Case Study: North Dakota State University strengthens its national brand with Simpson Scarborough

North Dakota State University prepares for a fall 2025 brand launch with Simpson Scarborough

North Dakota State University, a land-grant and R1 research university, faced a challenge with outdated perceptions that it was solely an agriculture school. This created a gap between its internal reality of research and innovation and its external reputation, hindering its ability to position itself as a leading national institution. The university partnered with SimpsonScarborough for research, analytics, strategy, and creative services to address this.

SimpsonScarborough developed a comprehensive brand strategy and creative identity that redefined the institution's Bison spirit to connect its land-grant heritage to workforce readiness and innovation. The new positioning unified the campus and laid the groundwork for a future recruitment campaign. While a major campaign launch is planned for 2025, the strategy successfully aligned internal stakeholders and is set to strengthen enrollment positioning and expand the university's reputation.

North Dakota State University