Rebrand and messaging, integrated marketing strategy drive increased brand awareness, engagement and applications across key programs.
Rockhurst University, a Jesuit institution based in Kansas City, came to Crux to redefine its brand to better reflect its values, elevate its market position, and increase applications across undergraduate, graduate and specialty programs. With heightened competition and shifting audience expectations, Rockhurst needed a brand and marketing approach grounded in research and built for impact.
The engagement began with deep research and a comprehensive brand audit to understand the perceptions, values and motivations of Rockhurst’s core audiences. From there, Crux crafted an over –arching strategy to shape a compelling brand narrative, messaging pillars, and tagline that captured the institution’s unique blend of academic excellence, ethical leadership, and purpose-driven education while differentiating it in a crowded landscape.
The team then launched a newly migrated, modern website to support a better digital experience for prospective students. A multi-channel advertising campaign followed across digital, billboards, transit and paid placements—introducing the new tagline: “Lead with Courage. Live with Purpose.”
The full brand rollout included a compelling brand anthem video, optimized paid media campaigns, targeted landing pages and coordinated press coverage that helped drive significant awareness and engagement.
This strategic brand work has delivered powerful results, both in brand perception and bottom-line performance:
