Table of Contents. Themeline: Real. Strong. Women. 10 Basic Design & Usage 10 Unacceptable Uses 11. Sub-brands 12 Basic Design & Usage 12

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2 Table of Contents Letter from the Executive Director 3 Welcome to Our Brand 4 Logo Guidelines 5 New Brand Logos 5 Basic Design & Usage 5 Clear Space 6 Minimum Size 6 Unacceptable Uses 7 Logo Color Reproduction 8 Knock-Out Versions 9 Text-Only Versions 9 Themeline: Real. Strong. Women. 10 Basic Design & Usage 10 Unacceptable Uses 11 Sub-brands 12 Basic Design & Usage 12 Collateral Design 13 Fraternity, Foundation and National Housing Corporation 13 Design Elements 14 Font Usage 15 Color Palette 16 Photography 16 Stationery System 17 FAQs 19

3 Letter from the Executive Director Dear Members: Since our founding 123 years ago, Alpha Chi Omega has been a leading and forwardlooking organization. Seven young women formed the first fraternity in their school of music at DePauw University and were the first to proudly adorn the colors of scarlet and olive. These seven young women also had the foresight to forever etch our treasured identity based on the idea of the first and the last fraternity of its kind (also the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet). We ve inherited a brand with tremendous history, tremendous ambition and a tremendous story. It s vitally important that we do everything we can to ensure that it continues to guide and inspire for the next 123 years and beyond. But critical to achieving our goals is growing a strong brand one that is understood, distinguished, approachable and appealing to prospective members, collegians and alumnae, across all walks of life. So we ve taken significant steps to ensure its health, starting with a sharpened brand idea that is summed up in the words, Real. Strong. Women. We ve also evolved and freshened our logo, ensuring that it builds on our past and also reflects our future in addition to establishing more modern colors that are still identifiable as Alpha Chi Omega. Building Alpha Chi Omega s reputation and connections on our terms are the keys to our success. But we cannot achieve this without the consistent, highquality presentation of our brand across all of our campuses and the myriad ways we touch members and prospects alike. Our Visual Identity standards are intended to assist you in making sure that all of our outreach efforts including marketing, communications and design execution reflect the brilliant quality and high standards that define our great organization. I cannot emphasize strongly enough just how important it is that we adhere to these Visual Identity standards. I am fully supportive of this re-branding endeavor, as is our entire senior leadership team. We trust that you will be, too, and that each and every member will ensure that every communication reflects positively on Alpha Chi Omega so that we continue to protect and build the value of our precious brand. Thank you all for your cooperation and continued support. Cheri E. O Neill Executive Director Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity, Inc. Letter from the Executive Director Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 3

4 Welcome to Our Brand Welcome to Our Brand Someone needs to change the language. Change the conversation. Change how women think and act about the idea of sorority. We accept the challenge. By offering an experience that respects and responds to the hopes, dreams, fears & realities of today s women, in today s world. At Alpha Chi Omega, we are Real Women. Facing Real Issues. In the Real World. On the one hand, inspiring. In turn, being inspired. Transforming. And being transformed. Together, creating a more positive reality, for ourselves and others. We are Strong Women. Strong in the courage of our convictions, the confidence in our actions and the purpose in our hearts. To know us will be to experience a voice that is respectful, genuine, open, empathetic & honest. Real. We will define how a sorority will thrive, and be defined, today and in the future. 4 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity About our Brand We are Real. Strong. Women.

