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Topic: Akron Rebranding

Topic: Akron Rebranding

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SBH
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,102

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Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 4:42:01 PM

Putting this here because this is the most active forum and, frankly, this topic has huge impact on us.

Akron's president has finally admitted that he indeed wants to rename the university "Ohio Tech."

I heard a radio interview today in which he talked about the benefits of branding yourself as "Ohio." They are dreaming of changing their logo to the state outline, etc.

WTF.

Last Edited: 8/31/2015 4:42:19 PM by SBH

Cats2014
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Member Since: 3/29/2014
Post Count: 101

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 4:49:45 PM

SBH wrote:

I agree with president. The University of Akron or Akron University or whatever they call themselves is not a brand. "Ohio Tech," like Texas Tech or Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech would be a much better brand and bring this old, tired university some new life. I know people hate change and think what was historicial is sometimes better, but in my opinion, this old school needs a change. Plus, with technology dominating the world, why not? I mean, what is the downside?

Akron still doesn't know if it is The University of Akron or Akron University.

mf279801
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Member Since: 8/6/2010
Location: Newark, DE
Post Count: 2,472

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 5:03:56 PM

West Youngstown Polymers and Polytechnical Institute? Good name for them

Paul Graham
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Member Since: 1/18/2005
Location: The Plains, OH
Post Count: 1,424

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 5:35:11 PM

Kinda feel sorry for their alums.

SBH
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 4,102

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 5:41:17 PM

My chief concern is that we're going to have another university branding itself as "O-H-I-O," watering down our own brand, such as it is.

Last Edited: 8/31/2015 5:41:32 PM by SBH

BuddyLee
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 671

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 7:11:11 PM

Not sure this really affects us much. People either know us or they don't and we'll still have to explain that we're not OSU. Nobody gonna mistake us for Ohio Tech.

Last Edited: 8/31/2015 7:12:50 PM by BuddyLee

L.C.
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Member Since: 8/31/2005
Location: United States
Post Count: 10,470

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 7:34:55 PM

Paul Graham wrote:

Kinda feel sorry for their alums.

Rebranding can be a disaster precisely because it angers alumni. My sister went to Colorado Women's College, and faced with a shortage of money, took a large donation, and changed the name to "Temple Buell", or something like that. The alumnae were furious, and stopping giving. The donation came in a form of real estate, I think, and was tied up long term. Faced with no cash at all, they returned the donation and went back to being Colorado Women's College, but it didn't take long for them to folded. As I recall, the campus ended up being purchased by Colorado State.

Last Edited: 8/31/2015 7:36:22 PM by L.C.

�We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.� ― Epictetus

The Optimist
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Location: CLE
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 7:58:41 PM

BuddyLee wrote:

Not sure this really affects us much. People either know us or they don't and we'll still have to explain that we're not OSU. Nobody gonna mistake us for Ohio Tech.

Agreed. There is more to a school than a name, but as far as names go I'll take (state name) over (state name + state/tech/a&m etc) every day.
State has managed to encroach on the OHIO name but I do not envision Tech having any success in that department.

Only one OHIO. 1804.

I've seen crazier things happen.

colobobcat66
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Member Since: 9/1/2006
Location: Watching the bobcats run outside my window., CO
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 8:04:05 PM

For you guys in the know-are they known for their technology offerings? A name is more than just what you call yourself-does it match what you are?

RSBobcat
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Member Since: 8/22/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,427

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 8:14:36 PM

NM.....OT.....

RS Bobcat

perimeterpost
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Member Since: 7/6/2010
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 9:38:06 PM

Paul Graham wrote:

Kinda feel sorry for their alums.

I have some friends who graduated from what is currently known as Texas State University. They are not pleased with their alma mater's seemingly constant name changing.

1899 Southwest Texas State Normal School
1918 Southwest Texas State Normal College
1923 Southwest Texas State Teachers College
1959 Southwest Texas State College
1969 Southwest Texas State University
2003 Texas State University- San Marcos
2013 Texas State University

As for "Ohio Tech" I say- good luck. btw, our lawyers better be all over locking up what belongs to the real OHIO. No more soft, lets all be friends and settle this peacefully, approach like we did with that school in Columbus.

MY STATE. MY TEAM.

Mark Lembright '85
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Member Since: 8/22/2010
Location: Highland Heights, OH
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 9:45:36 PM

SBH wrote:

My chief concern is that we're going to have another university branding itself as "O-H-I-O," watering down our own brand, such as it is.

I'm not too worried. I'm not too sure they (Akron) thought this one out too well. Their new initials will be O.P.U. Say that out loud.

I'll take O-H-I-O any day.

Edit: As Akron now calls itself Ohio's Polytechnic University, I'm assuming the new name would be Ohio Polytechnic University.

Last Edited: 8/31/2015 9:50:40 PM by Mark Lembright '85

Don Sebera
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 10:10:50 PM

It's been a long while since I lurked around here, but this caught my eye and I had to comment. Ohio Tech to me does not come across like GT, VT, or TT. Honestly when I hear it I think tech more in the community college sense, but I guess it takes a while for a reputation to be built.

OU_Country
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Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 10:39:54 PM

Mark Lembright '85 wrote:

SBH wrote:

My chief concern is that we're going to have another university branding itself as "O-H-I-O," watering down our own brand, such as it is.

Love it... OPU...

MonroeClassmate
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Member Since: 8/31/2010
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 11:18:03 PM

SBH wrote:

My chief concern is that we're going to have another university branding itself as "O-H-I-O," watering down our own brand, such as it is.

