Rebranding in higher education is rarely just about choosing a new name. It is about clarifying identity, improving market understanding, and reducing the risk of investing in a brand that does not resonate with the people you need to reach.
A regional college faced a familiar challenge. Internal teams had strong opinions about potential school names, but they lacked external validation. Rather than relying on instinct, the institution partnered with our higher education market research firm to gather feedback from the audiences who shape reputation and enrollment outcomes, including prospective students, families, and employers.
This study became an early, high-impact step in shaping a more confident rebranding direction, grounded in real perceptions of the college and its schools.
The college needed to evaluate multiple potential names for two schools.
Leadership wanted to understand which options felt most accurate, which were most appealing, and which communicated the right academic scope. Just as importantly, they needed to identify any disconnect between how the institution described itself and how the market actually interpreted its offerings.
The research was designed to support brand and naming decisions by:
Using early research momentum to support the development of an internal panel for future brand and enrollment insights.
Drive Research recommended a fast, efficient online survey structure. The survey was fielded across three audiences using the same core script: prospective students, families of prospective students, and employers who hire graduates in targeted geographies.
The questionnaire included approximately 15 questions and took 3 to 5 minutes to complete. It combined open-ended word association with aided name testing, which allowed the institution to see not only which names performed best, but why they performed best.
The survey was soft-launched to a small portion of the sample to confirm clarity, then fully launched after refinements.
To protect the integrity of results, respondents with direct household ties to the school were screened out early in the process.
Engagement was supported with reminder emails and a $250 total giveaway.
In total, 935 completed surveys were collected. The project timeline was approximately two weeks from kickoff through reporting.
The study delivered a concise, one-page summary that focused on the naming and brand implications most relevant to decision-making.
Key feedback centered on:
The biggest value of this work was decision confidence. The findings provided clear direction on which naming options were immediately understood, which created confusion, and which best aligned with audience expectations for program breadth and outcomes.
With this data, the institution could move forward with a rebranding pathway that was more likely to:
Align school-level naming with the broader brand architecture
Because the process demonstrated strong ROI, the institution expanded the relationship with Drive Research through a larger package of speedback surveys. This enabled ongoing, rapid feedback as additional branding, communications, and enrollment decisions emerged.
Drive Research partners with colleges and universities nationwide on branding and rebranding research, including student surveys, enrollment studies, focus groups, and other approaches designed to turn market perception into actionable strategy.
Reach out to our team today to conduct a custom market research study.