5 Logo Guidelines New Brand Logos Fraternity Fraternity with themeline Foundation National Housing Corporation Basic Design & Usage The Alpha Chi Omega logo is the primary representation of our brand, generating more impressions than any other form of communication. To maximize its impact, it must appear consistently, legibly and (as called for) prominently on every communication or item containing the mark. The logo consists of the abstracted Lyre symbol and the words Alpha Chi Omega set in the Brighton font. It holds true to the traditions of AΧΩ while conveying a fresh and modern look and feel. Logo Guidelines Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 5

6 Clear Space A clear space tolerance has been established around the Alpha Chi Omega logo to protect its integrity. The clear space also ensures that the logo is never visually dominated by other elements. It should be kept clear of all type, graphic elements and imagery. The same clear space rule applies to the logo when used with the themeline or sub-brand (Foundation or National Housing Corporation), which is to be considered a part of the logo. The clear space is defined in relation to the size of the Alpha Chi Omega wordmark. It is equal to 1.5 x the height of the first A in Alpha Chi Omega. X Please note, clear space does not mean white space. The logo can be reproduced on a light-colored background that complements the logo color, but must be a significantly lighter tone than the lightest color of the logo. Minimum Size The practical requirement of any logo is that it can be clearly seen without altering any of the proportions or composition. Minimum sizes will vary depending upon which version of the logo is being used. Under no circumstances should the logo be reproduced where the words Alpha Chi Omega are smaller than.575 in width. Themeline Under no circumstances should the logo be reproduced where the themeline is less than.575 in width. Sub-brand Under no circumstances should the logo be reproduced where the height of the letters in the sub-brand name are less than Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Logo Guidelines

7 Unacceptable Uses In order to build a consistently favorable perception of our brand, it is essential that the logo be used correctly. This page illustrates some incorrect uses of the logo: It should never be printed in a non-standard color. It should never be created using an incorrect font. It should never be positioned at an angle. It should never have a keyline around it. Other words should never be substituted for Alpha Chi Omega. It should not appear with any other text (such as chapter names) with the exception of the approved themeline or sub-brands It should not be stretched, skewed or distorted in any way. It is recommended that the logo appear on a white background. If it must be on a colored background, the chosen color should complement the logo color and be a significantly lighter tone than the lightest color in the logo. It should never appear on a patterned background. It should not be embedded in text. The colors should never be reversed. All logo elements must stay within standard proportion. The words Alpha Chi Omega should not be stacked incorrectly. Graphics should never be integrated into the logo Alpha Chi Omega Beta Epsilon Sponsored by Logo Guidelines Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 7

8 Logo Color Reproduction The Alpha Chi Omega logo should be reproduced in the approved AΧΩ colors whenever possible. Use the approved Pantone colors or their CMYK process equivalents, which are shown below. For use on-screen, in PowerPoint or on the Web, the RGB color breakdown should be used. For print applications of only two or three colors, the logo should be reproduced in the AΧΩ red (Pantone 7420) and green (Pantone 5773). For newsprint or other black and white applications, use the black and white or grayscale logo. Color matching When producing the logo in print, you should always match the color printed by your vendor to the color breaks below (also for visual reference, check against a current Pantone book). This will ensure that the logo is reproduced consistently across all AΧΩ materials. Spot color AΧΩ Red Pantone 7420 AΧΩ Green Pantone 5773 Process/CMYK AΧΩ Red Cyan 0 Magenta 80 Yellow 42 Black 20 AΧΩ Green Cyan 9 Magenta 0 Yellow 43 Black 38 On-screen/RGB AΧΩ Red Red 160 Green 36 Blue 67 AΧΩ Green Red 146 Green 152 Blue 113 Grayscale AΧΩ Red Black 80% AΧΩ Green Black 55% 8 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Logo Guidelines

9 Knock-Out Versions The Alpha Chi Omega logo may be reproduced in white in cases where it appears on a field of color. When printing a knock-out version of the logo, it must appear on a shade with a tonal value greater than 40% black for optimal contrast. Below are examples of acceptable uses for the knock-out logo. Logo on AΧΩ red Logo on 100% black Logo on 40% black Text-Only Versions The Lyre symbol should be used when possible, unless space prohibits it or makes it illegible. In some cases (i.e., when the logo cannot meet minimum size requirements), the logo may need to be reproduced in a text-only version to accommodate for smaller spaces and applications or atypical dimensions. The text-only version is the same treatment of the words Alpha Chi Omega as in the full version of the logo, without the Lyre. It should follow all the same color reproduction, proportion, clear space and knock-out rules as the full logo version. Logo Guidelines Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 9

