A Degree in Doing Things Differently
Spartanburg Methodist College
THE ASK
Spartanburg Methodist College came to SLANT at a moment of widespread uncertainty across higher education. For SMC, it was also a moment of opportunity.
After years of innovating on curriculum, degree pathways, student support, and financial aid, applications and enrollment were moving in the right direction, even while many other small, independent colleges across the country were confronting existential crises — or even closing.
But despite bucking those trends, SMC leaders felt the school’s story wasn’t fully capturing that, nor who they were or how they were doing it.
THE OUTCOME
A brand that feels authentic to SMC’s dare-to-be-different mindset and innovative curriculum, while remaining grounded in and connected to its proud history. A message that speaks to first-generation students as clearly as it does to alumni and parents. A voice that makes faculty and staff proud. And a narrative that partners, donors, and the broader community can rally behind.
This special school in South Carolina got clarity — and something unmistakably SMC.
WHAT WE DID
Brand Strategy
Messaging Strategy
Brand Identity System
Strategic Marketing
SMC IS WHAT COLLEGE SHOULD BE
After hours of 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 that 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 are seen and set up to succeed.
In other words, SMC is delivering the kind of college experience people say they want. A renewed brand strategy anchored by “What college should be.” gave the institution a confident, unifying way to tell that story at the exact moment it needed it.
That concept became the backbone of a complete messaging system, serving 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 immediate and overwhelming. The new brand direction clicked.
Current and prospective students see themselves in it. Faculty and staff are aligned. Alumni and board members embraced the refreshed identity. Local business and civic leaders 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.
