Monday, February 20, 2012
What is the Personality of Nichols College Brand?
The author in our text states that brands have a "personality" and it is up to the PR / Marketing person to use key words that represent our brand. Consider all of our stakeholders / publics, and discuss traits, characteristics and aspects of the Nichols College brand? Review our mission statement for further analysis, and consider if it matches our brand description. Be creative!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The Nichols College brand has been established through its community and the communications we have with prospective consumers. Nichols College communicates the ability to mold students into successful leaders in a global economy through activities, experiences, and curriculum that enhance professional skills and readiness. This communication of the Nichols College brand is stated directly in the mission statement. In my opinion the Nichols brand expresses the creation of yesterday’s youth to become today and tomorrow’s business leaders. Nichols has set itself apart from its competitors by offering small class sizes, a tightly nit community, and its unique PDS program which make up the brand image of the school. Our marketing tools always display students in business attire, boasting the professional development of students guided into career fields of their choice.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Nichols College has a very optimistic and proactive personality. The personality could also be described as focused and determined. My reason for saying this is because Nichols College focuses on the success of their students in a way that most schools don't. Nichols College goes the extra mile to completely prepare their students for the real world. Nichols also hires professors straight out of the business world, and, for this reason, students are provided with real life, real world examples and problems to learn from. The professor's also show that they have interest in the success of their students, but making themselves available. I feel that students and staff/faculty care about the progression and development that happens on campus. Yes, we often hear people commenting that Nichols College is like high school, but that is because we are a small campus. That's not a bad thing, though. It means that people are involved and we aren't just a number. We're a community that truly cares about one another, our success and where these four years will lead us.
ReplyDeleteNichols College at a brand is full of personality. It stands for a college that has multiple dynamics and traits. The school sells itself. We as students help out with that by attending and talking about the benefits and positive things they get from it. “Your Success is Our Business” is the best way to describe Nichols College’s personality. It allows for people to read into and realize that this school isn’t just another college they are really engaged with the achievement of the students that attend it. With the experience that is on this campus ranging from professors to alumni allows for the student body to make sure that they take the extra step and get themselves out there and get to know the professors that are teaching them. It is not all about text books; it’s a lot about real life experiences that the faculty brings to the classroom on a daily basis. Everyone knows everyone on campus and the connections that are made are unbelievable. Networking is weighed heavily on this campus, because at the end of the day it comes down to the people you know.
ReplyDeleteI believe the personality of the Nichols brand is "oriented". Nichols sells itself to its stakeholders that their quality will last beyond their years on the Hill. That explains their signature tagline "your success is our business" while on the Hill Nichols wants you to succeed and gain the quality education needed to succeed. The personalization of each student's education and one-on-one help professors give to students help them to succeed in areas that are troublesome to students. Nichols offers a variety of ways for students to be involved and well rounded during their undergraduate years. Even as an alumni, Nichols will continue to help with job searches and interviewing making succeeding a top priority.
ReplyDeleteOn the whole, I believe Nichols adheres to the fundamentals of their mission statement. This college does provide a supportive community, amongst both faculty and students, as a means to bolster one’s own interest and prepare students for entering the workforce and life beyond school. Nowhere else have I found and witnessed people of similar interest so willing to engage in conversations above and beyond that taught in the classroom. If you are looking for an intellectual outlet, you can find them so long as you take it upon yourself to participate in the given activities or are willing to devote free time to independent group discussion.
ReplyDeleteYet Nichols is still a business school brand, and as such, must purport and sell those skills that are required of individuals in the business world. With that being said, I would agree that this college upholds its promise to instill leadership qualities, communication skills, and even appropriate ethical practices. Incrementally designed companion classes that overlap are offered that teach directly to developing these attributes. A portion of the faculty also serves as role models in these areas and provides something tangible for students to aspire to. Yet where I find Nichols sometimes lacking is in cultural awareness and critical thinking, two claims it boasts on its own website. When it comes to diversity, Nichols isn’t exactly the first thing to come to mine. Generally speaking, you would be hard pressed to find a more isolated, homogeneous academic setting. I often hear students speaking of professors who are so far entrenched in either their (mostly) right or left winged ideologies that it creates a schism, an apparent academic environment divided amongst and within itself.
Further, while today’s progressive business practices demands of its workers critical thinking skills in order to differentiate themselves amongst the swell of competitors, students constantly lament that the assigned in class material does not challenge them in an analytical sense. This is partially the result of “tried and true” lesson plans that fail to adapt to the rapidly and forever changing business world, as well as the often one sided presentations of the given problems and cases (in direct relation to what was just mentioned earlier). Too often I see assignments, be them of a business or humanities orientation, which requires the students to answer either in black and white, often with any deviation into the shades of grey immediately met with an evaluative reproach. I would even venture to say (hesitantly) that Nichols discourages its student body to develop their full critical thinking capacity, and would rather instill the carbon copy commands more suited for cogs in the corporate machine. I only say this because, I wish, one day, to see Nichols actualize what it openly claims in its mission statement and fulfill its promises to those who spend some of their most (expensive), impressionable, and developmental focused years here.
