Setting an agenda for Master of Public Governance CBS

Creating a new strategy and purpose, we helped Copenhagen Business School develop both ambitions for public leadership in Denmark and growth for Master of Public Governance.

We helped develop, refine and grow the program for eight years. The last year being the best in the history of the program with an increase in sales by 20 percent year-to-year. The primary driver was a new, relevant purpose and setting an agenda for public leadership.

"Are you setting the direction that will get Denmark out of the crisis?" we asked in one of the first campaigns developed for Master of Public Governance. And we used the red and white colours refering to the Danish national flag and graphs that were greatly discussed in public at the time.

Defining a purpose that reaches beyond the organization can focus decision making and energize actions. The ambition of developing society through public leadership inspires initiatives, and gives edge to events and brand communications. With the new purpose for MPG all activities speaks to relevant public leadership agendas and the ambition of improving the Danish society.

The participants at Master of Public Governance are executives from the public sector. Their statements and positive impact fuels the new brand story.

New brand design with new use of typography, new colour schemes, redesigned layouts helped lift the brand. We also gave new names to the subjects taught and categorized the subjects. Every detail helping to make the whole more interesting and desirable. 

Every study area and subject gets its own new icon - coherent in style and adding a little twist and stardust to subjects that might otherwise seem a bit dull.

Elevating public leaders

Having reached more than 600 active executive leaders participating at Master of Public Governance there is an impressive variety in organizations, experiences and leadership inspiration to help tell the story.

We helped find some of the most interesting and inspiring people to use their stories to exemplify the brand purpose. Each of them giving their perspective on developing Denmarks public sector.

We made portraits of directors from NGO's, hospitals, the police, churches, the labor movement and schools. The style is authentic and yet with an aesthetic touch so that the images elevate the uniqueness of the individual and their professional contribution.

Sparking curiousity

Business has to be serious. But not taking itself too serious. We wanted Master of Public Governance to spark curiosity and insight in the visual language and brand communication. Every event, summit and many articles got a unique graphic illustration adding a humorous twist or a new perspective to the subject matter.

The style is colourful, creative, fun and yet intelligent, adding a new dimension to the MPG brand as well as the Copenhagen Business School brand.

When brands become digital it's both about function and appearance. In the case of MPG, handling about 600 actve participants with individual programs and pace, our main ambition was to make choice and possibilities visible and accessible.

We wanted future participants to be able of seeing all subjects, combining them on a timeline and signing up. Internally, we wanted to transform manual administrative tasks into user-driven digital self service that would make Copenhagen Business School more efficient.

We created a new information architecture, user experience and digital design, presenting opinions, relevant knowledge, events and easily understandable presentations of more than 30 subjects to choose from. A complete digital design overhaul giving a modern user experience.

Every detail is designed to speak the language of the brand. Forms, check boxes, buttons, links – they all help form the texture and collective digital experience of the brand. 

Your personal master planner

Part of the offering is that you can plan your own master program. Collect the subjects you most favor, sequence them and take breaks in between if you like. 

We designed a digital master planner, a tool that aids users to design their own master program, save it, send it to HR, and to sign up for the program. All in a playful manner through drag and drop within the interactive website.

With a large network of managers in the public sector looking good and being relevant in the crowded email inbox is important. As part of the digital development we designed newsletters and made guidelines for communication on email and social media.

Strong personalities from interesting public institutions constitute the cast for a series of documentaries we produced for Master of Public Governance. Each giving their inspiring insights and perspectives on leadership while explaining what they gained from participating in the master program.

Jule Thom is director of the European School Copenhagen and a participant at MPG. She shares her insights and what she gained from the master program while we learn about the paradoxes she handles in her organization.

Per Vibskov is a priest, and dean of Nørrebro Deanery and a participant at Master of Public Governance. He reflects on leadership in the church and how different executives helped him see new perspectives. As we follow him at work we see him prepare for Sunday service and at a wedding in the church.

Through public events, conferences and leadership forums we helped set agendas for public leaders, while adding a reason to smile.

A series of creative illustrations interpreting leadership paradoxes, we pointed at both contemporary problems and added an intelligent layer of humor to the brand.

Which direction are you leading Denmark? We created an annual conference for public leadership and a campaign in print and social media to help raise awareness to both the conference and the master program.

In our series of purpose-driven campaigns, leaders have to find their direction (possibly in a confusing forest), we ask who is steering when everyone's a leader and we show how to collaborate to create a more loving workplace. All adding relevance and a bit of edge while offering a reason to smile or reflect.

A book launch event was introduced was illustrated by a manager getting run over by the demand for constant change in all directions.

Leadership portraits

Our series of short documentaries with leadership portraits was accompanied by print ads in management journals as well as numerous short versions of the documentary videos each focusing on a different aspect and proposition about the Master of Public Governance program. 

The campaigns drove the target group into the full length video or to events that would further inspire leadership development and the participation in the master program.

"Tempt us not into leadership" is one of the quotes from priest Per Vibskov in both print and in our documentary for Master of Public Governance where he reflects on the paradoxes of leadership.

The brand campaign is created to attract curiosity and inspire other public managers to participate in a master program and set their own agenda in their work as leaders.

The authentic case stories inspired hundreds of public managers to get involved in events, participate in networks and sign up for the master program. 

Master of Public Governance now has more than 600 active participants and more than 60 professors teaching. After our latest campaigns the program sells hundreds of subject courses every quarter making it the biggest of any executive master program in the history of Copenhagen Business School.

Transform your brand

Would you like to know more about focusing your brand strategy and designing a distinct visual expression? Meet us for a cup of coffee and we will give you our honest opinion on the possibilities for strengthening your brand and business. Give us a call or write an email to Nikolaj Stagis. We can help you develop your strategic direction, express strengths or attract customers.

Book a meeting