The Ohio State community will no longer be asked to “Do Something Big.” After spending an additional $13,000, University Relations is encouraging OSU to “Do Something Great.”
Lee Tashjian, vice president for university relations, said the university will launch a new communication strategy highlighting the accomplishments of OSU faculty and students during halftime of Saturday’s home football game against Northwestern. The tag line “Do Something Great” will most likely be announced as OSU’s new official slogan, Tashjian added.
Tashjian said he hopes the communication initiative will improve the perception of Ohio State’s academic programs, both within Ohio and across the entire nation. He noted an improved perception in academic standing would help attract better students and more investment toward OSU.
The previously announced slogan, “Do Something Big,” was prematurely reported to the public this summer by several media outlets, including The Lantern. Tashjian said people then reacted cynically to “Do Something Big,” partly because they did not see the phrase in context of the entire communication campaign.
“We got to the point where there was so much negative discussion that we felt we should test some alternative ideas,” Tashjian said. “The only thing that we rethought was the slogan.”
The local advertising firm HMS Partners developed the campaign, Tashjian said. The university spent about $273,000 for the original marketing design.
Local media reported an additional $13,315 was spent on focus groups to revamp the slogan.
OSU President William “Brit” Kirwan, speaking on The Underground Radio’s Campus Close-Up Show last Thursday, said people need to understand the emphasis of the new communication effort.
“This is really not about slogans,” Kirwan said. “It’s about telling the story of this university, about the excellence of its faculty, staff, and students, and the contributions they are making.”
To tell this story, Tashjian said the communication effort will emphasize the scholarship and research accomplishments of faculty and students. Data from focus groups suggest this angle will have a powerful effect on a person’s overall academic perception of OSU, Tashjian noted.
“People were able to make the leap that if OSU has somebody like Mauro Ferrari (OSU’s director of biomedical engineering), a global leader in the field of nanotechnology, the academics around him must be terrific,” Tashjian said.
The new communication campaign will use television advertisements, radio spots, posters and e-mail messages to promote the academic achievements of OSU faculty and students, Tashjian said. He added the halftime show of Saturday’s game will begin by recognizing 26 OSU faculty that have received prestigious university honors for their teaching or service efforts.
Undergraduate Student Government Vice President Melissa Koch had the opportunity to view University Relations’ entire communication strategy this summer. Koch said she felt the slogan “Do Something Great” was particularly weak, but was encouraged by the rest of the campaign.
“Highlighting the things students have done is wonderful, and should hopefully help to decrease apathy on campus,” Koch said. “OSU has such amazing students and faculty. This will capture that talent and display it to the world.”
