Columbia Business School is consistently acknowledged to be one of the finest business schools in the world. But what makes the Columbia Business School experience unique? Over the past year, the School has invested considerable effort in determining how best to define and communicate the hallmarks of Columbia Business School.
In the spring of 2005, Dean Glenn Hubbard convened a task force of marketing experts, business leaders, scholars and students to examine key aspects underlying the School’s success. Board of Overseers member Charles Strauss '67, retired president and CEO of Unilever United States, led the task force, which partnered with Sterling Brands, a branding consultancy, to analyze current perceptions of the School and shape a positioning statement that would capture the School’s identity and strategic direction. Sterling’s research — including a comprehensive survey completed by more than 600 respondents, from prospective students to recruiters — showed that the School is recognized for many of its strengths: a global perspective, a commitment to connect business research with practice, a world-class faculty, a diverse student body and an influential alumni network. But at times the message is not getting across as clearly as it could.
John Kiker, who has worked as a senior marketing and corporate communications strategist with United Airlines, Cendant Corporation and Edelman New York, joined the School this January in the newly created position of associate dean of marketing and communications. He worked with a selection committee to choose an agency to help the School articulate its identity in a clear and compelling way; the committee chose advertising agency Gardner Nelson & Partners of New York, which is partnering with Pentagram, the renowned design firm, and public relations powerhouse Fleishman-Hillard. In the coming months, look for changes in the School’s online, print and media presence as we use our research and design resources to best convey the essence of Columbia Business School.
The members of the branding task force were Dean Glenn Hubbard; Board of Overseers members Lew Frankfort '69, Michael Gould ’68, Arie Kopelman '62, Shelly Lazarus '70, Charles Strauss '67 and Raymond Viault '69; Donald Lehmann, the George E. Warren Professor of Business; Bernd Schmitt, the Robert D. Calkins Professor of International Business and executive director of the School’s Center on Global Brand Leadership; and two student representatives, Jordan Bliss '06 and Amina Runyan-Shefa '06.