In late 2018, we embarked on a project with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism to develop an optimal brand and marketing strategy to increase the revenue generating potential for the school’s three RevGen media units: Berkeley Advanced Media Institute (AMI), North Gate Studios, and Podcast Services.

Our process followed a brand roadmap to: 1) understand the internal and external perceptions (Who are we?, Who are we perceived to be?); 2) discover the expectations of potential customers (What does the market want?) and uncover possibilities and opportunities (Who do we want to be?, Who can we be?); and 3) guide strategic direction (We declare who we are, We define our strategy.

Our 4-phase approach included an internal materials audit, competitive audit, and stakeholder interviews in phase I. Phase II was comprised of an online survey of current customers. In Phase III we sought to understand the needs and expectations of target audiences through online video interviews with media professionals. For each of these phases, we delivered a topline summary of findings.

Lastly, we conducted a 3-hour interactive worksession with the entire RevGen team to generate and then focus potential ideas in order to guide the final strategy.

The outcome of the project was a 60-page final report detailing recommended positioning, messaging, branding and marketing strategies that align the three units under a bold new umbrella brand that positions the organization for more efficient operations and future growth.