Malaspina University-College unveils new logo

Malaspina University-College Board of Governors has approved a new logo and visual identity for Malaspina.

"The time is right to unveil a new look for the organization," said Board Chair Robyn Kenyon. "With a new President at the helm and university designation on the horizon, it was time to update our visual identity."

For more than twenty-four years, the Arbutus tree logo has served as the Malaspina University-College trademark. According to Malaspina President and CEO Dr. Ralph Nilson, the Arbutus tree served Malaspina well in establishing regional recognition and building the Malaspina brand on Vancouver Island.

"We are growing into a national and international organization with a global scope. Our new visual identity requires a look and logo that is recognized world-wide and is modern in terms of today’s graphic design standards. I believe we have achieved that in our new visual identity."

The work to develop the new logo and visual identity was done by an institutional committee led by Toni O’Keeffe, Director of Communications and Public Relations for Malaspina. "The objective of the 37 member committee was to develop a new visual identity that would assist Malaspina in raising its institutional profile nationally and internationally and position Malaspina as a major competitor within the post secondary market place," said O’Keeffe. "We collected input from all of the communities we serve, assessed our current market position, undertook competitor analysis and talked to prospective and current Malaspina students about how we should present ourselves to the world."

According to O’Keeffe, the new logo has been aligned with the natural beauty of Vancouver Island. "In all of the feedback we received, the message was clear; we offer students the unique experience of living and learning in one of the most specatacular places on earth. When you bring together our magnificent setting with quality education, a diverse range of university and college programs, small class sizes, affordable tuition and some of the best faculty in the country, students who attend Malaspina get a one of a kind experience."

In addition to the new logo, Malaspina will also be rolling out a new creative brand strategy that builds upon the attributes of the institution. "Our creative brand strategy has been built on three pillars - People, Quality and Location. These attributes are what make a Malaspina education unique and memorable. We will build our positioning statements and new visuals products on these elements," said O’Keeffe.

"The re-branding of any organization is a difficult task," said President Nilson. When you have an educational product like we have at Malaspina, set in a location that is second to none, you want to share it with the rest of the world. As we move towards university designation, we also want to ensure that we are well positioned to effectively compete in what has become a very active marketplace. We are not only recruiting students for Malaspina; we are recruiting citizens that will live and work on Vancouver Island. This investment into the marketing and re-branding of our organization will serve the entire region well. When we attract students to Vancouver Island, we also attract their families and friends. I am confident the new suite of marketing products that we will roll out in the fall will attract new investment into Malaspina and the community," concluded Nilson.