Brand Standards!!!!!! 5735 College Parkway, Mobile, AL WIN-RAMS

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1 Brand Standards 5735 College Parkway, Mobile, AL WIN-RAMS

2 Brand Standards: Who is responsible for developing, strengthening, and maintaining the University of Mobile s brand? The answer is every staff or faculty member. One step further, we recognize that student leaders play an integral role, not only representing the University of Mobile brand through their interactions with others, but also through their proper use of University of Mobile-branded communications materials, such as logos, taglines, etc. Corporate partners lend credibility and support to the UMobile brand, and it is crucial that they understand the proper format for representing the school in promotional materials, Web sites, etc. Alumni build the brand through their communication efforts about, or on behalf of, the school. In short, anyone who has a hand in creating or influencing the school s outward expression, from marketing and publicity materials to event displays and promotional items, should refer to these guidelines often. If you find the standards expressed here conflict with a particular communication goal of the UMobile, please contact the Director of Marketing for advice on how to proceed. Strength Through Consistency: Consistent use of color, graphics, typeface, and message content helps people quickly identify and more clearly understand the university out of the thousands of images and messages that shout for attention in today s world. When an academic institution uses different colors, layouts, graphic styles and message from one communication to another, it gives the impression of: Poor planning or coordination, Turmoil in the organization, Lack of clear academic path, and The absence of tradition or a sense of purpose. On the other hand, consistency in graphics and messaging makes it easy for people to form positive bonds with the brand. Consistency signals: Reliability and consistency, Longevity and strength, Wide available and ease of access, and A strong tradition and pride. At UMobile, we have established a consistent framework of brand identity. It should not be comprised out of a feeling that we have grown tired of it, or that our audience needs to see something different because last year s brochure looked very similar. We must not camouflage UMobile or our individual programs and departments by covering communications materials in a variety of hues, design templates and paper stocks. Remember that prospective students, current students, alumni, and corporate partners and others are not immersed in the UMobile brand day-in and day-out. They may experience the brand only once or twice, or every few months or years, and the consistency they experience from one touch-point to another must be reassuring and familiar.

3 The University of Mobile is not alone in this philosophy. The top universities across the county have adopted strong and consistent brand identities, and we must not adopt a lax attitude about protecting the value of our image. Primary Logo: The UMobile logo is the only name and mark that represents the school. Official layouts of the logo are shown here. Two elements comprise the logo: 1) the university name set in the official font and 2) the school name set in the official font. All layouts of the logo are acceptable, to be used at the discretion of the designer. The proportional relationship between the logo elements is precise and must be maintained. Do not manipulate the size of individual elements or the relationship between the type. Consult the University of Mobile Marketing Office if you have a question about logo use. Layout 1 Layout 2 Layout 3 Layout 4

4 Logo Approval Process: The UMobile Marketing Office is charged with overseeing the identity of the school. How and when our logos are used is an important part of this responsibility. Guidelines and the approval process for using the UMobile logos are available at Generally, UMobile constituents (faculty, staff, etc.) may use a UMobile logo on printed pieces without prior authorization, but they may not make alterations or additions to a logo. School Name in Text: The name of the school when typeset in regular text (for instance, a paragraph in a brochure) is University of Mobile. Typically, the name should not be ALL CAPS in text, although that format may be used in a headline or subhead as the design indicates. In these instances is should appear as UNIVERSITY OF MOBILE. The full name is University of Mobile. Generally the full name is used in the first instance within a publication. Additional mentions may simply use the name UMobile. Do not capitalize the if used before the school name. Use lowercase school not School when it stands alone. The name of the university is the University of Mobile. Do not use the acronym UM or U of M when communicating to outside audiences. Use the complete name of the institution or refer to it generically as the university. When writing for strictly internal audiences familiar with the university, it is acceptable to refer to the university as UM, U of M, or UMobile. Incorrect Usage: Do not... Change the spacing between letters in the logo Use the logo within a headline, sentence or other text Add other graphic symbols or type to the logo Alter the letter form Use other fonts to create the logo Place the logo in a box or surround it with a rule or border Associate the mark with entity other than the school Apply special effects that change the character of the logo Use colors other than the official logo colors Please contact the UMobile Marketing Office ( ) if you have questions about the proper use of the logo.

