand raise the international profile of the OERu anchor partners? --Mackiwg 05:30, 9 March 2013 (UTC)

• I think, a logic similar to one that helps countries to raise their profile by becoming members of G8, G20 etc would work here as well. Anil Prasad 03:03, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

• I agree with Anil that we should build the OERu brand on the existing market presence of the member institutions of the OERTen. My greatest concern is that, at present, there is only one course available(AST1000 from USQ)for prospective students. Ideally, we should have at least one course from each institutional member prior to the launch. These courses will need to be included in the "OERu Handbook", which will be required as part of the marketing package prior to the launch. --Jim Taylor 11 March 2013

What are the values / beliefs of the OER Tertiary Education Network? (Brainstorm activity)

• Philanthropy: OERTen is a philanthropic collaboration of accredited universities, colleges and polytechnics committed to providing more affordable education using OER --Mackiwg 00:29, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

Shall we incorporate the word sustainable also? OERTen is a philanthropic collaboration of accredited universities, colleges and polytechnics committed to providing more affordable and sustainable education using OER Anil Prasad 05:49, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

Who will the OERu serve?

(: The target audience is intended to assist with the information design for the OERu website. The primary audience for the brand definition is the OERu learner. We should avoid trying to develop the OERu brand for entirely different audiences. See comment from Dave Cormier)

The primary target audience of the OERu:

• Learners (seeking more affordable access to higher education with pathways to credible credentials)
• OERu anchor partner institutions
• Academic volunteers

Other stakeholders

• Prospective OERu member institutions
• Governments
• Add other stakeholders ...

I think the brand essence should focus on OERu learners. We'll think about the information needs of the other stakeholders to assist information design of the OERu website. --Mackiwg 21:24, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

What is the OERu brand definition? (Brainstorm activity)

Our brand definition will describe what we offer, why we offer it, how our offering is different and better, what unique benefits our learners and community can count on, and what promise or set of promises can we make to all who participate in the OERu network.

Please add bullet points to the brainstorm list below to assist in defining the OERu brand.

• A logo that represents who, what, why, how and whom (logos are the most important constituent of brand definitions - there are instances wherein brands are defined using logos alone)

What does the OERu offer?

• Free learning opportunities for all students worldwide with pathways to gain credible degrees --Mackiwg 03:07, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
• The most environment friendly way of education, especially in the deteriorating climate conditions (I think, this would become a priority item for the world in the current decade itself.) Anil Prasad 03:53, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

Thanks Anil -- that's an important point -- I think the brand concept to which you refer is "sustainable education" --Mackiwg 04:09, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

Yes,exactly! sustainable education Anil Prasad 05:28, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

Why do we offer it?

• To widen access to more affordable education opportunities for all --Mackiwg 03:07, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
• To protect the environment by reducing the use of stationary and the need for travel for providing/gaining education substantially (in the part of both the academic institutions and the students)
• To reduce cost and time associated with the development of high quality online learning courses by sharing costs of development across the network --Mackiwg 21:31, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

How is the OERu offering different and or better?

• The OERu network is first and foremost a philanthropic collaboration building on the social inclusion agenda of public funded institutions. --Mackiwg 03:07, 9 March 2013 (UTC)
• OERu courses are based solely on OERs providing permissions to reuse, revise, remix and redistribute unlike the commercial MOOC startups which are using custom all-rights reserved licenses. --Mackiwg 21:28, 27 March 2013 (UTC)
• The OERu network will not place restrictions in its terms of service restricting learners who may wish to apply any certifications and/or learning experiences gained through the OERu for formal academic credit. We do not intend to generate a revenue stream from sub-licensing OERu courses as in the case of Coursera. --Mackiwg 21:28, 27 March 2013 (UTC)
• Pathways to credible credentials from accredited universities, colleges and polytechnics --Mackiwg 21:56, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

What are the unique benefits our learners and community can count on?

• Affordable, accredited and sustainable education using OERs will be the supreme attraction Anil Prasad 05:44, 10 March 2013 (UTC)
• Opportunity for selecting the institution of their choice for credential services will be a star attraction Anil Prasad 05:44, 10 March 2013 (UTC)
• Transparent processes will be the faith builder - no hidden charges!...no bogus claims! Anil Prasad 05:44, 10 March 2013 (UTC)
• Open community of internationally recognized educationalists and education managers will make every thing homely Anil Prasad 05:44, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

What promises can the OERu make?

• We promise to provide OERu learners with high quality learning experiences which ensure equivalence and parity of esteem for qualifications gained through the OER university network --Mackiwg 00:25, 10 March 2013 (UTC)
• We promise to connect OERu learners with an international cohort --Mackiwg 01:04, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

What are the emotional benefits for those the OERu will serve? (Brainstorm activity)

"Identify which benefits are emotional – the most powerful brand strategies tap into emotions, even among business buyers. Look at the emotional benefits and boil them down to one thing that your customers should think of when they think of you. That’s what your brand should represent".

List ideas for the one thing our "customers" should think of when they think of the the OERu:

• List ideas here

Any suggestions for the OERu tagline? (Brainstorm activity)

• World’s own tertiary education network for accredited, affordable and sustainable education using OERs Anil Prasad 04:23, 10 March 2013 (UTC)

• List ideas for tagline here ...

Any advice from the marketing departments of OERu anchor partners for input into the OERu brand strategy?

We appreciate all input and suggestions from the marketing departments of the OERu anchor partners. Please list below:

• With regard to the website strategy, i would suggest that we need to consider dual audiences - those that are actively engaged and understand the ethos and language, as well as the collaborative working method and what a wiki is, and those who don't. For the latter, they need a small, standard looking website, with navigation using terms that are understood by a general audience, and providing information as to what the consortium is up to, it's major acheivements, milestones and aspirations, and how they can engage. And underneath this small set of standard webpages perhaps we could link all the active/user-driven content that is happenning via the wiki. So that both audiences could be catered for. At University of Wollongong we have a similar dual situation developing, with active blogs springing up capturing more dynamic exchanges and more conversational language and genres, and these are linked to our standard corporate webpages which have a more corporate tone of voice and clearer messages, semiotically and linguistically speaking. In so much as this approach might be useful, i've added my name to the volunteers for the website developent, albeit somewhat late (have been on leave, apologies.) Sarah Lambert, University of Wollongong.
  

Any additional considerations?

• Add points here ...

Volunteers for two brand development work groups

We need volunteers to assist with:

• the development of the OERu brand strategy document; and
• the information design and visual design for the OER university website (e.g. graphic designers, and volunteers with information design and relevant technology expertise.)

Please add your names below.

OERu brand strategy workgroup

This group will take responsibility for drafting the OERu brand strategy document and oversee the consultation process.

• Wayne Mackintosh (email), Director, OER Foundation.
• Anil Prasad, WikiEducator community volunteer (email) 04:24, 10 March 2013 (UTC)
• Mark Michalisin, Executive Director of Business Development, Center for Educational Measurement, Excelsior College
• Jim Taylor, Professor Emeritus, USQ and member of the OER Foundation Board.
• Robin Day, Chair of the Board of Directors, OER Foundation.
• Mike Wadell, Director: Communications, Otago Polytechnic.
• Tori (Victoria) Klassen Director, Communications, BCcampus.

Information design and visual design work group

This group will take responsibility for the information design and visual design for the OER university website.

• Wayne Mackintosh (email)
• Gareth Morgan (email)
• Sarah Lambert (email)