IMO--With two teams in the same conference starting with the same name, the announcers and journalists will call them: Ohio Tech and Ohio U.

Perhaps as a founding member OHIO University should make the case: change your name and change your conference.

TWT
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Location: Alexandria, VA
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 8/31/2015 11:57:38 PM

BuddyLee wrote:

Not sure this really affects us much. People either know us or they don't and we'll still have to explain that we're not OSU. Nobody gonna mistake us for Ohio Tech.

The school I see impacted the most here is Toledo. They are a school that prides themselves as a technical college. If you're from the Cleveland area wanting to major in IT and you have full rides to Toledo and Ohio Tech you will feel safer with that Ohio Tech name on that degree. Only in technical and engineering fields would it be a draw. Ohio University has a strong liberal arts reputation for a public university and is in a pure college town. Virginia Tech is so much different from Akron in that its the land grant school and its in a great college town so its a safe bet to attend for any type of degree.

Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086

TheBobcatBandit
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Member Since: 8/25/2013
Post Count: 618

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 1:25:04 AM

I have no clue why they would do this. Adding another school that has O-H-I-O is going to make it more confusing then it already is. What's so bad with the name Akron? Everyone knows where it is because of LeBron and it's not that small of a city. Not to mention they have a nationally renown soccer team and there other sports teams have to be regionally respected. Ask people where Ohio, Ohio Tech, Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio Northern are. Most people have no clue. Ask people where Akron is or what U of A is they will know. At least in Ohio. They will lose a huge part of their identity by switching. What's the point of rebranding if you lose notoriety? Isn't that a huge part of it. For more people to know who you are. Applications will fall because people have no clue what this school is and for a school needing money that can't be a good thing. They have a lot of good non tech programs too, so trying to focus on just that makes no sense either. Why don't they do something similar to what Buffalo did? That would be wayyyyy better for them.

OUcats82
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Member Since: 1/9/2005
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Post Count: 1,862

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 9:06:28 AM

I can appreciate their desire to move forward on this project but I think it will likely end up creating more of a punchline than anything for them. The name "Ohio Tech" will strike most as another pop up, fly by night, for profit university that advertises on daytime TV.

Something like this gem......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fj23I8hgj28

Ohio-The State University

Monroe Slavin
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Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Oxnard, CA
Post Count: 9,121

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 10:14:35 AM

I thought their "We're not Akron" campaign of a few years ago was genius.

Where's the band?!
WHERE"S THE BAND?!

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DelBobcat
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Member Since: 8/26/2010
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 12:56:38 PM

TheBobcatBandit wrote:

Ask people where Akron is or what U of A is they will know. At least in Ohio.

Only in Ohio. No one else in the world knows where Akron is. Some people MIGHT be able to point out that it is in Ohio, but definitely nothing more specific than that.

As UA they only appeal to people in Northeast Ohio really. No one in Cincinnati is considering going to Akron. The Ohio market, and especially the Northeast Ohio market is saturated with schools competing for the same students. After Ohio, Miami, Cincinnati, and OSU all of the other state schools are interchangeable to most people and competing for the same small crop of in-state students. A name like Ohio Tech would potentially set them apart from those other institutions and maybe even get them some recognition outside of Ohio. Or it'll fail miserably. But Akron is in pretty dire straits as it is, so why not try the hail mary?

BA OHIO 2010, BS OHIO 2010, MA Delaware 2012

DelBobcat
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Location: Cincinnati, OH
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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 12:59:21 PM

Paul Graham wrote:

Kinda feel sorry for their alums.

Rowan University (formerly Glassboro State College) in South Jersey sells throwback Glassboro State gear for alumni that are nostalgic about the old name. It has helped soften the blow of the name change I think and also been a huge hit for merchandise sales.

BA OHIO 2010, BS OHIO 2010, MA Delaware 2012

C Money
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Member Since: 8/28/2010
Post Count: 3,420

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 1:15:17 PM

Unfortunately for Kron, it's not as simple as "rebranding." The whole "University of Akron" name thingy is kinda sorta set into law by the General Assembly:

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3359

Although they have to tolerate us, osu would never let the GA change Kron's name to "Ohio" anything.

Mike Johnson
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Member Since: 11/11/2004
Location: North Canton, OH
Post Count: 1,730

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 1:23:56 PM

OUcats82 wrote:

If Ohio Tech becomes reality, to many not in the know, it could well be mistaken as one of the sleazy for-profits with in-the-cellar grad rates.

http://www.facebook.com/mikejohnson.author

Alan Swank
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Member Since: 12/11/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 7,124

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 2:41:50 PM

Found this little tidbit on quick facts about Akron interesting:

1959: The University's first doctoral degree was awarded, in polymer science. In so doing, Akron became the fifth Ohio university to offer doctoral work, following Ohio State, Western Reserve, Case and Cincinnati

TheBobcatBandit
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Post Count: 618

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RE: Akron Rebranding

Posted: 9/1/2015 2:58:35 PM

DelBobcat wrote:

TheBobcatBandit wrote:

Ask people where Akron is or what U of A is they will know. At least in Ohio.

I don't get how it would set them apart when there're numerous other schools with the word Ohio in it. Also numerous other schools with the word tech in it. However there're 0 other schools with the word Akron in it. It would make some sense if most of their schools students were tech majors but they're not. They would be alienating most of their student population. Which is bound to lead to mass protest. I've seen a petition or two on Facebook already from people who went to my high school urging for them not to change their name.

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