CASTLETON STATE COLLEGE College Memories: A Brand Reimagined
Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction Section 2 Brand Development 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5
Research Target Audience SWOT Analysis Mood Boards Logo Development
Section 3 Styleguide 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5
Redesigned Logo Typography Color Palette Use of Images Motion & Sound
Section 4 Final Design 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6
Applications Social Media Website Augmented Reality Video Print
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Introduction Established in 1787, Castleton is the nation’s
18th oldest college. Offering one of the lowest tuition rates in the region plus a wide variety of program options in an environment of friendly collaboration, fun, and outdoor recreation, Castleton is an obvious choice. Decreased funding and increased competition for students, however, are threatening the vitality of the school. An updated and reenergized brand identity will help revive this historic and magical place of learning.
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n o t e l t s a C
s u p cam
Woodruff Hall
Dorms
Fine Arts Center 3
Section 2 Brand Development 2.1 Research
2.2 Target Audience 2.3 SWOT Analysis 2.4 Mood Boards 2.5 Logo Development 5
2.1
Research
Background
Situated on an idyllic campus
nestled in the picturesque Green Mountains of southern Vermont, Castleton State College offers a wide variety of fields of study and one of the lowest tuition rates among public four-year institutions in the region. A decade-long decrease in state funding and a systematic devaluation of the importance of traditional brickand-mortar higher education, however, have led to one of the most challenging periods yet for the College. The resulting environment is one in which the institution must balance an increasing need to seek entrepreneurial solutions with its stated relationship-based approach to education. Complicating matters is a poorly defined brand and marketing strategy, reflected most obviously in the college’s 15 year-old website and lack of effective use of media and technology as recruitment and retention tools. How then, does Castleton capitalize upon its many virtues in order to maintain and create new revenue streams in an age of unprecedented uncertainty?
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Differentiation
The answer just might be found in the
contradictions that make up the fabric of the school. Indeed, Castleton is steeped in a rich history and over two centuries of tradition. However, it also has its sights set on being the regional hub of master’s-level education and online delivery. Indeed, Castleton is located in rural New England and surrounded by farmland, but it is also led by a visionary president and supported by world-class faculty. Yes, Castleton is a small school. But, it is the “small school with a big heart” and at Castleton the number one selling point is a unique
A small school with a BIG heart. . . experience in which everyone is made to feel like a member of the family. The key will be to find an effective method for getting that message to the right audience in a language that they will understand. To that end, a rebranding effort that accurately reflects Castleton’s unique personality will be developed and delivered through a variety of print, webbased, and social media outlets that, up to this point, have been largely untapped.
Castleton
boasts easy access to lakes, hiking trails, and ski resorts, and naturally draws in students who prefer a small town setting with outdoor activities. The larger nearby town of Rutland, however, offers a multitude of dining, cultural, and nightlife options. Castleton’s current enrollment sits at just under 2,000 fulltime students and a 14/1 instructorto-student ratio that allows for truly
personalized instruction. Castleton is also an affordable option with an annual tuition rate that is $2,000 less than the four-year public school average throughout New England (“Trends in Higher Education,” 2013).
Besides its history, location, small class
size, and low tuition costs, the major aspect that differentiates Castleton from the competition is its sense of tradition and the “warm embrace” it offers up to all who join the “Castleton family.” As President Dave Wolk says, “The journey to Castleton’s 225th birthday has been guided by an enduring good spirit, by a rich sense of community, by a deep commitment to doing good—by the legacy of its “Big Heart” (Powers et al., 2012).
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2.2
The Target Audience Meghan McMullen NAME
20
Female
AGE
GENDER
LOCATION: Rutland, VT OCCUPATION:
Sales Assoc Panera Bread
Meghan is a single mom to an 18-month old girl. Meghan is studying to be a nurse and dreams of someday relocating to a hospital in Burlington. She is confident that an education at Castleton, in their outstanding Nursing program, will help her achieve her goals.
Jason Delbianco
NAME
16
Male
AGE
GENDER
LOCATION: Boston, MA OCCUPATION:
High School Junior
Jason has been recruited by Castleton to play on their hockey team. He is excited to leave the big city and try out something new. At Castleton, he will study Elementary Education and hopes to follow in his mother’s footsteps and become a fifth-grade teacher.
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SWOT Analysis s
th g n e r t S
ss size a l c l l a • Sm rtance o p m i torical • His ing ic sett l l y d I • ader e l y r a on • Visi aculty f g n o g • Str lcomin e w , m • War nment enviro
es s s e n k Wea
known l l e w • Not nding u f f o k d • Lac site an b e w dated als • Out ting materi marke nd ar bra e l c o • N y strateg
s
ie t i n u t r ppo
O
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al tution i t s n i ng h • Stro rt for growt suppo rest e t n i g all easin • Incr esting in sm n in inv ucatio d e e g colle -one n o e n with o on cti instru tential o p d e app • Unt mmunity for co ement v l o v n i
s Threat
ublic p d e s rea ue • Dec ence in val confid r education e of high et cuts g d u b oing • Ong
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2.4
Mood Boards
The “Warm and Homey�
moodboard was designed to feel warm, familial, and autumnal. The result is a design that is reminiscent of a family scrapbook or photo album.
