ID Project

In recent years, the university has experienced continuous and dynamic development. We have welcomed many new colleagues, introduced new subject areas, launched new research projects, established new cooperations, and opened new buildings. These developments have opened up a wide range of new opportunities as a university, but are also joined by a host of new challenges. Alongside financial considerations, we are facing changing external conditions, industries, and expectations among current and prospective students.

In this dynamic context, it is more important than ever that we maintain a clear understanding of our prospects and identity as a university. We need to align our institution with external expectations and gradually adapt and modernize our brand accordingly.  

At the same time, it is important not overturn everything in the process: our logo, for example, will most likely remain unchanged. The project is primarily a process of reflection, an opportunity to gain a shared, collaborative perspective that can lay the groundwork for a snappy new slogan, a revised visual identity, and new, practical templates, among other things.

The ID Project will support us in many areas, including student marketing, industry outreach, research proposals, and internal and external communication. In order to benefit as quickly as possible, the President's Council has decided to launch this project this year, despite other ongoing challenges.

We hope that all colleagues and students will take the opportunity to get involved. The project is designed to make taking part easy and flexible, depending on your availability and level of interest: a short, straightforward online survey allows you to share your ideas with minimal effort, while joining our focus group sessions or dedicated working group offers a chance to engage more deeply with our core questions. 

We would love for everyone to be part of this important initiative. Take a moment to learn more, fill out the survey, and/or sign up for the discussion groups (registration via e-mail to kommunikation(at)hs-gm.de). You will be able to find more information and additional ways to get involved below. 

The self-determination of our identity and brand is a signifiant milestone: it builds on everything we have accomplished as a university so far and is a vital factor in forming a strong foundation from which we can continue to grow. 

On behalf of the President’s Council, thank you for your support!

Professor Hans Reiner Schultz
President of Hochschule Geisenheim University

In detail, the goals of the ID Project are: 

• Establishing a clear perception of our identity and values, including creating a new slogan that encapsulates this image, as well as specific messages tailored to individual sectors
• Gaining an improved understanding of the composition and expectations of our external target groups
• Creating a modernized brand image for the university, including a revised corporate design specification and improved templates for a variety of use cases (e.g. posters, flyers, signs, t-shirts, merchandise, website design, social media content, and videos)

All members of the university community are invited to take part. The project will take place in the following stages: 

• Mid-June: Internal Online Survey
  The survey will be shared with all staff and students in the middle of June and will be available for around four weeks. You can currently access the survey here.
   
• June 23–25: Internal Focus Groups // Beginning of July: ‘AG Marke’
  Volunteers needed! There are currently two ways to contribute your ideas in more detail. If you're interested in registering, please write to kommunikation(at)hs-gm.de.
   
  • a) Depending on the subject and availability, we will invite a selection of around 20 volunteers to participate in 4-hour internal focus groups in small groups of 6-8 people to discuss the university's image in greater depth. The three internal focus groups will be held on June 23–25 in the mornings or afternoons.
     
  • b) Starting in July, an expanded brand image working group – the ‘AG Marke’ – will be established. This group will meet for two hours every one to three months in order to discuss detailed questions surrounding the ID Project and collect ideas for the future introduction of a modernized brand identity. Everyone is free to contribute their own interests and time as it suits. 

After analysing the university's internal identity, it's time to contrast staff and student perceptions with our external image. 

• From July: External Online Survey and External Telephone Interviews
  From mid-July to mid-August, we will be focusing on the external image of the university, i.e. how we are viewed by people outside the university community. Just like with our internal identity, this analysis is divided into two parts. First, a short online survey and then telephone interviews with selected external contributors. The degree program and department heads – as well as anyone else with contacts in external target groups – will be asked to forward the survey and invitations to interview to their contacts.
   
• August to October: Analysis of the Findings and Repositioning Process
  Further steps in consolidating and reviewing our findings, as well as developing new positions together with the Senate, will take place in the late summer. Assuming the project runs smoothly and is not delayed, the results and core ideas for the new university's new identity and branding could be presented to the Senate at the beginning of October. 

We will be holding a number of presentations about the ID Project:

• June 3: Launch in the Senate
• June 17, 12:30: Project presentation in the ZiG (lounge area on the ground floor)
• June 17, 14:00: Online project presentation, https://vc-green.hs-gm.de/b/sti-ojs-yst-rme
• June 17: Project presentation to the Committee for Teaching and Studying
• June 23: Project Presentation to the Committee for Research and Development
• June 23, 14:00: Online project presentation, https://vc-green.hs-gm.de/b/sti-ojs-yst-rme
• June 24, 14:00: Project presentation in the ZiG (lounge area on the ground floor)
• On request: Short presentations in existing team meetings in departments, companies, other committees, etc.

In addition, this website will remain up-to-date with the latest information. We will also send out updates on the project in the P3 newsletter for members of staff, as well as in the AStA newsletter and HGU app for students. 

The project will be steered and coordinated by an interdisciplinary team, made up by the following colleagues: 

• Philipp Stieffenhofer
• Nelly Sämann
• Tina Träger
• Dr. Christiane Jost
• Dr. Kai Thielking
• David Schäfer
• Tabea Dietrich
• Maximilian Unfried

The project also has external support provided by the Dortumund agency Schwarz+Matt, specialists in brand identity, marketing, and design:

• Maximilian Kersten
• Niklas Beab
• Jannis Falk
• Thi Lange

If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions about the project, please contact us at kommunikation(at)hs-gm.de. We will regularly add questions and answers to this section.

• Will the logo be changed?
  We do not forsee any changes to the current university logo. 
   
• How will the project fit in with the upcoming leadership change?
  The project is generally a positive initiative and its content is not directly linked to the change of presidency. Nonetheless, an updated brand identity is a good basis for further strategic considerations with regard to university development. If a new president is appointed in July/August, this person could of course also be involved in the process.