10 Basic Design & Usage The Alpha Chi Omega themeline is Real. Strong. Women. The words utilize the AΧΩ red and are set in the Radiant font. An underscore swoop in the AΧΩ green has been added to the word Women for emphasis. There are black and white, grayscale and knock-out versions available for the themeline as well. The themeline should be used whenever feasible. It is only designed to be locked up with the Fraternity logo. If desired, the themeline can be separated from the logo and be used as a design element when developing materials for Fraternity, Foundation or the National Housing Corporation. When using the themeline as a design element, be sure to follow the unacceptable uses outlined on the following page. Themeline: Real. Strong. Women. 10 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Themeline: Real. Strong. Women.

11 Unacceptable Uses When the themeline is in color, it should only be reproduced with the approved AΧΩ colors. The underscore swoop and text colors should never be swapped. It should not be stretched, skewed or distorted in any way. The underscore should only be used under the word Women Real. Strong. Women. should never be substituted for Alpha Chi Omega next to the Lyre symbol. The words should not have different sizes or weight. The words Real. Strong. Women. should not be stacked. All three words must be legible. 4. It should never be created using an incorrect font. 5. The words should always appear in small caps. They should never appear in title case, lowercase or all caps Real. Strong. Women Themeline: Real. Strong. Women. Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 11

12 Sub-brands Basic Design & Usage Sub-brand logos have been created to call special attention to the Alpha Chi Omega Foundation and National Housing Corporation. These logos are created using an AΧΩ red rule between the words Alpha Chi Omega and the sub-brand name. The sub-brand name is set in the Radiant font in the AΧΩ red. It is aligned flush right of the logo. The sub-brand logos should be used on materials specific to their respective sub-brands. In no instance should multiple versions of the logos appear on the same page. 12 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Sub-brands

13 Collateral Design The brand look for Alpha Chi Omega is created from a tool kit of graphic elements. These elements ensure continuity across the organization and convey the brand personality. Fraternity, Foundation and National Housing Corporation While there are slightly different approaches to designing materials for the Fraternity, Foundation and National Housing Corporation, common elements are used to maintain a consistent brand look and feel across the system. The different approaches are based on their respective audiences. Fraternity The Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity collateral targets prospective, new and active members of AΧΩ. The audience skews college age. These pieces should reflect a spirited nature and feel very contemporary and lifestyle-oriented. They should highlight women who are approachable and fun, and who are around the target audience age. Foundation The Alpha Chi Omega Foundation collateral is used to gain support for the organization. The target audiences are ΑΧΩ collegiate and alumna members, as well as various donor groups and potential donor groups who appreciate a sophisticated and professional appeal. These pieces should have an elegant feel reflective of a professional, goal-oriented organization. nge National Housing Corporation The Alpha Chi Omega National Housing Corporation (NHC) materials should be direct and position the NHC as a viable resource. The target audiences are local house corporations, property management teams, collegiate members (and their parents) on campuses with AΧΩ housing. The design of these pieces generally utilizes simple design techniques for ease of use, such as templated, non-bleed layouts. WINTER VOL. 3 B C Fraternity Collateral Example Foundation Collateral Example Housing Collateral Example Below is a basic, preliminary, outline of treatments, backgrounds, and colors for the Alpha Chi Omega collateral system. This is an initial indication of our thinking and guide on how to create some of these treatments. (A) New Member Book Cover Collateral Design Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 13 D

