Vince Lombardi would begin practice each spring by lifting a football and, with deep resonance, announce, “Men, this is a football.”

To winning teams, the fundamentals are etched in stone; they make up the DNA of every player. When it comes to enrollment, many colleges and universities have lost sight of the fundamentals.

Over the years, I’ve helped build the importance of “institutional branding” as it became a taskmaster, dictating to all who follow. Many say that branded messaging is the cornerstone for enrollment success and the engine driving the perception of institutional significance.

After more than two decades of creating institutional brands, my experience has proven otherwise.

Institutional branding should begin to form after the fundamentals have been drilled into the team. When we don’t grasp the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, we’re sure to finish well below expectations.

For a moment, can we set aside our fascination with branding? Let’s begin instead with the fundamental question reflected in Simon Sinek’s book, Start with Why. By first practicing and then mastering the science of the Fundamental, the art of the Message and Brand will gain more traction and have greater impact.

In essence, get back to the basics, men and women…”this is a football.”

Learn more about Rob Glass’ thoughts on institutional branding.

Rob Glass is a 25-year veteran of higher education branding & marketing strategy. You can meet Rob at this year’s iThink event at the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling next week in New Orleans. To learn more, visit: www.targetx.com/ithink2011

Read more about our authors.  Rob Glass is a 25-year veteran of higher education branding & marketing strategy.