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2.5
Logo Development Logo Inspirations
Castleton
Logo Sketches
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Section 3 Style Guide 3.1 Redesigned Logo 3.2 Typography 3.3 Color Palette 3.4 Use of Images 3.5 Motion & Sound 13
3.1
Redesigned Logo
Current Logo
Out of the seven design criteria that
overly simplistic. In other words, what it is missing is distinction. It is not, as Airey David Airey outlines in Logo Design Love, the most obvious one that pertains says, “so recognizable (…) that just its to the current Castleton logo is simplicity. shape or outline gives it away” (Airey, 2010). While this makes sense, it does beg the question whether or not this logo is
Redesigned Logo
Castleton S TAT E C O L L E G E
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(Full Color)
Castleton S TAT E C O L L E G E
Castleton
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S TAT E C O L L E G E (One Color)
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(Transparent)
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The new logo features
a mixture of modern style combined with traditional, familiar elements. The logotype font is Baskerville, which was chosen because Castleton has used it for several decades and will help the brand remain recognizable for those who are familiar with the former logo.
The tree represents
growth, renewal, and the attainment of knowledge, which is why it is commonly used by other colleges and universities. This particular tree, however, has a more casual style and strikes a less traditional chord. It is designed to appeal to a younger audience.
Minimum Logo Size Castleton
1�
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Clear space
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= X Value
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Castleton STATE COLLEGE
Inappropriate Logo Usage
Castleton
S TAT E C O L L E G E Don’t distort the logo
Castleton
Castleton S TAT E C O L L E G E
STATE COLLEGE
Don’t alter the colors of the logo
Castleton S TAT E C O L L E G E
Don’t place the logo on a textured/patterned background
Castleton S TAT E C O L L E G E
Don’t place a border or frame around the logo
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3.2
Typography
Primary: Baskerville
HEADLINES / Headlines Headlines / Sub-Headlines Baskerville was chosen to echo the Castleton logotype and will be used primarily in headlines and subheadings.
Secondary: HarabaraHand Headlines / Accents HarbaraHand was selected to give the impression of handwriting without losing
legibility. It should be used only occasionally as an accent font to add visual depth and variety.
Tertiary: Helvetica Headlines / Headlines Body Copy Helvetica is to be used as the primary body copy font because it compliments Baskerville and provides variety and superior legibility.
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Color Palette
3.3
Primary RGB: 1.86.63 CMYK: 90.40.79.38 PANTONE 7484 a.k.a. “Castleton Green”
Secondary
RGB: 18.84.105 CMYK: 93.58.43.23 PANTONE 7477
RGB: 255.171.99 CMYK: 0.39.67.0 PANTONE 714
RGB: 84.30.79 CMYK: 68.97.38.34 PANTONE 261
The brand colors were chosen to mimic
the colors of the autumn leaves that are so commonly associated with this region. Autumnal colors help to reinforce the sense of warmth, coziness, and bring to mind school related imagery: the beginning of the academic year, football games, bonfires, etc.
The “Castleton Green” has long been
associated with the school and is also fitting because “green suggests stability and endurance” (color-wheel-pro, n.d.). RGB: 227.142.114 CMYK: 8.52.55.0 PANTONE 486
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3.4
Use of Images
Images selected for this campaign should be warm and depict collegiate scenes involving students, small class sizes, faculty mentorship, historic buildings, and the surrounding New England landscape.
Images should seem like warm college memories!
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Motion & Sound
3.5
The motion and sound for the Castleton campaign should be, like all of the other
design elements, warm and welcoming. Music selections will be upbeat and have forward momentum so as to build a sense of excitement. It should also have a bit of a folksy tinge to it in order to make it feel homey, but not so much that it becomes Country/Western or “down home”.
Movement will be somewhat flowing with occasional “magical” elements such as a ripple effect to play up the memories aspect of the theme.
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The Tree of Knowledge “grows” on the page
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The school name fades in using a ripple effect
One of the leaves falls and drifts off the page
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A green leaf appears to signify growth and rebirth
View the full motion graphic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQgopOc_TP8
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Section 4 Final Design 4.1 Applications
4.2 Social Media 4.3 Website 4.4 Augmented Reality 4.5 Video 4.6 Print 23
4.1 “Project
Applications
Scrapbook” is an interactive platform for students, faculty, and alumni to share their favorite Castleton memories by posting photos and other mementos through social media and associated applications. This photo sharing scrapbook will sync and chronicle the shared souvenirs through its own environment while also serving as a bridge from Facebook and Twitter back to the college.
