INTRODUCING Erika Austin and Emily Blue

Monday MORNING BREAKOUT SESSION  9:45-10:30 a.m.

From Brand Cops to Brand Collaborators: Successfully Enforcing Brand Governance

Abstract
Since 1987, a policy has existed relating to brand governance at Purdue University, but it was never effectively communicated to the university system. This led to an inconsistent and incoherent brand identity for the university. Everything changed in July 2017, when the university president issued a memo clarifying that Marketing & Media was the administrative unit tasked with the management and protection of the university’s brand as well as all the federally registered and established by-use trademarks. In this session, you’ll learn how we successfully navigated our renewed brand enforcement position through the creation of a new Brand Management and Operations unit, a thorough stakeholder communications plan, and updated brand resources, including an online cobrand logo generator.

Bio
Erika Austin joined Purdue Marketing and Media in Summer 2016 as Manager of Trademarks & Licensing. Erika manages and protects the Purdue brand while leveraging licensed vendors to enhance university development and visibility nationwide. Erika's intercollegiate athletics career started as an Assistant Sports Information Director at the University of South Carolina and Georgia Tech, respectively, for a combined six years. She served as assistant director of corporate alliances at the NCAA, a position she assumed from April 2003 to January 2010. Prior to joining the NCAA, Erika worked at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana as a consumer marketing associate, managing numerous vendor relationships and supporting strategic product launches for two years. Prior to joining Eli Lilly and Company, she worked at Deloitte & Touche in Atlanta, Georgia and Indianapolis as an Assistant Director of Corporate Communications for three years. Erika received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Indiana University – Purdue University at Indianapolis and a Masters of Sports Administration degree at Ohio University.

Emily Blue received her BA in Communications with an emphasis in Advertising from Purdue University, and started her career as a copywriter for Dearing Group, a full-service advertising agency located in Lafayette, Indiana. During her two years as copywriter, Emily won a handful of ADDY awards for her work on successful campaigns in collegiate athletics, healthcare and finance. She was promoted to Media Director in 2007. She also was an adjunct professor of communications at Purdue from 2007-13. Emily rejoined her alma matter in 2011 as a marketing strategist within Purdue’s Office of Marketing & Media, where she assisted college partners in the development of strategic marketing and communications plans and solutions. In 2015, she began as manager of brand, advertising and sponsorships and was charged with developing and implementing projects and initiatives to increase brand awareness for Purdue through insightful brand, paid media, advertising and sponsorship planning. Primary responsibilities include working with internal departments and student organizations, as well as with Purdue’s three other campuses – Purdue Northwest, Purdue Fort Wayne and Purdue Global – to ensure proper brand usage. Emily will wrap up her Masters in Higher Education degree from Purdue University Global this fall.