Brandon R. Johnson

Drexel University — Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

What This Work Represents

This work demonstrates institutional brand leadership under constraint—balancing creativity and governance, autonomy and alignment, speed and sustainability.

It reflects a shift from marketing as output to brand as infrastructure.

Context

The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design operates within a large, research-driven university system while competing nationally in highly creative, brand-sensitive disciplines including design, fashion, media, and performing arts.

Marketing demand was high. Resources were lean. Brand expression across programs, digital platforms, and recruitment materials had become fragmented and inconsistent.

The college needed not more marketing—but greater clarity and coherence.

Challenge

Westphal’s creative strength was undeniable, yet its identity lacked disciplined articulation within the broader Drexel University brand architecture.

Key issues included:

• Inconsistent visual and narrative expression across departments
• Reactive marketing workflows driven by volume rather than strategy
• Platform sprawl across web and social channels
• Limited governance for brand standards and content systems
• Growing demand for recruitment, event, and executive visibility

The risk was not underperformance—it was dilution.

Insight

Brand elevation inside a complex university system requires balance.

Westphal needed a distinct and compelling identity that remained aligned with the Drexel master brand. Sustainable impact would come not from louder campaigns, but from a clear value proposition and repeatable systems that empowered teams to operate with consistency and confidence.

Clarity before amplification.

Strategic Approach

I led a comprehensive effort to strengthen brand articulation and build scalable infrastructure.

Core decisions included:

• Defining a disciplined brand identity and narrative framework aligned with the university master brand
• Articulating a clear value proposition (“Why Westphal”) to guide recruitment and messaging
• Shifting from one-off deliverables to scalable design and content systems
• Streamlining digital platforms and focusing investment where audience impact and institutional value were strongest
• Establishing governance standards and workflow structures to reduce friction and improve quality

Execution

• Directed a brand identity refresh and developed a visual design system for internal teams
• Strengthened and clarified the primary college website while expanding discipline-specific storytelling
• Streamlined and professionalized social media strategy; expanded YouTube and LinkedIn to reflect industry relevance
• Provided brand direction and institutional alignment for marquee initiatives including the Drexel Fashion Show, WestPhest, major exhibitions, and national conferences
• Implemented clearer policies, martech-enabled workflows, and role alignment to stabilize and elevate team performance

Impact

• Established a coherent and disciplined brand expression across digital and recruitment touchpoints
• Clarified Westphal’s value proposition for prospective students, partners, and internal stakeholders
• Reduced operational friction and shifted marketing from reactive service delivery to strategic brand stewardship
• Built durable systems capable of sustaining growth within institutional constraints
• Strengthened the credibility and confidence of the marketing function within the college