Roger Dooley attracted attention in higher ed circles this summer when he attacked the bland sameness of college branding and questioned the lifeless taglines used by many schools.

The popular blogger and marketing consultant is at it again — pointing out that college branding is all about differentiation. And he relies on some timeless observations in the recently released second edition of Differentiate or Die by Jack Trout, one of the nation’s top marketing strategists.

“Although the entire book is geared toward commercial brand differentiation,” writes Dooley, “some of the comments relate directly to higher education marketing.”

Dooley, who believes an effective college brand should turn off as many prospects as it turns on, was especially interested in Trout’s example of a school that has successfully created a unique selling proposition.

America’s colleges are similar in many ways, Trout observes in his book, “especially in their willingness to take government aid for grants and student loans. However, Hillsdale College has come up with a unique way to appeal to its conservative constituency by declining all of Uncle Sam’s dollars, even for federally backed loans.

“Hillsdale’s pitch: ‘We’re free from government influence.’ They reinforce this concept by positioning themselves as a mecca for conservative thought.”

Not for everyone, of course, says Dooley. And that’s exactly the point. “College marketers should look at their taglines and other branding efforts,” he writes. “If they could be used equally well by many other schools, scrap them!”

Read some of Dooley’s college marketing posts:

College Branding

College Taglines

Just Say NO to Bland College Branding