Defy Gravity Brand

Five key things: U of T’s Brand Portal

ksoobria — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:41:41 +0000

Five key things: U of T’s Brand Portal ksoobria Tue, 02/20/2024 - 11:41

An organization’s brand is more than a logo, colour or slogan. It encapsulates its vision, mission, character, aspirations and essence. The University of Toronto’s brand expression, Defy Gravity, reflects and conveys the community’s spirit of discovery, drive to overcome obstacles and promise of inclusive excellence.

To help the U of T community bring Defy Gravity to life, the university recently completed a major revamp of its Brand Portal, which brings together resources, guidelines, strategy and assets.

“The Defy Gravity brand is an evolving story, and we wanted to ensure that the brand portal evolved as well,” said Tanya Kreinin, U of T’s assistant vice-president, brand strategy and chief marketing officer. “The new portal is an enterprise solution based on extensive consultation with the U of T community and in-depth analysis of best practices in both public and private sectors.”

Here are five key features of the relaunched Brand Portal:

Understand the brand. Strong brands are built on strategies that authentically capture an institution’s vision, mission, values and character. The Brand section in the portal includes U of T’s brand story and brand themes and explains Defy Gravity’s underlying philosophy.
Telling the brand story. One of the ways by which the brand is defined is its ‘voice.’ That ‘voice’ can be heard in news stories, social media posts or even signage around campus. The portal has information about tone, storytelling principles and a comprehensive editorial style guide for anyone writing on behalf of or about the university.
Visualizing the brand. From logos and typography to image layout and video endplates, visual elements are among the most easily recognizable aspects of a brand. The Brand Portal includes extensive guidance on U of T’s visual identity, including university signatures, typography, brand colours and how to use the Defy Gravity logo.
The story in numbers. The recently added section on reputational materials, stats and rankings is a one-stop-shop for reputational and brand-building content. It includes frequently updated rankings and data, the Impact Presentation and key messaging so that the most current information is always accessible and easy to find.
Brand assets. Whether you’re building a multi-platform campaign, planning an event or just looking to update an email signature, the Brand Portal has assets that faculty and staff can leverage to animate the brand in all university communications. Some of the tools and templates users will find include presentation templates, event signage, branded merchandise, marketing and communications planning templates and ready-to-use video content.

Five key things: U of T’s Brand PortalFive key things: U of T’s Brand Portal

Kevin Soobrian

Off

‘A message of hope, optimism and humanity’: U of T’s Defy Gravity brand to showcase the university to the world

Christopher.Sorensen — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:32:32 +0000

‘A message of hope, optimism and humanity’: U of T’s Defy Gravity brand to showcase the university to the world

Christopher.Sorensen Thu, 02/10/2022 - 11:32

Cutline

The Defy Gravity brand will showcase how U of T brings together top minds in every discipline, background and perspective in one of the world’s most diverse urban regions – and gives them the platform to achieve incredible things (photo by Neil Ta)

Topic

Diversity and Inclusion

Alumni

Division of University Advancement

Research and Innovation

Climate change. Racial injustice. Mass technological disruption and pandemic recovery.

These are just a few examples of the pressing challenges the University of Toronto seeks to address by drawing on the depth, breadth and diversity of research and scholarly expertise across its three campuses – all informed by a core commitment to inclusive excellence.

They also play a central role in U of T’s new brand – Defy Gravity – which focuses on the many ways that students, faculty, staff, alumni and others are stepping up to solve intractable global problems, create new knowledge and effect meaningful change in the world, defying obstacles and expectations along the way.

“From groundbreaking medical discoveries to reinventing literary criticism and revolutionizing artificial intelligence, the University of Toronto has a long history of breaking barriers, challenging conventions and transforming society through research, teaching, and innovation,” said U of T President Meric Gertler. “Defy Gravity is our way of capturing the spirit and mindset of a place that has never viewed the impossible as a foregone conclusion.”

Created by U of T’s in-house Brand Hub marketing team, the Defy Gravity brand was developed following consultations with students, faculty, staff, alumni, prospective students and others who are invested in U of T’s mission. The team also drew on the global research capacity, data and insights of U of T’s agency of record, McCann Global.

The new brand will inform a storytelling approach that showcases how U of T brings together top minds in every discipline, background and perspective in one of the world’s most diverse urban regions – and gives them the platform to achieve incredible things.

“Having a sterling academic reputation and ranking among the world’s best universities goes a long way, but you also need a strong brand to help convey who you are, what you stand for and the urgency and relevance of your mission,” said David Estok, U of T’s vice-president, communications. “Defy Gravity does that.”