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e to Welcom book! Scrap Project arted... t s t e g Let’s
Not only does
Social Media
4.2
the peer-to-peer communication of social media interaction reinforce the importance of personal relationships in attracting students to the institution, it may also be the crucial element that pushes them to enroll. “Hayes, Ruschman, and Walker (2009) describe the use of a social networking system by a university as a marketing tool in their case study; they found a significant relationship between those who logged onto the social network and the likelihood of them applying to the university� (Constantinides & Zinck, 2011).
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4.3
ebsite Augmented W Reality
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4.4
Augmented Reality
Similar to a QR code, Augmented
Reality “auras� are virtual hot spots than can be scanned with a smart phone or tablet in order to access the intended information. Auras have the added benefit, however, of being invisible and can be overlayed on any item, image, or location. At Castleton, auras will be placed around campus to give students
more information about the facilities and highlight historical events that took place in the area as a modern interactive/ historical walking tour. The example above shows a student accessing an aura placed on Woodruff Hall that will transform the view from current day to a video of President Coolidge delivering a speech in the same location in 1924.
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4.5 4.3
Video Video will be used
to supplement and strengthen Project Scrapbook by providing a platform for Castleton to produce videos advertising the college from the students’ perspective.
These videos will feature
students sharing their own Castleton State College memories and will also serve as a virtual mentorship system in order to make incoming students more comfortable. For example, one college memories video could be a student recalling what it was like to register for classes before their first semester of school. The video would then provide that student’s memories and anecdotes as well as step-by-step instructions on how to register for classes.
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Print Given that the target market is 16-20
year old high school students or recent graduates, it may seem unnecessary to devote the institution’s energies and financial resources to print collateral. In general, however, print still plays an important role for consumers. Deliver magazine recently reported that: “Customers who received a printed catalogue spent more meaningful time on the company’s website and
4.6
purchased 28% more on average than customers who did not receive a catalogue. And that held for every age category” (“Monitor ICEF”, 2013).
Print collateral for the Castleton State campaign will include business cards, stationery, billboards, brochures, on-campus signage, as well as the merchandise such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats.
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References Airey, David. Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities, 1/e Vitalsource eBook for Full Sail University. Pearson Learning Solutions. VitalBook file. Average Tuition and Fee and Room and Board Charges by College Board Region and Sector, 2013-14. (2013). [Graph illustration]. Trends in Higher Education. Retrieved from http://trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing/figures-tables/average-published-prices-region-sector-2013-14. Beautiful young female college student in classroom [image]. Retrieved from http:// www.shutterstock.com/pic-108794975/stock-photo-beautiful-young-female-collegestudent-in-classroom.html?src=csl_recent_image-3 Castleton State College images courtesy of Castleton State College Castleton building [Image]. Retrieved from: http://uprouted.wordpress. com/2012/07/17/my-secret-castleton-castleton-state-college/ Color meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2013 from http://www.color-wheelpro.com/color-meaning.html. Colors of autumn [image]. Retrieved from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1433665 Constantinides, E., & Zinck Stagno, M. C. (2011). Potential of the social media as instruments of higher education marketing: a segmentation study. Journal Of Marketing For Higher Education, 21(1), 7-24. doi:10.1080/08841241.2011.573593. Girl Studying [Image]. http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/study-60-percent-ofstudents-wont-attend-a-college-without-wi-fi-services/ Happy professor working on laptop with students in chemistry lab [image]. Retrieved from http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-122257450/stock-photo-happy-professorworking-on-laptop-with-students-in-chemistry-lab.html?src=csl_recent_image-3 Portrait of a handsome student standing up in a corridor [image]. Retrieved from http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-85522042/stock-photo-portrait-of-a-handsome-student-standing-up-in-a-corridor.html?src=csl_recent_image-2
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Powers, R., Duling, E., Ryerson, M., Fleche, A., Marro, T., Boettcher, C., & Holmes, B. (2012). Big heart: The journey to Castleton’s two hundred and twenty-fifth birthday. T. Peffer (Ed.). Burlington, VT: Queen City Printers, Inc. Smile more, worry less! [image]. Retrieved from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1413992 Students in Autumn [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.imagemediapartners.com/ blog/bid/62701/Marketing-for-Higher-Education-Online-Expectations Trails to the Sun [image]. Retrieved from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1251899
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Castleton S TAT E C O L L E G E
s e i r o m e Your m ! g n i t i a w are Jessica Cowden | jessica_cowden@yahoo.com | 970.270.7176