The university has a new comms  content and livery plan

ANU’s brand sounds self-explanatory, “our location points to our unique history, ties to the Australian Government and special standing as a resource for the Australian people,” it explains to anybody interested.

But apparently it isn’t. After years of research, ranging from asking alumni through to refining livery there is a new ANU Identity (originally called ANU Story), with a soft launch this month.

“This has been a journey to foster cohesion, reduce the issue of brand fragmentation and use research to address the cognitive dissonance between how we see ourselves versus how our community and the world sees us,” staff were told Friday.

The result is the “ANU identity framework” which “is our ‘guiding star.” The framework includes, “a visual refinement to improve recognition and reduce fragmentation, and a storytelling framework that ensures all communications from the University are identifiably and authentically of ANU.”

A learned reader suggests that “ANU” on university letterhead and communications already did that, but apparently not.

The university is now rolling out the new ANU Story, sorry Identity, with “visual updates” across “the ANU web environment” and updates to “platforms and systems” to “reflect the ANU identity.” There are also seven resources on the ANU Identity Hub. Plus, training provided by the university’s agency.

And for people who can’t see what all the work on the Identify Framework has accomplished the university explains “while these components are a subtle change they better embody our collective identity by celebrating the national role we play as a meeting point for bright minds with diverse perspectives.”

Remarkable how changing elements of a logo can make a difference.