14 Design Elements While there are slightly different approaches to designing pieces for the Fraternity, Foundation and NHC, common elements are used to maintain a consistent brand look and feel across the organization. (A) Colored Bars Colored bars can be brought into line photos, sections or borders to add a splash of color. Find two colors that complement the background color or photo. (B) Ghosted Type Background The original concept behind this background was to utilize the Alpha Chi Omega Symphony over the background and behind the main subject, but other messaging can be used. Utilize a semi-transparent, multiplied version of the Spring font. (C) Lyre Graphic Treatment When used as a background, the Lyre is treated uniquely. Varying degrees of opacity, lightness and darkness, and filled and stroked lyres, overlap to create this visually interesting treatment. (D) Box with Rules VO WINTER A D B E C F Design Element Examples A rule with an added box dropping below the baseline of the rule can be added to the edges of pieces and photos or used to break up text sections. (E) Dart Pattern Make sure the dart gradients are set in a darker or lighter color on one side and the exact color of the overlapped box on the other to create the illusion that the darts are fading into the box behind. (F) Lighting Effects Some backgrounds utilize a slight lighting effect to create depth and interest. Utilizing the gradient mesh tool in Adobe Illustrator, choose a point in the middle and lighten the color to create this effect. 14 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Collateral Design

15 Font Usage The system fonts for Alpha Chi Omega are Radiant, Minion and Spring. Brighton (font of the wordmark) should not be used on any pieces except for typesetting the Alpha Chi Omega name. Radiant Radiant should be used for headlines and headings. The font size and weight may vary depending on the piece. Minion Minion should be used for body copy in all collateral pieces. Typical body copy should be set to 10pt with a 13pt leading. These numbers can be varied depending on the piece. Spring The Spring font should be used very sparingly. It can be utilized for design elements, such as ghosted words and call outs. Radiant Radiant Font Example Minion Minion Font Example Spring Spring Font Example Praesent velit quam, fermentum quis Praesent velit quam, fermentum quis, dignissim vulputate, sodales vel, lorem. Fusce et mi sit amet nunc convallis feugiat. Fusce id arcu ac eros vestibulum vestibulum. Nam orci nibh, ultrices in, rhoncus eu, iaculis a, massa. Vivamus nulla nibh, blandit ut, iaculis et, lobortis in, massa. Suspendisse odio felis, condimentum sed, gravida at, scelerisque vel, ante. Integer sit amet odio nec ante luctus gravida. Sed auctor, tortor vitae auctor laoreet, quam lorem congue odio, ac tincidunt nisi ligula ut tortor. Pellentesque congue, mi et ultricies volutpat, dolor nibh luctus ipsum, at scelerisque nibh elit eu magna. Fusce sem. Sed scelerisque, elit at malesuada mattis, libero massa porta dolor, id hendrerit sapien augue vel dui. Aenean id diam vel dui adipiscing sollicitudin. Vestibulum semper ullamcorper pede. Cras id elit a sem venenatis varius. Curabitur dolor odio, placerat a, hendrerit in, bibendum sed, lectus. Cras vulputate, ante blandit lobortis vehicula, massa neque iaculis risus, vitae rutrum massa odio sed lacus. Donec vestibulum consectetuer dui. Nullam dui metus, varius convallis, aliquet varius, ultricies sit amet, ante. Cras non nibh. Nulla facilisi. Sed sed est eu ante sodales viverra. Donec ut dolor id risus interdum sagittis. Suspendisse pede. Integer eu orci a elit lobortis interdum. Morbi vel arcu. Donec ut mauris. Vestibulum sollicitudin ultrices libero. Fusce accumsan, neque eu varius consequat, turpis neque posuere leo, quis consectetuer arcu massa in nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc quis justo et diam luctus feugiat. Quisque ornare. Integer posuere libero sed neque. Integer enim mauris, laoreet a, cursus cursus, dapibus et, est. Nam est massa, eleifend quis, congue ut, molestie id, orci. Donec consectetuer magna eget sapien. Nam sodales, elit at lacinia posuere, diam enim suscipit mauris, eget elementum est sapien non metus. Donec semper, massa nec imperdiet sodales, arcu leo scelerisque lacus, sed pellentesque lacus mi vitae magna. Nunc facilisis. Pellentesque convallis vestibulum nisi. Nunc. Fames ac turpis egestas. Quisque lacinia enim et velit. Sed fermentum nunc eu tellus. Etiam semper, augue eget laoreet. Rhoncus, elit quam malesuada massa. iaculis vel, faucibus sit amet, nulla. Cras gravida malesuada nulla. Sed mollis lorem nec dolor. Aliquam mattis. Ut nec ligula id orci viverra convallis. