Rebranding a Giant — Ethan Braden’s Bold Vision for Texas A&M
Season 6 - Episode 200
What happens when one of the most respected voices in higher ed marketing takes on one of the country’s largest and most tradition-rich institutions? In our 200th episode, Ethan Braden shares his bold vision for Texas A&M University—why he said yes to the role, how he’s reimagining its brand on a national scale, and what it takes to lead marketing at a university with 600,000 alumni and 80,000 students.
Ethan reveals how A&M is shifting from an internal story to a national narrative, how they turned a failed campaign into a 16-million-view success, and why the university’s core strength might just be its sense of belonging in an age of loneliness. From storytelling to strategy, this episode is packed with insights for any marketer looking to make a lasting impact.
Texan A&M Marketing and Engagement Impact Report
Impact Report: https://marcomm.tamu.edu/2024-impact-report/
New Stories Website https://stories.tamu.edu/
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🎧 Listen to Learn
✅Why Texas A&M.
✅How to shift a university brand from regional pride to national relevance
✅The secret behind a marketing video that jumped from 29K to 16M views
✅Why traditions aren’t barriers to innovation—they're assets for belonging
✅The role higher ed marketers must play in solving generational loneliness
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Join the Discussion
00:00 – Welcome + Reflecting on Episode 1 with Ethan
03:10 – Why Ethan took the Texas A&M role and what drew him in
06:45 – From internal storytelling to a national brand strategy
11:30 – What a failed $700K commercial taught the A&M marketing team
15:40 – Turning traditions into tools for connection and belonging
20:15 – How General Mark Welsh is shaping leadership and communication at A&M
25:50 – Why “great citizens” matter more than great branding
30:20 – Ethan’s take on higher ed marketing in a time of societal detachment
35:40 – One bold prediction for the future of university branding
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