Dawson College launching Branding Project

Building on over 50 years of history, Dawson College is embarking on a Branding Project today.

“Over the years, Dawson has established a reputation as a CEGEP with excellent and innovative academic programs and an active campus life, with opportunities to grow and learn both inside and outside of the classroom,” said Director General Diane Gauvin. “We have much to be proud of.”

Project goals
While Dawson has a great reputation and a long history as Quebec’s first English-language CEGEP, the College can always do more to articulate its unique value. Branding includes the visual look of an organization (including its logo) and its reputation. Branding has been described as “what people say about you when you leave the room.”

The ultimate objective is to ensure that the College presents itself in the best and most authentic way to current and potential students, employees, alumni, partners and donors.

Surveying all students and employees
Research and consultation with the community is an essential part of the project. On April 7, surveys will be deployed to gather insights from the community. There will be a survey in Dawson’s Omnivox (intranet) for students and employees. Board of Governors members, Dawson College Foundation Board members, alumni, retirees and others will also have the opportunity to complete a survey online.

In addition, a cross section of about 20 employees and students selected based on their expertise and/or role within the College will participate in a Focus Group.  This group will provide important additional insights and contributions to the development of a new brand.

Building on a proud history
The Branding Project of Dawson College will build upon Dawson’s best attributes and values. Unlike branding a new organization, Dawson College has a proud history to draw upon as well as a variety of established colours, logos and materials.

“One of the main aims of this project is to streamline what we already have,” said Coordinator of Communications Megan Ainscow. “We will be working together to identify and select the best of Dawson.”

Project plan
The project will take place over the next few months. A soft launch is planned for the beginning of the Winter 2022 semester.

The hope is that the project will engage the Dawson community in a positive way. At the end, we will have clearly articulated Dawson’s unique value to our community and society at large. We will also have a roadmap to follow to ensure that in the months and years ahead all of Dawson’s physical signage and digital images are consistent with the new brand.

The project is being led by Coordinator of Communications Megan Ainscow and Communications Advisors Dana Dragomir and Christina Parsons. SIVA Marketing was selected for this mandate via a Call for Tender. Their experience includes work with post-secondary educational institutions and large corporations such as CN and Bombardier.



Last Modified: April 13, 2021