Branding is an important element to being competitive in any market, especially one that’s as competitive as higher education is in the Delaware Valley.

In an area rich in higher-educational opportunities, it’s paramount for colleges to establish a brand that separates themselves from their peers.

Last Friday, Jenkintown-based Manor College, a two-year school steeped in Ukrainian Catholicism and a historically diverse student body, celebrated the culmination of a multi-faceted, yearlong process of rebranding its image.

An updated institutional and athletic logo. A new tagline: “You Belong Here.” And a fresh, interactive website geared toward its target demographic, which spends so much time on a cell phone or tablet.

They’re all part of the makeover.

“We were overdue to move to a more contemporary design,” said Dr. Jonathan Peri, the first male president of Manor College, which was founded 70 years ago by the Sisters of St. Basil and currently has approximately 900 students.

“Our problem is that we relied too much on word of mouth to carry our message. In light of the current higher education environment, more must be done.

“We need to shout who we are from the rooftops, and rebranding is the megaphone that puts us on track to broadcast our message.”

Kelly Peiffer, Manor’s Director of Marketing Communications, has led the rebranding initiative, and it began paying dividends well before last week’s big unveiling. The college’s website has experienced an uptick in traffic to the tune of hundreds of percent.

“We are blessed with a longstanding Catholic mission, a nine-to-one student-teacher ratio, allowing personal guidance for our students from faculty, and higher-than-national-average graduation rates and salary-after-graduation rates,” said Peri.

“We have a high level of accessibility, as evidenced by our 96 percent rate of coverage for student aid. And last week, we were named the regional institution with the most transformative power to move students up and across income gaps. These are incredible testaments to the power of an education at Manor College.”

Manor students have predominantly been recruited from a radius that includes the city proper and Montgomery County. Now, though, the administration has its sights set beyond that region.

“From urban need to suburban wealth, our student body is more diverse than most community colleges and state schools,” said Peri.

“Creating the right impressions and lasting images conveys that our mission is the invitational pathway to our front door, and our tagline encourages students to begin to walk on that pathway.”

Now, Peri is confident that the rebranding embodies the essence of Manor College.

“We’re a small college that offers big opportunities and a stellar education,” he said. “Our grand promise is this: Here at Manor, you can find all that you need to build the life that you want. Great instructors, great programs, a welcoming campus, and a future without limits.”