The college that rewrote the script
Spartanburg Methodist College
THE ASK
Spartanburg Methodist College came to SLANT at a moment of widespread uncertainty across higher education — and for SMC, it was also a moment of opportunity. Applications and enrollment were trending up even as small, independent colleges across the country were confronting existential crises, or closing altogether.
The problem? Their brand wasn't telling that story. Not even close.
THE OUTCOME
We gave SMC the clarity they'd earned. A sharply defined brand position and voice became the rocket fuel for everything that followed: honoring their history without getting stuck in it, speaking to first-generation students as fluently as they do to alumni and donors, and giving faculty, staff, and the broader community something to genuinely rally behind. And we made sure they looked the part, too.
The result was clear, confident, and unmistakably SMC.
WHAT WE DID
Brand Strategy
Messaging Strategy
Brand Identity System
Strategic Marketing
SMC IS WHAT COLLEGE SHOULD BE
After extensive research, repeated campus visits, and dozens of interviews and focus groups with students, alumni and other stakeholders, SLANT worked closely with SMC leadership to build a refreshed brand platform rooted in a simple, powerful idea: SMC is what college should be.
“What college should be” works for SMC because it addresses the gap so many students and families feel today. As higher education has become more expensive, it has also become harder to justify, especially for first-generation students looking for a clear path to a career.
SMC is intentionally rewriting the script. The college keeps costs low, builds support systems that actually meet students where they are, and puts real-world preparation at the center of the academic experience.
Feedback given by SMC students, alumni, staff, and board members.
A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS ARE SET UP TO SUCCEED
Even before it became a national trend, SMC committed to a curriculum that helps every student build confidence, direction, and marketable skills. And they do it while preserving the heart the college has always been known for: a place where students feel seen and set up to succeed.
SMC was already delivering a college experience people say they want. “What college should be” gave them a confident, unifying way to tell that story. This concept became the backbone of a complete messaging system that serves as an invitation, an expectation, and a point of pride.
Eduventures studies about the overall landscape of higher education, student engagement, recruitment, and enrollment trends served as a jumping-off point for our work.
FROM THAT FOUNDATION WE BUILT:
A unified narrative showing how SMC gives students the support and direction they need to take their next steps.
Message frameworks tailored to prospective students, families, faculty/staff, alumni, and donors.
A flexible, modern voice that connected authentically with students while projecting confidence to the community.
A modern, more flexible identity system to give their materials variety and staying power.
Creative concepts for admissions and advancement, digital content, and campus materials that brought “What college should be” to life.
Collaborative alignment sessions to help internal teams adopt and sustain the new brand language.
We didn’t change SMC’s identity, we simply clarified it – giving them a confident, consistent way to express it.
THE RESULTS
The response across campus was swift and the new brand direction clicked in a way that's rare. Current and prospective students see themselves in it, faculty and staff are aligned, and alumni and board members have embraced the refreshed identity. Local business and civic leaders now see SMC more clearly as a vital community partner.
Applications are up. Enrollment is up. Engagement is up. SMC is outperforming the broader landscape of higher education at a time when many institutions are contracting.
And while the college deserves the credit, the president and other leaders have said the brand work has played a meaningful role in the momentum. This project is a testament to what happens when a college with a strong mission, innovative model, and growing momentum gets a brand to match.
