University of Illinois Alumni Association

All-Inclusive Membership Model


Filed Under
  • Print, Advertising & Marketing

Scope of Project
  • Advertising & Marketing
  • Graphic Design
  • Copy Writing
  • Print Collateral
  • Direct Mail

The University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA) chose McKenzie Wagner in 2008 as the agency to launch its new all-inclusive membership model with alumni, students, and friends from the three University of Illinois campuses—Illinois, UIC, and UIS. Under the 135-year-old dues-based model, Illinois had emerged as one of the top Alumni Associations in the country. Goals for the new automatic-membership model were to expand the base of alumni engagement with all three campuses, and over time, to build philanthropic giving to the organization (to replace dues revenue needed for operations/programs). 

MW studied existing research results and conducted stakeholder interviews as the basis for building a marketing and branding strategy to position and to introduce the new model to a number of different segments of the nearly 600,000 alumni base, as well as current students, from the three campuses. The established UIAA brand identity needed to be re-invented to more directly appeal emotionally to alumni from each of the three campuses, while still providing a unifying UIAA identity.

To accomplish the goals, MW developed a creative approach and graphic package that made the look and feel for each campus dominant but also integrated with the UIAA umbrella in a strong secondary position. The family of materials had common elements and consistency to develop a recognizable UIAA identity, but materials for each campus used the colors, landmarks, and imagery of the campus to evoke the strongest emotional response and connection from its alumni. The UIAA logo and common graphic elements unified the materials and presented three distinct campus versions of visually related materials, all part of a UIAA package.  

The initial mailings, appeals, and announcements produced revenue equal to the previous dues-based appeals—which was the goal. 

University of Illinois Alumni Association - Membership Brochures
University of Illinois Alumni Association - Membership Brochures
University of Illinois Alumni Association - Membership Brochures
University of Illinois Alumni Association - Membership Brochures
University of Illinois Alumni Association - Membership Brochures
University of Illinois Alumni Association - Membership Brochures