The brand aims to support and amplify the important work of U of T’s many faculties, colleges and divisions, and underpins U of T’s new fundraising and alumni engagement campaign, which was launched in December.

“Defy Gravity presents a positive and hopeful vision for the world at a time when we need it most,” said David Palmer, vice-president, advancement. “It speaks powerfully to our values of inclusive excellence and reminds all of us that U of T is one of few places in the world that can bring talent, ideas, and disciplines together to solve complex challenges and deliver much-needed change – at home and abroad.”

U of T News recently spoke to Estok and Tanya Kreinin, assistant vice-president, brand strategy and integrated marketing, about how the Defy Gravity brand came together – and the types of stories it will be used to tell.

Can you explain the importance of developing a brand for a university like U of T?

David Estok

Estok: The post-secondary sector is a highly competitive market where we are all vying for people’s time, attention and interest. The stakes are high, compounded in turn by the pressures brought on by the pandemic.

Just like everyone else, we want the best talent. We want students, faculty and staff to come here. We want our researchers to get the funding they need to thrive and succeed in groundbreaking research that will impact the country and the world at large. Our success depends on attracting the best students, faculty and staff, and building excellent partnerships with government, industry, alumni, donors and other supporters.

Having a sterling academic reputation and ranking among the world’s best universities goes a long way, but you also need a strong brand to help convey who you are, what you stand for and the urgency and relevance of your mission. Defy Gravity does that. It captures not only the impact and excellence of our university, across so many different disciplines, but it also speaks to our aspirations and optimism for the future.

With Defy Gravity, we’ve created a brand that speaks to our immense diversity, our excellence, our commitment to providing opportunities for all and our status as one of the world’s top public universities. And it does so in a warm, inviting and emotionally appealing way that will help our community tell a more consistent, inspiring and memorable story about our impact on the world.

What would you describe as the core elements of the new brand?

Estok: The brand is a distillation of the university’s vision, mission, values and spirit. We spent several months consulting with students, faculty, staff, alumni and other key internal and external stakeholders to capture insights on what made U of T unique and compelling.

The responses were remarkably consistent. They were proud that U of T is one of the few universities worldwide that’s not only excellent in so many fields but also accessible to students from every background. They were also proud of our record of discovery, innovation and impact and our insatiable drive to take on complex problems. And they highlighted our ongoing efforts to build more supportive and inclusive environments for students, faculty and staff across our three campuses. These insights helped us develop a brand that stood for excellence, as well as being accessible – and for caring, inclusive communities.

Tanya Kreinin

Kreinin: Defy Gravity captures these insights in a vivid and relatable way. It speaks to how our university somehow competes with the world’s top private universities on a sliver of their budgets and without compromising on our commitment to access and equity. It describes a community of problem-solvers that sees the impossible as a dare and are willing to defy all obstacles and expectations to solve problems and accomplish great things.

We think it’s an ideal way to express our values, character, mettle and collaborative DNA. You’ll see that through the stories we’ll be sharing of brilliant people coming together to create a more just and inclusive world and simply refusing to give up when things get tough.

Can you describe how conversations with students, faculty, alumni and others helped shape the brand development process?

Kreinin: This is the first time in U of T’s history that we’ve developed a brand at such a scale. We conducted hundreds of hours of interviews and received fantastic input from stakeholders across all three campuses and from alumni worldwide. And it’s really thanks to their time, generosity and thoughtfulness that we were able to build something that represents our community’s vision and aspirations.

When you interview so many bright, diverse and passionate people, you always face a strong possibility of receiving a lot of conflicting opinions and expectations. But David and I were pleasantly surprised – and encouraged – to see tremendous alignment in our community’s views.

Estok: We really were. People had a very strong sense of what makes U of T special and relevant in today’s world. It definitely made our job easier as we translated these insights into a cohesive brand strategy that’s so authentic. We also partnered with our agency of record, McCann Global, to conduct additional local and global research to ensure we came up with something that would resonate and stand out.

A collection of marketing materials created by U of T's Brand Hub for the launch of Defy Gravity.

Did you encounter any challenges during the brand development process?

Estok: U of T is a large, complex place with a huge variety of stakeholders. This presents a challenge for brand development because you have to come up with something that captures the aspirations and strengths of so many distinct faculties, colleges, divisions and communities. It’s hard to get it right.

How will the Defy Gravity brand support the work of the U of T community now and in the future?