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Nulla at arcu nec pede porta hendrerit. Duis id nulla sed nisl facilisis sagittis. Nam ut ante. Nulla suscipit arcu ut augue. In hac habitasse Mauris tincidunt. Curabitur arcu lacus, placerat vitae, cursus nec, euismod sed, tellus. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Quisque sit amet augue. Duis consectetuer dapibus libero. Nullam pellentesque tortor vitae ligula. Nulla at ipsum et purus ullamcorper ornare. Phasellus lectus. Nullam vitae lectus. Aenean non eros eget pede tincidunt ultrices. Nam sed ipsum at enim adipiscing dapibus. Duis hendrerit pede in lorem. Vestibulum suscipit massa sollicitudin metus. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Vivamus nulla nibh, blandit ut, iaculis et, lobortis in, massa. Suspendisse odio felis, condimentum sed, gravida at, scelerisque vel, ante. Integer sit amet odio nec ante luctus gravida. Sed auctor, tortor vitae auctor laoreet, quam lorem congue odio, ac tincidunt nisi ligula ut tortor. Pellentesque congue, mi et ultricies volutpat, dolor nibh luctus ipsum, at scelerisque nibh elit eu magna. Fusce sem. Sed scelerisque, elit at malesuada mattis, libero massa porta dolor, id hendrerit sapien augue vel dui. Aenean id diam vel dui adipiscing sollicitudin. Vestibulum semper ullamcorper pede. Cras id elit a sem venenatis varius. Curabitur dolor odio, placerat a, hendrerit in, bibendum sed, lectus. Cras vulputate, ante blandit lobortis vehicula, massa neque iaculis risus, vitae rutrum massa odio sed lacus. Donec vestibulum consectetuer dui. Nullam dui metus, varius convallis, aliquet varius, ultricies sit amet, ante. Cras non nibh. Nulla facilisi. Sed sed est eu ante sodales viverra. Donec ut dolor id risus interdum sagittis. Suspendisse pede. Integer eu orci a elit lobortis interdum. Morbi vel arcu. Donec ut mauris. Vestibulum sollicitudin ultrices libero. Fusce accumsan, neque eu varius consequat, turpis neque posuere leo, quis consectetuer arcu massa in nulla. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Nunc quis justo et diam luctus feugiat. Quisque ornare. Integer posuere libero sed neque. Integer enim mauris, laoreet a, cursus cursus, dapibus et, est. Donec consectetuer magna eget sapien. Nam sodales, elit at lacinia posuere, diam enim suscipit mauris, eget elementum est sapien non metus. Donec semper, massa nec imperdiet sodales, arcu leo scelerisque lacus, sed pellentesque lacus mi vitae magna. Nunc facilisis. Pellentesque convallis vestibulum nisi. Nunc sodales pede nec pede. Duis tincidunt. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Quisque lacinia enim et velit. Sed fermentum nunc eu tellus. Etiam semper, augue eget laoreet rhoncus, elit quam malesuada massa, in laoreet quam libero sit amet purus. Duis sit amet est. Curabitur volutpat vehicula diam. Duis orci nisi, dapibus lobortis, accumsan id, tempor quis, felis. Vestibulum mauris diam, consectetuer id. Iaculis vel, faucibus sit amet, nulla. Cras gravida malesuada nulla. Sed mollis lorem nec dolor. Aliquam mattis. Ut nec ligula id orci viverra convallis. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et dis parturient montes. alphachiomega.org alphachiomega.org Inside Spread Example Collateral Design Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 15

16 Color Palette Alpha Chi Omega s logo colors are PMS 7420 (red) and PMS 5773 (green). The supporting color palette consists of: PMS 667 PMS 7420 (70% tint) PMS 124 PMS 543 PMS 345 This is the reccomended brand palette, but other complementary colors can be used. PMS 7420 PMS 5773 PMS 667 (70%) PMS 7420 PMS 124 Photography Photography for Alpha Chi Omega collateral pieces should display women looking very aspirational in a positive environment. The women should preferably be wearing AΧΩ letters or badge wear. Metaphoric imagery may be used as well if it is appropriate for the piece. Color Palette PMS 543 PMS 345 To gain access to AΧΩ-aproved photography, contact Janine at Alpha Chi Omega Headquarters at X Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Collateral Design

