Reimagining UM sport and recreation brands

Over the next several months, the University of Manitoba is undertaking an initiative to explore the family of brands that include Bison Sports, Mini U Programs, Junior Bisons and Recreation Services to more closely align them with the current UM brand and evolve how we all identify as Bisons.

We have been delighted to engage with the community, on and off campus, and look forward to sharing our progress. Check back to this page for updates.

Introduction

The University of Manitoba is proud of its rich history and vibrant identity. In 2019, the central university brand underwent a refresh, reflecting our evolving values and aspirations. Our brand story shares a vision of who we aspire to be. Last refreshed in 2001, it is now time for this group of UM's most recognizable sub-brands to take a similar charge ahead.

This project reaches far beyond logos and colours. It's about harnessing our shared story and connection to the bison as a symbol of strength, leadership and determination while emphasizing the commitment to building healthy communities through sport and recreation. 

Plan and progress

The initial branding initiative will consist of four phases, from May 2024 to September 2025:

August to October 2024:  Consultation, research and discovery 

Status: complete

A series of focus groups were held in August and September to gain insight and perspectives from a range of stakeholders—including student-athletes, coaches, volunteers, parents, Recreation Services members, members of the Indigenous community, and others—on existing views of the sport and recreation family of brands and their vision for how they should evolve. Focus groups took place in Winnipeg.

A quantitative survey was circulated at the end of October to gather additional feedback from key stakeholder groups.

As part of this process, a competitive audit was also conducted looking at university sport and recreation branding.

After reviewing all input, we are pleased to share that our UM community strongly supported a refresh of our Bisons logo.

November to December 2024:  Brand strategy 

Status: complete

Results from the focus groups and survey will be refined and key themes reflecting the expression of the brands will be identified. Recommendations were presented and refined based on feedback with the brand refresh working group composed of members of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, including Bison Sports, Mini U and Junior Bisons and Recreation Services, and Strategic Marketing and Communications departments at the university 

January 2025 to March 2025:  Creative exploration and development 

Status: complete

Creative exploration concluded resulting in a direction that balances tradition with a unified identity that reflects who we are today and where we’re going. 

April to September 2025:  Execution, begin implementation and launch

Status - in progress

With the new logo and brand elements in the final stages of development, the project team is now shifting focus to asset creation and the development of a multi-year implementation plan. These efforts will pave the way for an exciting launch this fall. 

The refreshed brand will focus exclusively on the Bisons logo. Iterations of the refreshed mark will also be created for Junior Bisons and competitive recreation clubs to ensure consistency across our extended sport and recreation community, and alignment with the UM brand.

The brand strategy will be introduced to the university community in September 2025, along with the identification of priority deliverables. Ongoing execution is expected to continue throughout 2025-26 and over the next two to three years.

Community consultation

As part of the research and consultation process, we hosted several focus groups in late August and early September to gather insights and opinions into the future direction of the Bison Sports brand.

We hosted focus groups with the following stakeholders:

  • Mini U Programs and Junior Bisons parents, participants and coaches
  • Faculty of Kinesiology students, faculty and staff
  • Recreation Services members, including intramural sports and rec club participants
  • Members from the Indigenous campus community
  • Bisons student-athletes and coaches
  • Alumni and donors

We gathered feedback from the community via two online instruments as well. A short feedback form was open for completion between July 17 and October 11. In addition a qualitative survey to gather more specific data was deployed to stakeholder groups by Academica Group on behalf of UM from October 24 to November 3. 

We completed our engagement with stakeholders, gathering valuable insights and feedback. After collating all feedback, we were pleased to receive strong supposed for a refresh of the Bisons logo from the UM community.