Texas A&M’s chief marketing and communications officer, who is in his tenth month on the job, shared with the board of regents the university’s upcoming marketing campaign. During a regents workshop meeting on August 1, Ethan Braden said A&M’s upcoming national campaign begins on television with a commercial during the Aggies football opener against Notre Dame. The script of the 60 second commercial is: “At Texas A&M University, what do we stand for? We stand for leadership, respect, and excellence. We stand for loyalty. Integrity. And selfless service. At Texas A&M, we stand for four straight hours. And we always stand ready. We stand up for others, stand in when others won’t, never stand by, and we won’t stand still. Texas Aggies have always ‘stood where duty required us to stand’. We stand for something bigger than ourselves and we stand stronger together. At Texas A&M University, we know what we stand for. Come stand with us. At Texas A&M University, we know what we stand for. Come stand with us.” Braden also says 30 people across the campus are developing A&M’s brand platform that will launch next February. He also shared research with the regents that the words or phrases that immediately come to mind when one thinks of A&M, are “football”, nothing, “aggies”, “sports”, and “agriculture”. One of Braden’s targets is the 40 percent of adults in the United States who have either not heard of A&M or have no opinion about the university. He wants to increase the national and international opinion that A&M “educates the next generation of ethical leaders”, “has affordable tuition cost”, “has an extensive campus infrastructure”, “has high quality faculty”, “innovates with teaching and learning”, “promotes diversity and inclusion”, and “conducts research that helps society”. Braden said the goal “over the next 7 months (August – February) (is to) define and sustain a coordinated campaign for Texas A&M University to bridge the gap between now and the launch of a new brand platform and marketing campaign. Align all areas of the university to create marketing harmony, leveraging the current purpose, values message, and a tighter expression of the visual image.” What Braden calls A&M’s “value campaign” should: ● Advance the awareness, recognition, visibility, and reputation of Texas A&M, within and beyond Texas. ● Strengthen the university’s readiness to launch a bold new brand campaign in early 2025. ● Leverage existing core messages and content that is impactful but familiar – remind people about the core values and purpose of the university. ● Reinforce Texas A&M’s position as a national (and eventually global) brand within and outside of higher education that is recognized and respected. There were no comments from board of regents members or system administrators during or after Braden’s presentation. Click HERE to read and download presentation materials shared during the August 1, 2024 Texas A&M system board of regents workshop meeting. Click below to hear Ethan Braden’s presentation during the August 1, 2024 Texas A&M system board of regents workshop meeting. Listen to “Texas A&M's upcoming marketing message is shared with the board of regents” on Spreaker.