17 Stationery System tel x555 fax Castle Creek Parkway North Drive Indianapolis, IN MS AC08-08 Adobe Indesign CS2 AC08-08a BusinessCardFrt_2c_MECH MS 3.5 (w) x 2 (h) 100% 2 6/5/08 Business Card Example (Front and Back) 5939 Castle Creek Parkway North Drive Indianapolis, IN alphachiomega.org Letterhead Example 5939 Castle Creek Parkway North Drive Indianapolis, IN Envelope Example Stationery System Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 17

18 from: tel: fax: date: to: company: fax: pages: to: cc: from: date: subject: Media Contacts: CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The information Full Name contained in this transmission may be privileged and confidential under Indiana law. This transmission may also contain material protected Phone by Federal privacy regulations or attorney-client, work product or other privileges. It is intended solely for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you Address are not an intended recipient, any review, use or distribution of this information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this confidential communication in error, notify the sender immediately by telephone and return the original of this transmission to the U.S. Mail at the address shown. If this transmission concerns a contract matter, LOREM be advised IPSUM that no employee DOLAR or agent SIT is AMNET authorized to SHOLIOR conclude any binding FOMILIO agreement FOR on behalf DORNION of KOR MISBED AHDS Alpha Chi Omega without express written QUELINIO confirmation by JORBAL an officer of the MORN corporation. FORNS SITTO Lorem Solar Formidlbes grobal vred serbi gromilio FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Phasellus consequat mi quis risus. Aenean ornare justo quis tortor. Morbi fermentum, ipsum et hendrerit tempus, leo lorem adipiscing mi, nec pellentesque ante felis id lectus. Donec lobortis blandit quam. Proin at augue. Donec quis felis. Morbi tellus. Cras velit nibh, pretium eu, fringilla non, dictum vel, nibh. In iaculis, enim ac consectetuer fermentum, nisi leo ultricies sem, cursus rhoncus quam nisl ut augue. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Donec justo. Proin gravida orci eget velit. Ut quis magna. Proin facilisis. Suspendisse cursus nisl et nulla. In mi ante, consectetuer eget, scelerisque sit amet, vulputate ut, ante. Sed molestie augue a augue. Maecenas quis lacus eget nulla blandit mattis. Sed mattis tortor ut quam. Vestibulum congue tempor enim. Pellentesque iaculis lobortis erat. Fusce congue lectus id purus. Praesent id sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Etiam mi. In posuere cursus lorem. Quisque tempus nunc tristique neque. Fusce viverra suscipit sapien. Vivamus rhoncus facilisis velit. Pellentesque velit. Proin pellentesque. Vestibulum quam. Aenean adipiscing. Curabitur aliquam rhoncus pede. In elit est, semper id, accumsan id, suscipit vel, sapien. Nam ligula. Fusce a nibh quis leo consectetuer eleifend. Cras tempor velit sit amet arcu. Sed libero pede, malesuada in, aliquam eu, dictum at, magna. Nam magna. Morbi convallis augue eu lacus. Nam vulputate dapibus diam. Vestibulum quis felis sit amet magna imperdiet tincidunt. Suspendisse laoreet. Ut pretium fringilla arcu. Nunc lorem quam, dictum ac, condimentum id, laoreet rhoncus, felis. Etiam nibh justo, ultricies vel, sollicitudin non, lobortis in, libero. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Donec lobortis est non ligula. Etiam convallis ultricies tellus. Aenean sed turpis et nisi ullamcorper rutrum. Donec sit amet risus eu dolor porta posuere. Donec orci ipsum, aliquet sit amet, varius molestie, ultricies sed, elit. Phasellus semper, dui ac auctor scelerisque, magna nibh cursus orci, ac feugiat sem erat eu nisl. Sed ultricies nibh sit amet tellus. Sed eu lorem. Sed sem. Fusce in risus. Curabitur venenatis est at elit. Aenean ut dolor. Fax, Memo and Press Release Examples 18 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity Stationery System