I believe that the Nichols personality is made up of a few things. Nichols is career focused in the sense that everything that we learn has real life applications and help us to make the best decisions when it comes to our careers. Also, Nichols is professional. With everything that is done around campus and with any event that Nichols is involved with there is a sense professionalism with those who represent the school. I also believe that Nichols personality is that the school is thorough with preparing the students. By thorough I mean that the school does what most schools don't to prepare us to go out into the world and be successful. The most influential thing that we get is the PDS program. While most of us don't like going through it the program does help us to be better prepared to enter the workforce and most schools don't have anything like this.
ReplyDeleteI beleive that Nichols has welcoming personality. Nichols has many ways of not only keeping their alumni involved with the school by hosting events and keeping them involved in the college, but they also do a great job of bringing in new highschool students making them feel as if they were becoming another member of the Nichols family. I feel that Nichols also pushes student- professor relationships and one on one learning experiences, this makes Nichols stand out among other colleges. While being a small school Nichols still offers a variety of events and clubs for students to be involved in. I feel that Nichols is a great school that does a great job of keeping all stakeholders involved with the school.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Nichols college personality is made up of many different things. It’s great that the professors have worked in the fields that they are teaching because it gives the students a better understanding of the real world. Nichols is very professional every event that takes place here is done right. And also being on a sports team every year they always say no matter if we are on campus or not we are reps of the school we need to act professional at all times. The school takes pride in the students we aren’t just there business or a number we are real people. That’s why Nichols stands out from other business schools. Ya it might be small but we are well prepared to get a job after school from all the programs we go through than other schools in the area.
ReplyDeleteThe personality of the Nichols College brand is best defined through the college's mission: "Within a supportive community, Nichols College transforms today's students into tomorrow's leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business and professional education." The personality of our college's brand is quite unique, primarily because it is based on a differentiated approach to education. For example, classes are taught by experienced and highly successful business professionals. With their expertise, professors are able to provide students with real-world business scenarios and information that will prove to be useful upon entering the workforce. I am currently enrolled in the Business Marketing course, and I can honestly say that Professor Harmon's personal accounts of his career in the marketing industry (both good and bad) have been most valuable to me. To further enforce my point, the education that is offered here is not "by the book" as many colleges and universities are, and I believe that is a major selling point.
ReplyDeleteAnother factor that indefinitely impacts the personality of the Nichols College brand is the PDS program -- a program designed by Nichols College faculty, specifically for students. In fact, this is where our famous slogan, "Your Success Is Our Business," proves true! The PDS program provides a differentiated approach to a business education, as it focuses on the aesthetics such as resume/cover letter writing and mock interviewing; factors that are equally crucial in the workforce.
As stated on its website, and to support its mission: "Nichols College offers diverse co-curricular opportunities." Unfortunately, I find this to be false and a misrepresentation of the personality of our brand. We are not located in a diverse setting, nor do we have a diverse on-campus community. I believe Nichols tries to compensate for that through its cultural enrichment program. While this program is a fabulous idea, I do not believe that it is culturally fulfilling or diverse enough. Instead of showing films and/or documentaries (which are great once in a while), we need to bring in outsiders of various cultural backgrounds -- outsiders who can discuss worldly issues (political and otherwise) that are relevant to today, and from a cultural standpoint. As I said earlier in my response, real-world advice coming from real people is highly influential in an organization such as this: it is what sets us apart.
In my opinion Nichols has found success using the key words in the tagline; “Your Success Is Our Business”. As a buyer of this brand Nichols does a great job of getting the attention of undergraduate business oriented students and turning them into well presented business professionals. Being among one of the top rated business schools in New England I believe that Nichols does a good job of representing itself on both the academic and workplace. Through many connections the reputation of Nichols is respected by many companies. Being someone who sells this school on a regular basis to incoming students I can definitely say that everything we tell students is true. Over the four years at Nichols you do gain the skills and knowledge to become success through the curriculum taught in and out of the classroom. I will definitely agree that our short mission statement holds true in all aspects; experiences, opportunities, professional skills, communication and the ability to critically think are all skills that all the professors take time to develop and strengthen through all classes.
ReplyDelete"Your Success is our Business." Enough said, Nichols has stuck to this since Day 1. Yet I question it. So many people as of late have been leaving Nichols College for whatever reason. They lack diversity. It may seem typical of me to say this but have you looked around Nichols College? Is it really diverse? Does Nichols do a great drop of attracting and keeping a diverse group of students? The answer is NO. So again I wonder whose success is really there business. Not being negative, just honest. It seems that this mission statement is a bold statement. The statistics are they but where do they really come from? How come they don't show the statistics of the freshman that leave? It just seems as if people are ignoring what is right in front of them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Jon Said about Nichols being "career oriented". I would say that Nichols should advertise and focus more on the idea that at Nichols, you can reach your potential.