5 Color Palette: Below is the color system established for marketing and communication materials produced by the school. Primary Palette Beyond the brand palette (logo colors) there is a primary color palette, complementary colors used for design elements other than the logo, such as color panels used to highlight text or font accent colors. These primary colors help designers avoid the overuse of the two logo colors used in the design mark. Design layouts should generally not use a sea of maroon or black. The use of white space and colors form the primary color palette create the right environment for the logo to stand out on its own merits. The colors of the logo (especially the maroon) are powerful enough that they do not need to be surrounded by the same color. Secondary Palette The secondary palette is for items such as sidebars, charts, graphs, color borders, etc. The Pantone numbers for coated and uncoated stock, as well as the CYMK and RGB values are noted. PMS 201C PMS 200U Brand Palette Primary Palette PMS BlackC PMS BlackU PMS Black 90% PMS 7403C PMS 7403U Secondary Palette PMS 422C PMS 422U PMS 423C PMS 423U PMS 7536C PMS 7536U PMS Warm Grey 1C PMS Warm Grey 1U PMS Black 7C PMS Hex BlackU

6 Paper Stock: Paper selection is an integral part of the UMobile brand identity. To better unify printed communications for the school, the approved paper stock is limited to two options. One is a dull coated paper; the other is an uncoated stock. They have been selected specifically to provide a certain brightness of white. The coated stock is dull coated white. The uncoated stock is Cougar Opaque White. Other paper brands may be used as necessary, but it must be white and match the color of white of the above-mentioned stock. Any deviation from these paper stocks must have prior approval from the UMobile Marketing Office. Clear Space Around Signature: The brand signature should have ample space around it. Do not crowd Primary Typography: The University of Mobile typographic identity is visible across many applications, including print, electronic and environmental displays. To communicate in a consistent tone, type selections have been made that best represent the voice of the school. Myriad Pro is the primary display typeface for UMobile communication materials. Three weights may be used. Do not electronically expand or condense typefaces. Myriad Pro is available in Mac and PC formats from My Fonts at: fonts/linotype/myriad/. Myriad Pro Light Myriad Pro Light Italic Myriad Pro Regular Myriad Pro Regular Italic Myriad Pro Semibold Myriad Pro Semibold Italic

7 Typography (Web & Word Processing): Arial (used for all web content) and Helvetica (print) may be substituted for Myriad Pro when Myriad Pro is not available. This is primarily for use in Web and word processing applications. Do not electronically expand or condense typefaces. Arial is widely available on most PC s and Macs. Helvetica is available in Mac and PC format from My Fonts at: Arial Regular Arial Italic Arial Bold Arial Bold Italic Helvetica Regular Helvetica Italic Helvetica Bold Helvetica Bold Italic UMobile Marketing Tagline: In marketing materials (brochures, advertising campaigns, etc.) for all audiences, it is appropriate to include the marketing tagline, Learning, Faith & Leadership. The tagline should not be used in other design treatments without prior approval from the Director of Marketing. It is neither expected not desired that the tagline will be used in body text repeatedly. The tagline is a signature statement that supports and summarizes the brand message. There is no need to wear out the tagline or overemphasize it. It is not the most important expression of the brand, but is simply one tool for expressing the UMobile brand experience, along with many other aspects of the school experience. The tagline reinforces but does not overshadow these brand factors in importance.

8 Sub-Branding: We discourage the development or use of additional taglines associated with the UMobile logo or the logo treatments for programs, centers, etc. This refers to lines of text that are attached to the logo as a signature statement on materials. However this does not preclude the development of marketing themes that could be used in program-specific materials. The words can be used as a headline, subhead or graphic element on a layout. These marketing themes may last for a single campaign, or for many years, if appropriate. Obviously, program or department sub-brand themes should be consistent with the overall school brand. They should support the core brand characteristics, not conflict with them, and should be presented in a manner that does not crowd or replace the school tagline. Sub-branding should not include the introduction of variations from the standard UMobile logos, colors or graphic templates without prior consultation with the director of marketing. However, latitude is expected in terms of content, language, photography and other elements that will be specific to particular audiences served by the school. We are striving for brand consistency and continuity, not audience boredom or one-size-fits-all messaging. The University of Mobile Brand Hierarchy: When the university is identified by itself, we use one of the official university logos. UMobile offers academic programs and services across a broad range of audiences and disciplines. Academic programs and other centers have brand names that are part of the UMobile hierarchy. Academic degree programs have individualized logos for use in program specific materials.

9 Stationery and Business Cards: For faculty and staff All faculty and staff should adhere to the university s business card and stationery standards and order stationery, envelopes and business cards through the UMobile Marketing Office. Business Card Design

10 General Stationery 5735 College Parkway Mobile, AL WIN.RAMS umobile.edu Recruiting Stationery O ce of Enrollment Services 5735 College Parkway Mobile, AL WIN.RAMS umobile.edu

11 Photography: Photography is also an integral part of the UMobile brand identity. To better unify printed communications for the university, the Marketing Office has created a library of photography. It continues to be updated but can generally be classified as containing three types of photography: 1) portraits, 2) candid shots, and 3) architectural. As much as possible, we should try to either use images from this library or commission photography with a similar style. It is understood that some communications must rely on provided photography. While this is acceptable, it should be limited and should be approved by the Marketing Office. Usage Photographs should be reproduced with straight edges and a minimum of effects. Four color process, black and white, and duotone are all acceptable reproduction effects. Blurred edges, rounded corners, unusual Photoshop effects, borders, etc. are generally discouraged.