NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE RELATIONS TO LEAD MAJOR MARKETING INITIATIVE

As a marketing manager for Sports Illustrated in the early 1990s, Ed Sevilla was involved in an intensive, research-driven effort to evaluate the magazine’s “brand”—that is, the top-of-mind qualities the public associates with SI. “When we listened to our customers and constituents, it became clear that great writing and great photography were the core components of the brand’s value,” Sevilla says. “Once all members of the management team understood that, we were all able to make decisions that better served the magazine’s readers, advertisers, and mission.”

As Bryant’s new Executive Director of College Relations, Sevilla is overseeing a College-wide branding and positioning initiative similar to SI’s. The project will examine how Bryant is positioned in the marketplace compared with its competitors and how it defines and communicates its brand to various constituencies.

“At its heart a college is about students and learning, so marketing at a college is fundamentally different
from the marketing challenges I’ve faced in the private sector,” Sevilla says. “This is not about marketing Bryant College the way companies market shoes or soft drinks. At Bryant, it’s the students, the faculty, and the learning that form the essence of the place, and that drives the brand, positioning, and subsequent marketing communications.”

The College is partnering on the branding project with Stamats Communications, a leading marketing consultancy in the higher education field. The process will begin by conducting qualitative and quantitative research to identify how the College is perceived by past, current, and future students (both undergraduate and graduate), as well as faculty, business leaders, and other influencers. Following the research phase, Stamats will draft a positioning platform statement, a document that presents a common language as well as shared stories and values around which Bryant will build all its future marketing and communication efforts. This will ensure that Bryant’s messages are consistent and amplify one another.

The positioning will first affect undergraduate recruitment publications in next year’s cycle, beginning this summer. Then College Relations will work with the rest of the College to incorporate the brand into the Web site print materials, advertising, and public relations. The brand focus will also help other areas of the College in planning and implementing their activities.

“Bryant College is in an incredibly fortunate position,” Sevilla adds. “With new majors, completion of the Wellness Center, and the new George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology coming on-stream—not to mention an outstanding faculty—the quality of the Bryant College experience has leapfrogged ahead of market perceptions. Now it’s time to get the word out about all of this.”

Prior to joining Bryant College in January 2002, Sevilla was involved with Upromise, a firm that works with major companies to offer families a new way to save money for college. His 13-year professional background also includes experience with such high-profile brands as Time Warner, AT&T, Kodak, America Online, Century 21, and McDonald’s.

Sevilla also brings a strong academic background and extensive public service experience to Bryant.
He has a B.A. from Yale in American history, graduating magna cum laude, and an M.B.A. in marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a strategic advisor to New Leaders for New Schools, a national nonprofit organization involved in recruiting, training, and placing the next generation of urban school principals. In addition, Sevilla served as a U.S. Foreign Service officer during the Reagan Administration at consulates in China and Hong Kong.