IIT-B to reach out to GenNext

The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay has revamped its brochures and magazine and is planning to redesign its website to help brand it more strongly, even within the IIT community, reports Kiran Wadhwa.

The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay has revamped its brochures and magazine and is planning to redesign its website to help brand it more strongly, even within the IIT community.

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But it’s not just about the image. The premier institute wants the revamp to appeal particularly to the student of today, along with faculty, alumni, prospective students and industry professionals.

“Today, youngsters are exposed to vibrant pubs and restaurants, hi-tech phones and websites, so if they come to a dreary college building or a boring website, they will not relate to it,” said Ramesh Iyengar, chairman of marketing firm Select Direct Marketing, which has advised several educational institutions on image-building.

“While an elite institute like IIT-B needs to convey stability,” said Iyengar, “it also needs to evolve with the next generation. Even small changes like standardisation of font can be part of this identity process.”

The IIT-B magazine, Raintree, now a year old, has already begun this process of becoming more current, with a large number of students, faculty members and outsiders now contributing articles and photographs on everything from the students’ well-known love of rock music to the lecturers’ first days at the institute.

Other city institutes that have made similar efforts to brand themselves include Mumbai Education Trust, which uses the image of a blade to convey its cutting-edge approach and Welingkar Institute of Management.