Queens University moves to redefine its strengths through branding campaign

Listen closely and you’ll likely hear things you didn’t know about Queens University of Charlotte.

That’s because leaders at Queens are done with having the 159-year-old institution known mainly as Charlotte’s best-kept secret.

With a rebranding campaign now underway, the goal is to explain exactly what makes this place stand out.

Going forward, you’re likely to hear that Queens is in a dynamic city where its 2,250 students can balance their studies in small classes with internships in big (or little) companies that can help them become enlightened and productive leaders.

“The higher education landscape is a competitive environment,” said Jennifer Johnson, associate vice president of marketing. “It’s more important than ever to articulate what is special and different about you.”

Until now, research showed that many people didn’t know much about Queens, its 41 majors or its 11 master’s degree programs. That shouldn’t be the case, officials at Queens say, when its assets include the McColl School of Business, the Knight School of Communication, the Cato School of Education, as well as the Blair College of Health and its Presbyterian School of Nursing.

And how many among us knew that Queens started as a college for women and became a coed institution in 1987? Or that it began offering master’s degrees in 2002?

Well, you may see stats like that more often from Queens, along with a redesigned logo that better suits the university’s new direction.

This whole exercise of figuring out what attributes define Queens University finally settled on a couple of major points, including the fact that this university is special, in part, because of its connection to the city.

“At Queens, we’re a stone’s throw from the heart of Charlotte – a vibrant metropolis with meaningful internship opportunities in almost any industry,” a statement from Queens said.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Queens University moves to redefine its strengths through branding campaign."