Manhattanville College Introduces New Look

It takes much more than a sleek new logo to recruit 17-year-old students to choose a college. But in a world sometimes dominated by the internet and social media, it certainly doesn't hurt.

That's part of the reason why Manhattanville College introduced a new logo Monday afternoon, part of a larger marketing and re-branding effort geared toward building a larger online presence.

"They're really looking at how to really increase their visibility and engage their constituents, specifically prospective students and parents," said J.J. Pryor, director of the school's office of communications.

Manhattanville has been working on the new icon, which will be used on the school's recently redesigned website, marketing campaigns and on social media, for the last two years. Pryor said Manhattanville hopes the new, edgier, look will be more appealing for a target audience of 15-17 year olds and their parents.

"We wanted something more three-dimensional that would look good on our social media," Pryor said. "It would just be more appealing to them in those different types of social media venues that they're now used to using."

The new look now emphasizes Reid Castle specifically, as opposed to a more generic castle in the old icon. Pryor said the castle was used after surveying a group of students, faculty and administrators who said they identify with the castle most when thinking about the school's image.

The image will be used as part of a more modern marketing campaign that includes the school's new website and a more energized effort to engage the media and general public with happenings on the school's campus.

"We realize that there's a lot of things beyond creating a new brand that builds the impression and the perception that people have about a place," said Pryor. "It's all the things you do to support that."

In order to achieve that, Pryor said the marketing effort will help broadcast the school's strengths, which is key in an era when students often make judgments about a place based on what is found online before ever stepping foot on a campus.

"I think that it's key," Pryor said. "That's what you're trying to do, is get the feel of what a college is about out there to the marketplace so that prospective students and parents can say 'I can identify with this college versus that college'."

Building that awareness is critical for all colleges and universities. With the cost of college education on the rise, showing off Manhattanville's current strengths including dedication to community, world wide student base and proximity to New York City will be key for the school moving forward, Pryor said.

"You definitely have to show value," Pryor said.