As UDM approaches its 150th anniversary in 2027, we have a chance to define a new future for the University and our entire community. One of the most critical elements of this future is a new brand, one that captures and encompasses the spirit, grit, faith, strength and pride that define Detroit Mercy.
Today, UDM invites our alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, neighbors and partners to help co-author this new brand. Working together, UDM is confident that we can develop a new brand that is authentic, inspiring and worthy of our Jesuit and Mercy mission.
Why A New Brand Now?
In 2016, Detroit Mercy launched the “Build a Boundless Future” brand. While this message captured the ambition and possibility that UDM offers, many felt it lacked the emotional resonance this University and our Northwest Detroit community deserved. Over time, feedback confirmed that this brand did not fully express what makes Detroit Mercy distinctive.
For some, it was too abstract; for others, it didn’t reflect our history, mission or Detroit roots.
As we look ahead to 2027 and our 150th anniversary, we see the need for a brand that not only promotes Detroit Mercy but embodies its essence: a Jesuit and Mercy institution shaped by grit, compassion, innovation, love of all people and faith.
The Brand Process
To ensure that this effort is rooted in authenticity, Detroit Mercy launched a three-phase process involving research, strategy and brand development.
Phase 1: Research and Insights
Working with partners such as Elevate Marketing Research, we studied how prospective students, parents, alumni and community members perceived Detroit Mercy through several research studies over the past two years. We examined peer institutions, explored what drives prospective student and parent choices when looking at which school to attend, and identified the words and values that resonate most with those who encounter UDM.
Phase 2: Strategy and Engagement
Through sessions with students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, community leaders and board members, we asked hard questions: How do we see ourselves? What values define us? Which parts of our identity have been overlooked? These conversations challenged assumptions and revealed opportunities to more fully embrace our story. These conversations and sessions will soon continue during this academic year.
Phase 3: Brand Development and Testing
Next, UDM will collaborate with branding experts to translate these insights into creative concepts. These concepts will then be tested and refined with stakeholders’ feedback to ensure that the final brand is both emotionally resonant and forward-looking. And while this may help create a brand that everyone can get behind, we understand that not everyone may warm up to it from the start. It takes time for a brand to gain traction through action.
A Guiding Idea: Titan Faith
While the new brand is still being developed, one concept has already emerged as a helpful guide: “Titan Faith.”
“Titan Faith” is not a tagline but a way of describing the courage, pride and hope that runs through our community. It reminds us of the faith we place in God, in one another and in the transcendent Jesuit and Mercy values of UDM. It speaks to our grit, compassion, truth, love, joy and boldness—qualities that Detroit Mercy AND our city live out every day. This guiding principle will help point us toward a brand that is more than marketing. It is a shared identity we can feel, believe in and carry with pride.
With the ongoing strategy sessions lead by GreenHouse::Innovation and the extensive outputs from these sessions, UDM now has a treasure trove of insights that will help inform and shape UDM’s new brand.
What This Requires: Your Voice
The strongest and most enduring brands are co-authored by the people who live the ideals and values of an organization. In short, a new UDM brand requires your heartfelt voice.
Your perspective—as an alumnus, a student, a faculty or staff member, a parent, a neighbor or a supporter—matters deeply. Whether you have been part of the University for one year or 50, your experiences and reflections help define what Detroit Mercy truly is.
Here are ways you can participate:
• Be honest. Share what inspires pride in Detroit Mercy and where you see opportunities for growth.
• Join the conversation. Participate in listening sessions, focus groups and other engagement opportunities.
• Complete the feedback form. This simple but powerful tool allows you to record your insights and ensures that your voice shapes the brand directly. Visit the rebrand webpage, scroll down the page to “Info On Branding” and click on the feedback form.
• Follow updates through Campus Connection, alumni newsletters and other Detroit Mercy channels as we move through this exciting process.
A Shared Call to Action
Branding for UDM is more than merely creating a new slogan or logo. It is about capturing the faith, mission and resilience of our University and neighborhood—and projecting it to the world in a way that inspires.
As we prepare for our 150th anniversary, we need a brand that honors our past, reflects our present and propels us into the future. That brand must be created by all of us. Please help shape the next chapter of Detroit Mercy. Take a few minutes today to share your perspective. Your insights will help us craft a brand that resonates deeply, sparks pride and stands as a foundation of faith and hope for generations to come.
Together, we will write a brand story that only Detroit Mercy can tell.