Jepson School ascendant
Jepson means leadership. Just ask any Spider who has attended the University of Richmond since the Jepson School of Leadership Studies admitted its first class in 1992. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to know.
In late September, the School—in partnership with its Executive Board of Advisors and University Communications and with thanks to many generous alumni donors—launched a branding campaign, a subset of the University’s larger branding campaign. In the initial phase, the Jepson campaign targets the Washington, D.C., and New York City markets by featuring digital ads on the websites of major print, television, and radio media outlets.
“Jepson is not just the nation’s first undergraduate school of leadership studies,” said Jepson School Dean Sandra Peart. “We are also the best. We want everyone from C-suite executives to top government officials to nonprofit executive directors to equate Jepson and our alumni with leadership excellence.”
The campaign’s simple, bold digital ads comprise the School’s logo, the University’s signature blue-and-red graphics, and succinct messages: Jepson, leadership for change; Jepson, leadership for impact; Jepson, leadership with purpose; Jepson, leadership for life; Jepson, leadership to inspire.
When viewers click the digital ads, they are directed to a landing page with stories of Jepson alumni who are leaders in fields as varied as health care, sports management, workforce development, banking, and international human rights. The page also includes media placements that highlight the expertise of the School’s multidisciplinary faculty.
“With our 30th anniversary coming up in 2022, it is time to tell our story more broadly,” Peart said. “Jepson educates students about leadership and graduates alumni who know how to lead. Our alumni succeed as leaders in the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.
“Simply put, we want top employers to think of our graduates first when they look to hire leaders. Jepson is leadership for success.”