An organization that peforms many services gets a focused identity, and a message that hits the right audiences
Hartwick Institute is a program of the private, liberal arts Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York, that trains Fortune 500 executives and also develops course material curriculum for the academic world. On the surface, it looked – and operated – like two very different, but loosely related, businesses. There was The Leadership Institute, which integrates the humanities – literature, film, art – into innovative executive training seminars that had gained a following among Fortune 500 companies. Then there was the Humanities in Management Institute, which delivers curriculum to an entirely academic audience.

Their brand strategy was split between the executive seminars on one side and the academic offerings on the other side. Their message was diffused and unfocused.

Hartwick needed a logical, sharp brand identity that would join both forks of the Institute’s work – corporate and academic - under a unified umbrella.

In focus
GrafiQa’s creative team went back to the drawing board to break down a complex organization by its simple missions. The team spent many hours asking lots of questions about the coursework, the faculty and the benefits their trainees receive. We spent many more hours listening to the goals, needs and frustrations the client had encountered with previous in-house marketing efforts.

Our team processed all the research and created an entire brand identity package, starting with a new, more holistic logo that symbolized the core values underpinning all of the Institute’s seemingly diverse activities.

On message
With the new brand identity in place, Hartwick Institute needed a better platform for engaging current and future prospects and clients. GrafiQa’a team crafted a complete media kit, including attractive lure pieces for the available seminars and marketing literature customized for the Institutes two very distinct audiences.

On the Web
The Institute’s original web presence was a bit scattered and difficult to navigate. We approached the design challenge with a keen awareness that complex subjects require simple solutions. We developed a site that invites both academic and corporate users into a design that is clean, easily understood, yet deceptively deep with information. Positive user feedback and an increase in Web-generated inquiries that lead to scheduled seminars tell the Institute the new site is performing its function.

On the page
Hartwick Institute needed more than a simple marketing campaign. It needed a fresh, creative perspective on the organization’s strengths and offerings. In addition to reshaping the group’s media kit and Web presence, GrafiQa overhauled the Instutute’s catalog, so that the experience created by the initial literature would be deepened upon further examination of the courses and other products. Most importantly, all the materials – from logo to catalog – would do justice to what is a unique and innovative teaching approach.

On target
Hartwick Institute has been operating for four years with the new brand identity and associated collateral in place. In that time, the program has enjoyed a marked increase in sales, as well as greater exposure in both the academic and corporate communities.

Visit them at www.hartwickinstitute.org