Branding Your Mentorship Program

If you want to drive a culture of mentorship at your institution, your mentorship program needs to be a visible and integrated aspect of the student experience. Not only do students need to know about your mentorship initiative, they need to be convinced that it will specifically benefit them and is worth their time.

Clear Purpose & Value

When promoting your mentorship program, having a clear purpose and value is essential to attract and retain participants. Clearly articulating the mentorship program’s purpose and value helps potential mentees and mentors understand:

• What is this program?
• How is this program different from others at the institution?
• Why is participation in this program beneficial?

This clarity on the “what” and “why” or your mentorship program can create a compelling narrative that resonates with your students and aligns with their goals. Beyond encouraging students to sign up, clear purpose and value can also foster ongoing commitment and engagement in the program.

Consistent Branding & Messaging

Consistency in branding and messaging across your entire institution and promotional efforts is vital for the success of your mentorship program. No matter how students learn about the program, they should be receiving the same message. You must provide clarity to stakeholders across your entire campus, and provide the necessary information and materials to keep the message on brand. 

What you say and how you say it are equally valuable. Familiarity plays a key role in how you brand and promote your program. What existing institutional terminology, design elements, terminology, and promotional best practices can you use for your mentorship program? When your program aligns with the larger institution and participants' expectations, it fosters a sense of trust and belonging.  

Program Customizations

As a part of Mentor Collective’s standard offerings, there are a variety of program customizations available to ensure your program aligns with your desired branding and campus messaging, including: 

• • Program Name
  • Program Logo
  • Terminology Relabeling
  • Matching Surveys
  • Program Resources
  • Custom Messaging

…and more! Work with your Mentor Collective representative to explore customizations that may benefit your program.

Seamless Integration

In designing and promoting your mentorship program, you want to meet students where they are and seamlessly integrate your program into spaces (virtual or physical) students are already attentive to. This approach allows for your mentorship program to be a natural extension of the student experience, rather than an isolated initiative. In addition, you can also better differentiate your mentorship program from other offerings at the institution. 

Consider what events, organizations, courses, personnel, and institutional programming aligns with the mission of your mentorship program. This is where you can find opportunities for seamless integration - such as promoting your program at Orientation, adding a mentorship landing page on the school website, or incorporating sign up links in the campus newsletter. By embedding your mentorship program within existing spaces and structures at your institution, you enhance the overall visibility of the program both for students and other campus stakeholders.

Video Overview

Review a brief clip about Branding, covered in Mentor Collective's "Make Mentorship Visible" webinar!