We can’t all be brand marketing professionals – nor do we want to be. But – whether marketing is in our job description or not – it’s important that we all stay on brand when it comes to visual identity, messaging, promotional materials and communications at the College of Charleston.

That’s because – whether we’re addressing an internal, on-campus audience or an external, off-campus audience – consistent messaging through marketing communication helps our audiences develop a connection with the College of Charleston brand and the values that it represents.

Fortunately, none of us has to start from scratch. The Office of University Marketing provides materials, guidelines, standards and policies that take the guesswork out of marketing for the rest of us – and most of the College’s brand standards and policies are detailed in the College of Charleston Brand Manual.

Here are five essential ways you can – and should – use the College’s brand identity detailed in the brand manual to make your marketing materials work for you, your audiences and the College as a whole.

1. Logo(s)

The College of Charleston logo is critical to our brand. It’s the thing that visually identifies something – a website, a shirt, a flyer, an academic program – as part of the College of Charleston family.

That’s why it is College of Charleston policy to follow the protocols detailed in the Logo Standards Manual. Three important examples to note include:

  • Don’t stretch or distort the size of the logo.
  • Don’t add, remove or alter any part of the logo (including separating the graphic from the text).
  • Use the correct color combinations: maroon and white or white and black, but never maroon and black.

Logos for individual CofC units and organizations are standardized, too. All current CofC logos are accessible through this Google Drive folder once you are logged into your College of Charleston Google Apps account.

If you can’t find what you are looking for, contact Director of Brand Marketing Betsey Geier.

2. Messaging

As a university, we need to align our communications. We need to talk about the College of Charleston in the same way. We need to put our values front and center so it’s clear what we stand for as an institution.

Information about the College’s history, promise, positioning, values and key messages is available in the Brand Foundations chapter of the brand manual. You can use this information as a jumping-off point to craft communications specific to your campus unit.

To further align our communications and strengthen our messaging, it is important that we’re all communicating in the same way. That is why we have the College of Charleston Style Guide.

As part of the brand manual, this guide includes rules for administrative and professional titles, official names of buildings and campus landmarks, names of academic degrees, Charleston terms and answers to other punctuation, grammar and style questions. The style guide should be used as a supplement to the AP Style Guide, which the College of Charleston follows in all written communication.

3. Merch

Promotional items can be a fun way to spread the word about your campus unit or an event. There are, however, a few things to remember before you start ordering pens, hats and T-shirts:

  • You must use a licensed vendor. You can view all licensed vendors by visiting the CLC website, clicking “Find Product” and searching “Charleston, College of.”
  • “College of Charleston” should always be the primary element of any design that you are producing. It should be given priority when placed on printed items.
  • If the logo doesn’t fit on a promotional item, complete the Marketing Assistance Form and the Office of University Marketing will work with you to develop a compliant design. More information is available on the Marketing Assistance page.

4. Email Signatures

The College of Charleston has an official pre-formatted email signature. Note that we don’t allow the use of images, including background images or electronic stationary, in email signatures.

In addition, remember that your email represents the College of Charleston. Your signature should be professional.

5. Support Services

If you need support from the Office of University Marketing, you may complete one of two forms:

  • The Marketing Assistance Form is for standard requests like creating event collateral, reviewing the logo or requesting photography. It even includes help with social media and emails.
  • The Integrated Marketing Form is for requesting assistance with developing marketing plans and strategies, writing and editing for different media platforms, developing paid advertising campaigns and more.