19 FAQs 1. What is a brand? A brand is made up of the promises that an organization makes to its audiences. It is the set of tangible and intangible characteristics that surround the organization and its services, distinguish it from competitors and are delivered across all the ways in which someone interacts with that brand. 2. How is our business different from our brand? Our business represents what we do, such as providing a wide range of supporting services to our members. Our brand, on the other hand, is a differentiating concept that speaks to how we do what we do. In other words, our brand represents the unique benefits that our members receive from Alpha Chi Omega. Business is an internally-driven concept, while brand speaks to the relationship that we have with our audiences. 3. What is the difference between a brand and branding? Branding (a verb) is the ongoing process of differentiating a brand (a noun). Branding is a combination of all the words, images, ideas and actions that together, serve to distinguish an organization s offerings. Importantly, branding does not have a finish line. Rather, it is best thought about as a journey driven by both mindset and process that requires ongoing attention as markets, consumers and organizations evolve. 4. Why is branding so important to Alpha Chi Omega? Our re-branding ensures that we are meaningfully distinguished from all women s fraternal organization competitors. If we re not different in ways that are important to our members, then there s no compelling reason for them to choose ΑΧΩ as their preferred sorority. Ultimately, our branding efforts must result in building trust and loyalty internally and among our members. Branding is the most efficient and effective way for us to build our brand. It is a holistic effort that takes place day in and day out, across our entire organization among all of our staff, as well as our members themselves. 5. Why did we undertake this effort? Because we didn t want to become just another women s fraternal organization, we took a step back to objectively understand how our different audiences understood and perceived our organization. FAQs Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity 19

20 6. What were the key findings from our branding research? At the outset of this re-branding effort, we examined perceptions of internal and external audiences, our own Alpha Chi Omega brand and practices of key competitors. Results revealed key pieces of learning: Findings from internal interviews: Characteristics at the heart of the ΑΧΩ brand story tend to relate back to the driven nature of the organization and its members: real, genuine, forwardthinking, ambitious While aspects of the ΑΧΩ brand were working well, others needed work: lacking the big picture (a unifying and and distinguishing brand idea) inconsistent communications (messages) and materials attempts to be all-encompassing (everything to everyone) Acknowledgement that ΑΧΩ had not fully capitalized on opportunities to reach its full potential Findings among prospective members (incoming freshmen): Only a small percentage of incoming freshmen (approximately 10%) stated interest in joining a social fraternity or sorority. There was a strong consistency regarding the challenges these incoming freshmen believe they will face: dual themes of living independently and forging one s own identity, while at the same time fitting in and making friends. The ideal sorority would differ from current perceptions in the following ways: encouraging diversity (race, culture, interests) and independent thinking, emphasizing studies and community service vs. parties and superficial pursuits. Overall, very few women were very familiar with any one sorority they all look alike and sound alike to them. 7. What will the outcome of this effort be? A clearer picture of who we are, what we stand for and how we stand apart A more compelling ΑΧΩ brand that communicates more powerfully and quickly and reflects both our rich history and future dedication to serving our members Member engagement both collegiate and alumna members feeling a renewed sense of pride, ownership and affiliation Enhanced recruitment beyond our current member base our new brand should also be a powerful magnet for attracting and recruiting prospective ΑΧΩ members 8. Why did we update our logo? Because while it was important to remain true to our heritage, we need to ensure that we maintain our relevancy and appeal to prospective members. So we modernized the lyre, and used more contemporary and lively colors (while staying in the same family of colors). 9. How will Alpha Chi Omega and its sub-brands use the logo? Every ΑΧΩ entity will use the same logo, so that we re always building equity back to the organization. However, each sub-brand will integrate its name so that it always appears with the logo. 20 Alpha Chi Omega Visual Identity FAQs