Estok: Telling a consistent and powerful brand story about U of T will benefit everyone. It will help our target audiences internalize why we exist and why we matter, and give them reasons to care about our work. It will help our faculties and divisions craft messages and marketing materials that help them recruit the best talent, attract funding, engage alumni and spark partnerships and collaborations with other top institutions.

Kreinin: Our goal with Defy Gravity is to create a unified voice for our institution. But for us, unity is not the same thing as conformity. We know that U of T has many distinct communities and they all defy gravity in their own way. We strongly believe that our communities need to tell their stories in their voice. What a strong, central brand offers is a way to connect this storytelling to a much larger story about the institution. It allows people to tell their stories in a way that enriches the university as a whole.

How are the challenges posed by the pandemic – and the U of T community’s response to them – reflected in Defy Gravity?

Estok: It’s difficult to overstate how challenging the last couple of years have been for so many people in our community and beyond. But the way people have risen to the challenge is truly inspiring. Our experts have worked tirelessly to lead us through this crisis. Our students and faculty have adapted to new ways of teaching and learning with unflagging creativity and ingenuity. To see how well our community has responded to the pandemic gives me hope for the future. Obviously, this reality was on our minds constantly as we developed the brand – and Defy Gravity is a testament to that hope and optimism.

Kreinin: The pandemic revealed just how resilient and indispensable our community could be during a time of crisis. This is a community that doesn't shrink from complexity or just accept the world as it is. We have a defiant streak. We're a community that wants to change the world for the better. We may not always succeed, but we don't let that hold us back. We use every setback as motivation to push onwards. We’ve seen this time and again during the pandemic. We’re a place where people come together to work on problems and overcome seemingly impossible challenges. This is a message that we think will resonate with people as we help our city and world recover from this pandemic.

What do you hope people ultimately take away from the Defy Gravity brand? What personally excites you about it?

Kreinin: As David said, it’s really a message of hope, optimism and humanity. And ultimately, we hope it will instill even greater pride in our community and inspire others to join us to take on the massive challenges we’re facing. I think what excites me the most is that it’s not a stodgy brand but one that’s incredibly human and emotional. It will allow us to tell so many great stories both locally and globally, individually and collectively.

Estok: I’d have to say it’s the storytelling that excites me the most, too. Stories not only about scholars revolutionizing their fields or trying to cure diseases, but students who are the first in their family to attend university and people who have overcome adversity, dug in their heels and kept going. These stories, featuring an incredibly diverse range of people and perspectives, are all around us at U of T and it’s an immense privilege to be able to help share them with the world.

Defy Gravity: Campaign for U of T offers vision of inclusive excellence with global impact

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:59:37 +0000

Defy Gravity: Campaign for U of T offers vision of inclusive excellence with global impact

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 12/14/2021 - 10:59

Cutline

A new fundraising and alumni engagement campaign brings U of T’s focus on academic excellence, equity and compassion to bear on the most urgent social, environmental, economic and health challenges of our time.

Topic

The University of Toronto has launched the largest university fundraising and alumni engagement campaign in Canadian history to address some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The Defy Gravity campaign seeks to elevate U of T’s position as one of the world’s leading public universities and advance the U of T community’s outsized impact in solving complex social, economic, and health problems. It also seeks to reinforce U of T’s commitment to excellence, equity and inclusion, creating more opportunities and support for talented people – students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors from every financial circumstance – to discover, learn, create, collaborate, and thrive together.

For the first time ever, U of T has set an alumni engagement target of inspiring 225,000 alumni to get involved as volunteers, mentors, donors and leaders, and contribute their time and talent to U of T one million times collectively. The effort promises to have a powerful and lasting effect on the university – especially students, as they prepare for success out in the world.

The campaign also aims to raise $4 billion for the university’s highest priorities, a target that reflects the ambition and scale of the U of T community and its potential for global impact. Achieving this goal will generate new opportunities for talented students from every financial background, strengthen U of T’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, spark exciting interdisciplinary research initiatives, and help build new facilities that create community and enhance world-class teaching, research, and innovation across U of T’s three campuses.

Global impact

Led by U of T President Meric Gertler, the virtual campaign announcement featured students, faculty, staff, university leadership, the campaign co-chairs and alumni from around the world speaking to the vitality, hope, and optimism of the U of T community and the transformative power of philanthropy.

President Gertler spoke to the urgency of the campaign and how it will support U of T’s efforts to lead pandemic recovery, challenge inequity and systemic racism, improve health, power a clean-tech revolution, sustain artistic and cultural communities, drive discovery and innovation and educate the next generation of creative, engaged and caring citizens.

