The Mendoza College of Business' simultaneous launch of a new trademarked slogan, "Ask More of Business," and redesigned Web site this summer marked a commitment to unity within the college.
Both the new slogan and Web site were created to highlight the philosophies shared by Mendoza's undergraduate and various graduate programs, Bill Gangluff, director of marketing and Web strategies for Mendoza, said.
"This is a big moment for us as a business school," he said. "This is the first time we've all come under the same positioning umbrella."
"Ask More of Business" emphasizes the college's focus on ethics in the business field, Gangluff said.
The three tenets of the new slogan are individual integrity, effective organizations and greater good. Gangluff said they represent the skills and principles that Mendoza teaches its students and asks of its graduates.
Mendoza created separate task forces for positioning and Web site design eighteen months ago, Gangluff said.
"It was actually developed prior to the meltdown in the financial arena," he said.
The "Ask More of Business" slogan has already been featured in a view book for prospective MBA students, which Gangluff said was released this summer. It was the first official appearance of the new position.
"It's probably been most adopted inside the MBA program, but we'll be adopting it in other programs as well," Gangluff said.
He also said the slogan served as the central theme for a recent business advisory council event, and it will serve the same purpose for an upcoming alumni board event.
When Mendoza sent the new position to current students, alumni and prospective students, Gangluff said the feedback was positive.
"I think the message 'Ask More of Business' is resonating with the different audiences we sent it out to," he said.
"Ask More of Business" is trademarked because, during the process of creating a position, other business schools began to use some of the positions that Mendoza considered, Gangluff said.
"It was a way for us to show we have creative ownership for that," Gangluff said.
The new Web site is replacing an older version, which he said did not express continuity between its different sections.
"The amount of content is much deeper," he said of the new Web site. "We tell our story in a much more compelling way."
Mendoza hired the consulting firm Corey McPherson Nash, which also worked on Harvard Business School's Web site, Gangluff said. The firm provided design, organization and strategy for the site.
The new Web site features podcasts, videos, commentary and a large events calendar. There are also sections devoted to explanations of and stories about "Ask More of Business" and faculty research and accomplishments.
The site launched Aug. 1, but the academic center and alumni areas are not yet complete. Gangluff said these areas should be complete by the spring of 2010.
"We know from a recruitment standpoint there is no one piece more key than the quality of your Web presence," he said. "We're excited to see the effects on our admissions goals for each of the programs."
