Brand Management Strategist for U.S.-Based Online Graduate University

Scope of Work The selected partner will assess our current brand and develop a scalable brand-management framework that may include: • Brand audit of current website, admissions materials, paid and organic social, email communications, program pages, and competitor positioning • Market and competitor review of U.S. online graduate education providers • Brand positioning, differentiation, and value-proposition development • Target-audience and persona refinement, including working professionals, career changers, and employer or institutional partners • Core messaging architecture, elevator pitch, institutional narrative, and approved proof points • Program-level messaging framework adaptable across graduate programs • Brand voice, tone, writing style, and editorial guidelines • Visual identity recommendations, including consistent use of logo, typography, color, imagery, templates, and accessibility considerations • Brand governance model, review workflows, and a practical brand-approval process • Brand playbook/guidelines document and rollout recommendations • Optional: messaging and creative support for a priority enrollment campaign Key Deliverables Please propose a recommended work plan; anticipated deliverables include: 1. Brand audit and findings presentation 2. Competitor and market-positioning analysis 3. Brand platform: purpose, promise, positioning, differentiators, and audiences 4. Messaging architecture and message map 5. Brand voice and editorial standards 6. Visual-brand usage recommendations or refreshed brand guidelines 7. Brand governance and implementation roadmap 8. Final editable brand playbook, templates, and executive presentation Required Experience • 5+ years in brand strategy, brand management, or integrated marketing • Proven work with higher education, online education, graduate/professional programs, or similarly regulated service sectors • Strong portfolio demonstrating positioning, messaging, brand systems, and implementation—not only visual design • Experience conducting brand audits and stakeholder interviews • Ability to turn research and strategy into usable tools for admissions, marketing, enrollment, academic, and leadership teams • Excellent writing, facilitation, and presentation skills • Familiarity with accessibility-minded digital communications is preferred Compliance Expectations Because we operate in higher education, all recommendations and deliverables must support accurate, substantiated, and transparent marketing practices. The contractor must avoid unverified outcomes, overly broad employment or salary claims, misleading comparisons, and unsupported testimonials. FTC guidance requires advertising claims and endorsements to be truthful and non-misleading, with material connections appropriately disclosed. Experience working with institutional accreditation, consumer-information disclosures, state authorization, or enrollment-marketing review processes is a strong plus. Distance-education standards also emphasize that advertising and promotional content be truthful, accurate, clear, and reflective of the programs actually offered. Engagement Details • Engagement type: Project-based, with potential for ongoing advisory support • Timeline: Please propose a realistic timeline, typically 8–12 weeks • Work arrangement: Remote; U.S.-market experience required • Budget: Please submit a fixed-price proposal or phased budget with clearly defined deliverables Proposal Requirements Please include: • A brief overview of your relevant higher-education or online-learning experience • Two to three relevant case studies or portfolio examples • Your proposed methodology, timeline, and key milestones • Team members who would work on the project and their roles • A fixed project fee or phased pricing structure • Your approach to stakeholder interviews, approvals, and brand governance • Three examples of measurable outcomes you have achieved for similar clients