Just forget it: No 'swoosh' in NAU's new marketing plan
The results of NAU's marketing initiative, which has been under way for nearly a year, will be unveiled around the beginning of the spring semester with the introduction of the university's new logo and its overall marketing plan.

The logo will bear no resemblance to the Nike "swoosh" or the "Just Do It" tag line. The comparison was incorrectly reported in today's Arizona Daily Sun.

The new logo is the most visible piece of NAU's marketing effort, according to Carla Andrews-O'Hara, the university's interim director of marketing.

"It must be distinctly representative of NAU," Andrews-O'Hara said. "There are several aspects to the overall project, including research, visual and verbal identity components, a master marketing plan, standards manual, and an evaluation component—all of which support an integrated, strategic marketing effort."

The marketing plan, verbal and visual identity, and the standards for use will all be made public when the project is finalized.

Andrews-O'Hara is hoping to roll out the finished product in mid- to late January when students and faculty have returned after the semester break.

The new look and plan have been under development for about a year, and thousands of participants were involved in research that included surveys, interviews, and focus groups with alumni, high school teachers and guidance counselors, current and prospective students, students lost through attrition, faculty, staff and community leaders.

For information about the marketing process, contact Andrews-O'Hara at Carla.Andrews-Ohara@nau.edu.