ReplyDeleteNichols is a great place to get out what you put in. If you want to be the President of your class you can be if you work hard at it...and conversely, if you are a freshman and you don't put forth the effort, or aren't prepared for/understand what you are getting yourself into...you will fail out or leave after your first semester or year because you are not satisfied.
I think that is where a lot of people go wrong when coming to Nichols...those who focus on social issues on the hill do so because when someone said "small school" to them...they didnt really understand what that meant. It is something that the school tries to push, and I honestly think does a decent job doing. It's just a disconnect between the school and potential freshman that drives people to leave. And it is because they don't fully understand the brand.
The Nichols college brand is well established and has really come up with a brand image that is competitive. The brand Nichols is known for its great business programs, its PDS program which is its bread and butter, because we are the only school to have the program all 4 years. The college is also known for its staff on campus and the networking opportunities that the professors and other staff members can create. Nichols College graduates have over a 90% chance of getting a job within their field within the first 6 months after graduation. This is a major part of the Nichols brand because this gets Nichols grads out in the field and working for reputable companies. Most will typically do well in the field and build a reputation for themselves but also for the college. Nichols College is also unique because of its classroom sizes, location, and competitive athletics program for Division III. The Nichols College brand is defiantly confident and they really brag about the success of the College. This is all part of the Nichols community because in a competitive business world you need to be confident in your organization and be successful and Nichols College does just that.
ReplyDeleteThe author in our text states that brands have a "personality" and it is up to the PR / Marketing person to use key words that represent our brand. Consider all of our stakeholders / publics, and discuss traits, characteristics and aspects of the Nichols College brand? Review our mission statement for further analysis, and consider if it matches our brand description. Be creative!
ReplyDeleteI believe that Nichols "personality" is a one where we come off as being a small, tight-knit community. I don't know exactly how to word that into a "personality", but what I mean is that everyone knows each other, professors know students by a first name basis, you recognize faculty, you are not afraid to ask for help, and you have a sense of home and being welcome here. This is what I consider the personality before I even read the mission statement, and I see that the first few words are "Supportive Community". I think that basically sums up what I was trying to describe. They are also right on in the mission statement mentioning how they do a great job of transforming our students into business professionals. For some reason I personally don't see this as a "personality" trait of Nichols, as much as I see the whole community sense as the "personality" trait of our Brand.
I have to say I haven't been here long enough to understand the personality of Nichols College. But yesterday at the Men’s Basketball playoff game something really moved me. Most of the students although they don't say it they are proud of where they go and they will supports friends and colleges in bad and good times, that showed character.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to academics Nichols offers a program that is far beyond learning theories and reading books. I had never heard of the PDS class which definitely gives the brand an extra professional work environment aura. Nichols cares about alumni and follows their lives. I believe the right word for the Nichols brand is: "Personalized Education" to fit the needs of each individual.
I think we as a college portray and represent ourselves very well as a business school. Our motto; "Your Success is Our Business" could not say it better. I believe we are one of the few schools where professors will go out of their way to watch and help you succeed. We are not just a student ID number, rather we are a name. We create a community that has something for just about everyone. However, because we are small it is up to the student to seek out the opportunities. Like Devan said, if you do not put forth an effort or try then you will not be able to see many of the gratifying opportunities our school provides. It is these students (the minority) which prevent our community to flourish to its full potential.
ReplyDeleteWe brand ourselves well. I would say we look and are "empowered". The community raises us to be the next business leaders, executives, and CEOs of the corporate world. We are also empowered to stand and find success despite our close location to some of the top and differently (not necessarily better) accredited business schools. (Bentley, Babson etc.)I think another brand image we portray is "growing", because we are constantly adding in student body numbers. We are also making many additions on this beautiful campus, such as the student center, which physically demonstrates our growth since my arrival as a freshman. We even grow a little on paper every time we update our mission statement. We have a lot of potential and I believe we have entered a transformation stage for the college. I am excited to see these changes and watch the growth and empowerment of Nichols College continue to strengthen when I return for Homecomings, reunions, or when my children enter college.
Also, Kelly I completely disagree with your belief on not providing culturally enriching opportunities. This is an area on campus where you need to be motivated to find reward in it. Living in DC for a semester was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I would not have been able to even attend this culturally enriching program without the support and assistance of our tight-knit community. If you are not motivated or do not care then yes, we offer nothing to bring diversity and our culturals are just films. However, if you look at all of the hard work Blanche Milligan has done in just two years...you would hold a very different opinion. She has done a phenomenal job bringing in cultural leaders and even having them learn, live and share with us. (Ie. the monks who came to visit last semester)
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteFirst, I was not implying that our study abroad program isn't culturally enriching or fulfilling; rather, I was speaking in regards to the cultural-credit events held on our campus. I was also not implying that the only cultural diversity here is present in "films." I am well aware that the cultural-credit program has greatly improved, and as you said, we have Blanche Milligan to thank for that. What I was trying to say was that I would like to see MORE culturally diverse PEOPLE (such as the monks you mentioned) visit our school, so students have a more physical sense of what cultural enrichment and diversity actually means.
Delete