FEDERATION University Australia has spent almost $3 million on advertising, marketing and promotion in its efforts to sell the new entity to the public.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Documents released under Freedom of Information show the amount spent on rebranding after the merger of University of Ballarat and Monash University’s Gippsland campus last year.
A Federation University spokesperson said it had spent $2.87 million on rebranding to the end of 2013. Documents show another $115,000 was spent this year.
The full list of expenses includes a range of different costs, such as rebadging cars, new merchandise and signage that needed to be changed.
As well as almost $2.8 million on “advertising, marketing and promotion”, the university spent $80,000 on “salary and related costs”, $75,000 on “contract and other services” and $28,000 on “other expenses”.
Last year, Federation University vice chancellor David Battersby said the rebranding was included in its marketing and advertising budget with “a little of embellishment”.
“It is costing the uni about $2 million over the next two-and-a-half to three years,” he said.
Federation Univeristy said the largest purchase listed of $510,000 paid for initial rebranding, such as market research, focus groups and advertising production, which included a TV commercial.
Three separate spends of more than $400,000 paid for the placement of newspaper, TV, radio, cinema, billboard, bus and online advertising.
In a statement, Federation University said the money spent equated to around one per cent of its total annual revenue and was value for money.
Deputy vice chancellor Todd Walker said the rebranding work had been done over the past six months at seven different campuses.
“In our campaign we have made a point of providing substantial business to local companies and in particular Ballarat media outlets to promote FedUni,” he
said.
“We are confident our expansion and rebrand will set up FedUni for a strong period of growth in the years to come.”
tom.cowie@fairfaxmedia.com.au