MIT: MITES
MIT: MITES
MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science
Crafting a compelling brand for a life-changing STEM program for underrepresented pre-college students
What’s now known as MITES is an initiative within MIT that offers transformative opportunities for underrepresented and underserved high school students to foster their interest in STEM.
When we began our collaboration, MITES was named the MIT Office of Engineering Outreach Programs (OEOP). They had a variety of initiatives that were individually known, but they were under-presenting their big picture story, and a growing number of similar programs posed competition for enrollment and support.
Our team helped MITES take marketing and fundraising to the next level—so even more students could benefit.
Of seven OEOP programs (current and past), one called MITES—Minority Introduction To Engineering and Science—was the best known and most prestigious, and it had existed since OEOP’s founding. Building on this brand equity, we renamed the entire organization MITES and re-assigned the acronym to project the more encompassing “MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science.”
We then created a more streamlined, intuitive brand architecture that replaced an unhelpful perceived hierarchy across their programs—and crafted persuasive messaging that conveys the MITES’ experience and impact, a vibrant design system that resonates with young students, new collateral for marketing and fundraising, and a user-friendly website rich in storytelling. The new brand has helped the MITES team to advance their marketing and fundraising efforts—so even more students can benefit from this life-changing program.
Objectives
- Build awareness of the quality, reputation, and value of MITES opportunities
- Remove barriers to understanding and participation, to be even more inclusive
- Be understood for the breadth of the organization’s offerings
- Stand out in the field as a leader, catalyzing change in STEM
- Help students “see themselves” at MITES through generous imagery and storytelling
- Decrease perceived program hierarchy, to help students and parents find their best fit
- Create opportunities for more young scholars by strengthening fundraising
- Re-engage alumni and create a more connected community
- Build understanding within the MIT community
Collaboration
- Engaged in a comprehensive research phase with internal and external stakeholders
- Evolved guiding brand attributes, including those that set MITES apart from its competitors
- Strategized a name change to take advantage of well-known program name while decreasing bureaucratic affect
- Created a more intuitive brand architecture of programs
- Crafted storylines and a messaging framework, elevating benefits of participation and support
- Designed a bold, youthful, yet refined visual system, informed by brand attributes
- Planned, wrote, designed, and developed a vibrant, engaging, user-friendly website
- Created print / digital communications to support admissions, development, and hiring
- Documented the new strategy, messaging, and visual system so that MITES would have all as a lasting asset
Scope
- Extensive qualitative research
- Internal and competitive communication audits
- Brand strategy / architecture
- Attributes / storylines / messaging
- Naming
- Visual system
- New website, including UX / IA, design, writing, development
- Print / digital marketing communications
- Development communications
- Brand system documentation
Name, brand architecture, and primary identifier
The meaning of “OEOP” wasn’t well understood (individual words added little value), and programs sitting under the “umbrella” weren’t self-explanatory—all of which were barriers to understanding and participation. A new name and new program names help students find their best fit—and help prospective donors appreciate the full range of offerings.
Office of Outreach and Engineering Programs
MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering and Science
MITES
Primary wordmark
The MITES logo evokes diverse programs and participants, a vibrant community, and rigorous yet fun STEM study.
We developed variations of the identifier and its avatar to keep communications lively, friendly, and flexible across a range of applications.
A simplified, intuitive architecture of program names
Existing program names projected an implied, and inaccurate, hierarchy of value—with acronyms that were not self-explanatory. New program names position all programs on a level field, project “one MITES,” and communicate how and when programs are delivered—so that families can find the best fit.
SEED Academy
MITES Saturdays
MOSTEC
MITES Semester
MITES
MITES Summer
Impact-focused messaging
MITES provides transformative experiences that bolster confidence, create lifelong community, and build an exciting, challenging foundation in STEM for highly motivated 7th–12th grade students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. Catalyzing change in STEM, our goal is to advance equity and access through hands-on programs that are free of cost to participants and their families.
A lively visual system
Conveying both the rigor and fun that are central to MITES, the MITES visual system features a vibrant color palette, a signature system of geometric shapes inspired by original program logos, and bold, welcoming typography.
Our scholars are part of a close-knit community, and many consider MITES to be a part of their identity. Changing our brand was not a decision we made lightly, but the Sametz team helped us to see how much stronger our marketing and fundraising could be, how much more intuitive our program names could be, and how we could better realize our mission and provide opportunities for even more students through an evolved brand.”
Faika Weche
Director of Administration and Finance, MITES
Communicating the MITES experience
Marketing materials bring forward the benefits of participating in MITES for students and families. Generous imagery and quotes from students that speak to the MITES experience help prospects to “see myself here.”
A dynamic, engaging website
Rich media and storytelling project the MITES experience, and the new information architecture ensures that visitors can easily learn what they need to know—and take action.
Supporting recruitment and fundraising
Brochures, info sheets, thank-you notes, digital assets, and swag provide targeted opportunities to connect with constituents.
Documentation: delivering a lasting asset
A user-friendly brand book details key elements of brand strategy, naming, messaging, and design, and provides the thinking and tools to enable leadership, staff, and board to to communicate effectively—while always building brand meaning.
We could not be happier with the results of our brand evolution. We now look and feel like the transformative, leading-edge organization we are, and our students, alumni, and donors have enthusiastically embraced our new brand.”
Faika Weche