What's the tallest mountain in the world?
Duh, Everest. What's the second? HmmWho is the world's best cyclist? Duh, Lance Armstrong. Who is the second? Hmm Who is the first person you hooked up with at Dartmouth? (You might not want to remember). Who is the second? First place, gold medals, valedictorians, World Series winners -- we remember those who are first, the leaders. Why concern ourselves with remembering second place? How about asking "What is the best college?" Many say Harvard, Yale or Princeton. This is incorrect, but HYP are treated like leaders because people perceive them to be. Today, let's examine how Dartmouth could become numero uno, how Dartmouth can attain such lofty status and be treated like the leader that we are.
We're good. Our Economics Department is widely respected. Our graduates fill top notch graduate programs. The Princeton Review ranks us equal to HYP in academics and far superior in quality of life. Even the Dartmouth details are good. For example, Mrs. Susan Wright is (in my opinion) the kindest first lady in the Ivy League. We're good, but many of these things aren't as important at first glance: our product is good. So why is our image not equally as good? Why are we better than HYP in academics and social life but not as good in image and reputation? Why do more people choose HYP (according to yield numbers) over Dartmouth?
Froth blown away, reputation often matters more to consumers than product. The top selling car, for instance, is seventh in quality. Coca-Cola, the top selling soft drink, comes in second to Pepsi in taste tests. Microsoft, known for its blotchy software, is the software leader. The moral of the story: you don't have to be the best, you must be perceived to be. Consider branding expert Iain Ellwood's simple formula: Product + Aura = Brand. Our product -- the Dartmouth experience -- is heralded. Why not make the aura equally as good?
We can become a leader in our over-communicated society by over-simplifying our message. Dartmouth stands for X. If we can stand for something -- imagination, diversity, perfection, champion -- we'll reap the educational benefits. Brands are vital because they act as communication tools between more and more globally separated prospective students and alumni.
Beware the problem on the horizon. Some have suggested that Dartmouth stands for "Animal House." We can do four things about our party image. First, we can embrace it (but that won't fly). Second, we can stay the course -- say how Dartmouth isn't Animal House anymore. Third, our film studies majors could write film scripts based on Dartmouth and then pitch their ideas to Dartmouth executives in Hollywood. Harvard has a gazillion movies made about it. Why not re-brand ourselves with another movie? Fourth, and most doable, is to find something that we stand for. Instead of saying we're not Animal House, start to tell people who we are. Once we come up with what exactly this is, the public perception will change"Oh, Dartmouth is the best kept secret in New England" might become more regular than a heartbeat.
Colleges aren't the only ones that could benefit from promoting a clear image. Mavens put their eyes to the Catholic Church (that's right, the church). A group of laity criticized the church for opening the "Vatican II" in the mid 1960s. Before Vatican II, the church was known to be the leading "teacher of morals." The Vatican II made the Catholic Church less strict; things became more flexible. It moved "away from its posture of law and order." The question was asked, "If you are not the leader in teaching morals, what are you?" Confusion escalated. Attendance at mass dropped below 50 percent of the Catholics for the first time. The Church had 20 percent fewer priests and nuns.
If the Catholic Church, the paragon of sanctity, realized that its image was confusing, a "small college" in Hanover could rethink its image as well. Dartmouth needs to over-simplify its message. People should be able to grasp the essence of Dartmouth in a few small words. One Dartmouth professor says of Dartmouth's confusing image, "We're the best liberal arts-college-university-undergraduate experience-in America." Too complicated, too confusing. If it's easy to communicate, it's easy to understand. But how do we go about finding our essence? Yakety-Yak, do talk back. Blabber about what makes Dartmouth special in your conversations. Blitz me. Join the BlabberForce -- the student group dedicated to promoting Dartmouth's brand.
For sure, there'll be disagreements. It opens up every imaginable rivalry: traditionalists vs. non-traditionalists, students vs. administration, students vs. students, faculty vs. administration. People will complain and bemoan such a process. To them I say, if Dartmouth wants to thrive again, we have to find out what we're about. That's the simple and difficult thing to do.
