In an effort to attract prospective students, the university has introduced two new campaigns that seek to broaden the university name.
With this fall's "Dare to Be First" campaign, as well as a commercial expected to premier during the first televised Blue Hen football game, it seems the school has become a slogan of optimistic achievement, "daring" university students to be bold and successful.
However, the line between positive self-promotion and overworked branding is something that has become quite obscured. Not only is the university marketing itself as a slogan, it is becoming nothing more than a cheesy trademark. To be honest, the only schools that are no strangers to the realm of television advertisement are online colleges like the University of Phoenix.
All the external promotion that the university is doing helps to attract prospective scholars, but what about current students? Even the university website has changed to accommodate those outside the school, altering what was once an accessible UDSIS page to one hidden within the depths of the "faculty and staff" tab.
Neither a catchy phrase nor a snazzy new look dictate a university's worth; there is absolutely no need for such means of self-promotion. As with most successful schools, structure and academic prestige are the sole basis for an esteemed reputation. As a well-ranked school, the university can hold its own as a high-standing institution; students shouldn't need heavy promotion to be convinced.
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