“We’re one of the few institutions anywhere with the breadth and depth of talent that’s needed to solve the toughest problems and to imagine a better world,” said President Gertler. “Through the campaign we’re launching today, together we can make U of T an even more powerful engine of progress.”

The campaign theme, Defy Gravity, reflects U of T’s long history of discovery, advancing the frontiers of knowledge, and opening life-changing opportunities to foster a more caring and inclusive world through its faculty, students, alumni and supporters – critical today in addressing racial injustice, climate change, technological disruption, pandemic recovery and more.

“No phrase better captures the courageous spirit of our U of T community at this historic moment,” said Vice-President, Advancement, David Palmer. “U of T has long seen the impossible not as a barrier but as an invitation to explore new frontiers and reach new heights.

“Defy Gravity reflects our boldness, ingenuity and resolve, our willingness to pursue knowledge, ideas and ventures that are visionary and transformational. It captures the aspirations of our students for social change and the watershed moments of personal transformation they experience throughout their university education. And it underlines our commitment to removing barriers to inclusion and social equity wherever they appear so that our entire community can thrive.”

A framework for inclusive excellence

Enhancing and strengthening inclusive excellence at U of T will be a key priority of the campaign, recognizing that U of T’s creativity and impact are inextricably linked to its ability to bring together ideas, talent, experiences and perspectives from all backgrounds.

The campaign will increase the number of awards for talented students in need, support vital initiatives such as the Black Research Network and help create new, inviting spaces such as Indigenous House at U of T Scarborough. It will also support a broad range of multidisciplinary centres such as the Climate Positive Energy Initiative, the Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium (EPIC), and the School of Cities, which focus respectively on sustainability, health security and urban issues through an equity lens.

“At U of T,” said President Gertler, “excellence is about openness, knowing that great ideas are the product of diverse perspectives. For us, excellence is inclusive excellence.”

Explore the full impact of Defy Gravity

Alumni engagement a key priority

The campaign’s new alumni engagement goal – to inspire 225,000 alumni to get involved as volunteers, participants, mentors, donors and leaders and encourage them to contribute their time and talent to the university one million times – recognizes the indispensable work of our graduates, said U of T Chancellor Rose Patten.

“Our community of more than 640,000 alumni around the world play a vital role in the life of the University,” said Patten. “They enhance our global reputation through their work, share their expertise with our students, offer their time and wisdom to critical initiatives and give generously to many priorities across our campuses. By doing so, they elevate our community in so many ways.”

The new alumni engagement goal will expand these activities significantly, enriching the life of the university community and advancing U of T’s impact on communities across the globe. More than 99,000 alumni have already contributed their time and talent toward this goal more than 342,000 times to date.

“I’m continually amazed and inspired by how dedicated our alumni are to making a positive difference here at U of T and beyond,” said University of Toronto Alumni Association President Sana Halwani. “It’s a spirit of giving back that is truly infectious.”

A new benchmark for philanthropy in Canada

The campaign has already raised $1.091 billion toward its record Canadian goal of $4 billion. The goal was revealed by campaign co-chairs, alumni John M. Cassaday, Claire M. C. Kennedy, Brian D. Lawson and Som Seif, who, along with volunteers from every division of the university, are part of a dedicated campaign leadership team championing the vision of Defy Gravity.

The co-chairs each spoke to how the new goal reflects the enormous depth and breadth of academic aspirations across U of T’s faculties, schools, colleges and campuses, and the university’s commitment to excellence, access and inclusion at a scale unrivalled by other institutions. They added that the $4-billion goal will help elevate U of T as a global hub for talent, knowledge, diverse perspectives and innovative solutions for a changing world.

The co-chairs also underlined the widespread impact this goal will have on philanthropy across the country, setting a new standard for giving in Canada and internationally, encouraging historic support in a challenging time and creating a rising tide of generosity for other groups and charities.

A community like no other

In launching the new campaign, President Gertler emphasized how the U of T community has consistently shown what is possible when a global community comes together to support the tremendous work of the university’s students, staff, faculty members, alumni and donors across so many diverse areas.

“The U of T community has the capacity to make historic breakthroughs as well as countless daily contributions to progress across the sciences, humanities, social sciences and professions,” he said. “We can transcend disciplines and borders. We can create new knowledge and solutions that make a major difference in the lives of individuals and communities. We can think of things no one has thought of before and achieve things no one else thought possible.”