UofC

The University of Calgary Department of Geosciences needed to increase enrolment. In order to do that, a bold strategy was developed that would challenge the status quo at a university department grounded in oil and gas extraction and seen largely as a feeder school to that industry. The definition of what a geoscientist is and does is far broader than core samples and extraction. It is about the story of our planet. A planet that is changing dramatically. Positioning geoscientists as Earth Scientists first and then as those who are probably best suited to understand planetary forces and make sense of global shifts might prove to be more appealing to young students looking for a meaningful career with a future.

FERVOR was invited by our colleagues at Stormy Lake Consulting to help the department make that seismic shift in narrative. Our role was to use the Brand Model created by SLC to drive more engaging language for their primary communications tool, the web site. More than that, we suggested that compelling stories of both faculty and students would humanize the department and bring to life all those possibilities that lay buried in the old curriculum.

We collaborated with Jason Thompson (jason@storyist.ca) who conducted interviews with select students at the beginning and tail end of their academic careers and with faculty who are doing some of the most interesting and ground-breaking work in Earth Sciences. FERVOR crafted the stories and provided content for social media as well as content assets for the new web site after a full site audit for opportunities to be simpler and more engaging.

See and read our thinking at: https://science.ucalgary.ca/earth