An interview about the new corporate identity? Roel van Herpt and programme manager Kirsten Engbersen, another member of Marketing and Communications, prefer the term “fine-tuned positioning” by Maastricht University. A term requiring explanation. “Positioning is the place that, as an organisation, we take up in the minds of our target audience. Who are we? What does UM stand for? We can influence how others see us using communication,” explains Engbersen.
Vacancies
Is now when we should be finding a way to stick in people’s minds again? “We’re facing enormous challenges. The Ministry of Education expects that between 2024 and 2031, there will be an 11 percent drop in the number of VWO pupils. Consequently so is the number of bachelor students,” says Engbersen. That applies to all of the Netherlands’ higher education sector, but Maastricht University faces an extra challenge, situated as it is in the southern-most tip of the country. Not to mention that the government’s ‘anti-internationalisation trend’ is detrimental for the self-styled ‘European university of the Netherlands’. Engbersen: “How can you set yourself apart in a way that allows pupils to find UM?” And it’s not just about students, it’s also about staff. “We’re managing to fill all the vacancies, but are we attracting the best people and are we able to retain them in the long run?”
Iconic
According to Engbersen and Van Herpt, positioning has been “neglected. We weren’t doing enough with it.” For example, the ‘visual identity’, including the two triangles followed by the name ‘Maastricht University’, dates back to the late nineties. “A pre-digital age,” says Van Herpt. “You can tell by the font. When you enlarge it, the letters start ‘dancing’ and become harder to read.”
The two triangles are staying, “a strong, iconic image. We won’t be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” But there will be a new font and colour scheme. “Some people won’t notice the change and that’s fine. Look at Amazon or PostNL, they also made small changes – you don’t always have to do something drastic to modernise a brand.”
50 years
The project is expected to take three years. There won’t be an official start, says Van Herpt. “It will be silent and gradual.” A special UM50 website will be launched on Friday, the day of the Dies. “You will see a lot of the new corporate identity there, and at the celebration itself.” In honour of the anniversary, a ‘50’ has been added, drawing on the old logo of Rijksuniversiteit Limburg, recognisable by its lines.
People who are interested in all the details are welcome to dive into the style guide – all 90 pages – meant particularly for all of UM’s internal communication experts and external design agencies who will be using the new style. It was developed by Vandejong Creative Agency in Amsterdam, the agency who were contracted for the project.
Corporate identity police
So, what else will be new? New flags, signposts, prospectuses, signage, email signatures, an overhaul of the UM website? “This will also be gradual.” The website is a different, more complex, story, says Van Herpt. The website was completely revamped in the autumn of 2024, given a refreshed look with more pictures and less text. The style will now be changed slightly again, “but it will be purely aesthetic. We have to think more about the function of the website, our digital business card, and how that should influence the way it looks.”
On a different note, how will you ensure people stick to the new rules? Will there be a ‘corporate identity police’, ready to jump in as needed? “We’re making it easier by offering more options. This also honours who we are, diverse, with different personalities.” The colour scheme (currently limited to orange, blues, black and white) will be expanded (to include browns, pinks and greens). Although ‘more options’ doesn’t mean a free-for-all. Engbersen: “Communication is one of those areas on which everybody has an opinion, and that’s fine, but we will be giving people guidelines.” The plan has been discussed (confidentially) by the University Council. Van Herpt: “Thanks in part to their remarks, we will be asking the Disability Inclusion Group and Unlimited (for students and staff with disabilities, chronic illnesses or neurodivergence, ed.) to take another look.”
Design
‘New positioning’ for UM, meant to attract more students – is this update going to fix that? “That is a question we’ve been asked before,” say Van Herpt and Engbersen. “Positioning and communication will definitely contribute to the challenges facing UM. But there are other factors, too, such as the programmes on offer, how an open day goes, who you get to present on the day, etc.”
Lastly, is it necessary to contract an external agency (via a tender) for this job (total costs: 140,000 euros to fine-tune the positioning, refresh the ‘visual identity’ and create a ‘brand story’)? Van Herpt: “Designing is an art. We don’t have any graphic designers at UM, which is fine. It also helps to get an external party involved.”
In the next phase, “the brand story, what UM stands for” will be explored together with Vandejong, says Van Herpt. “Problem-based learning, our ‘international classroom’, the European university of the Netherlands, sure, all true, but how do we tell that story, what shape does that take, how do we ensure people outside UM really believe that? That’s what we’re working on.”