Bethel Completes Branding Initiative

Bethel University has unveiled a new logo, which is the final phase of the university’s two-year branding project. The branding initiative was a critical part of accomplishing one of the university’s strategic priorities—to clearly articulate the distinctiveness of a Bethel University education in a way that distinguishes Bethel within a crowded higher education marketplace.

“Our brand communicates the essence of who we are. While our core values and mission never change, it’s important to look at our image and messages, and talk to our community about the things that make Bethel unique, so we can all effectively tell the Bethel story,” says Michael Vedders, director of web and creative services, who co-led the branding project. “It’s been 10 years since we last examined our brand and asked constituents to evaluate the institution’s image and messages, so it was a good time for this project. Ultimately, it’s an investment in the future.”

For the logo, the goal was to develop a more cohesive and unified representation of all the schools—Bethel Seminary, the College of Adult & Professional Studies, the Graduate School, and the College of Arts & Sciences. After months of research and talking to many stakeholders—including staff, faculty, Board of Trustee members, alumni, donors, and students—about what the visual identity should reflect, one unanimously popular version emerged as the clear choice.

In the new logo, the familiar Bethel blue and gold colors remain. Added to the university’s name is a torch to represent light, which connects to Bethel’s strong spiritual ties and  pietistic heritage, and to the quest for truth—the essence of education. The crest adds to the academic and traditional feel of the icon as a whole and connects back to Bethel’s Swedish roots. The “1871” banner represents the university’s founding and strength as a well-established institution.

To read more about Bethel’s new logo, visit the Office of Communications and Marketing’s website.