Widmeyer.com


	Ford Motor Company Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (FPAS) Brand New Thinking Ford PAS (formerly Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences, FAMS) is an academically rigorous program that introduces high school students to the concepts, challenges and skills necessary in post secondary classrooms and in the workplace they will face as adults. The program uses coordinated learning opportunities that include community-wide cooperative efforts and innovative partnerships with local high schools, area colleges and universities and local businesses to equip students to better understand and deal with the realities of higher education and business. Communications Challenge The Ford PAS program had been marketed for three years to area high schools, universities and businesses and established a foothold locally in the Detroit area. In trying to expand the program, Ford found that the brand suffered from the perception of being too vocationally oriented and this prevented access to places Ford thought it needed to be and from growing beyond the Detroit manufacturing region where it was best known. How could FAMS reinvent its brand and orientation in the marketplace without losing the current equity and program recognition within the education community and expand the program into the other key markets nationally? Strategies Combining our extensive knowledge in results-oriented communications, in-house research and polling and design and advertising capabilities, Widmeyer Communications devised a comprehensive branding strategy. Tactics Convened a Branding SummitÂ® with six key decision makers with FPAS, Ford and EDC the curriculum content developer to confirm goals and objectives, messages, audiences of the new brand, criteria for developing new brand names and tagline, and determine preliminary logo and design directions. Summarized summit findings into a final document that served as a blueprint for repositioning the brand. Developed an online survey to test the best choices for new brand names, taglines and logos. Completed a final FPAS brand and produced marketing communication materials, provided a Web audit and council on Web architecture, functionality and redesign to support the brand re-launch effort. Extended the brand to other outreach materials including exhibits, video and a series of 15 curriculum books supporting the new brand and content. Results Without losing momentum, the new FPAS brand was launched and has continued to receive favorable recognition among the media, the secondary and post secondary education community, and businesses. Today the program claims a national and growing network and is the Ford Motor Company's premier partnership program with public education.

Ford Motor Company Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (FPAS)

Brand New Thinking

Ford PAS (formerly Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences, FAMS) is an academically rigorous program that introduces high school students to the concepts, challenges and skills necessary in post secondary classrooms and in the workplace they will face as adults.
The program uses coordinated learning opportunities that include community-wide cooperative efforts and innovative partnerships with local high schools, area colleges and universities and local businesses to equip students to better understand and deal with the realities of higher education and business.

Communications Challenge

The Ford PAS program had been marketed for three years to area high schools, universities and businesses and established a foothold locally in the Detroit area. In trying to expand the program, Ford found that the brand suffered from the perception of being too vocationally oriented and this prevented access to places Ford thought it needed to be and from growing beyond the Detroit manufacturing region where it was best known.
How could FAMS reinvent its brand and orientation in the marketplace without losing the current equity and program recognition within the education community and expand the program into the other key markets nationally?

Strategies

Combining our extensive knowledge in results-oriented communications, in-house research and polling and design and advertising capabilities, Widmeyer Communications devised a comprehensive branding strategy.

Tactics

Convened a Branding SummitÂ® with six key decision makers with FPAS, Ford and EDC the curriculum content developer to confirm goals and objectives, messages, audiences of the new brand, criteria for developing new brand names and tagline, and determine preliminary logo and design directions. Summarized summit findings into a final document that served as a blueprint for repositioning the brand.
Developed an online survey to test the best choices for new brand names, taglines and logos.
Completed a final FPAS brand and produced marketing communication materials, provided a Web audit and council on Web architecture, functionality and redesign to support the brand re-launch effort.
Extended the brand to other outreach materials including exhibits, video and a series of 15 curriculum books supporting the new brand and content.

Results

Without losing momentum, the new FPAS brand was launched and has continued to receive favorable recognition among the media, the secondary and post secondary education community, and businesses. Today the program claims a national and growing network and is the Ford Motor Company's premier partnership program with public education.