Branding Guide
JULY 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS MESSAGING GUIDE ............................................... 3 OVERVIEW:............................................................................ 3 INSTITUTIONAL BRAND: ............................................ 3 POSITIONING STATEMENT: ................................... 4 VISUAL STANDARDS GUIDE ................6 COLORS: ................................................................ 6 LOGOS: .............................................................. 7 DO NOT’S AND USAGE: ........................ 8 IMAGES ...................................................... 9 EMAIL SIGNATURES .................... 10 UNIVERSITY SEAL ..................... 10 TYPOGRAPHY ............................11 NAMING CONVENTIONS .................... 12 INSTITUTIONAL NAMING .............12 COMMUNITY NAMING .........................12 APPEARANCE ................................ 13 SOCIAL MEDIA................................... 15 2
MESSAGING GUIDE
OVERVIEW:
Brand messaging is comprised of key terms and messages used to communicate on behalf of Montana State University Billings, both on and off campus. Using appropriate brand messaging helps establish and maintain MSUB’s unique identity. Individuals producing content should apply concepts from the Messaging Guide to their work to build recognition and respect for the university, evoke pride and loyalty among stakeholders, and stimulate enrollment and investment in the institution.
INSTITUTIONAL BRAND:
TAGLINES:
• Live here. Work here. Graduate here.
• Belong in Billings.
• Go Beyond the classroom.
• Private college feel, public college cost.
• Accessible. Affordable. Attainable.
• Be Connected.
• Be Brave. Be Bold. Become.
• Be U @ MSUB.
Hands-on, customized, individualized learning experience both in and outside of the classroom that provides valuable experiences to prepare students for a rewarding career.
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POSITIONING STATEMENT:
Students at MSUB receive a high-quality, individualized, and affordable education. Students and prospective students can make a good life for themselves and their families right here in Billings without having to leave to receive a quality education or start a career. Billings is the workforce hub of Montana with numerous employment opportunities in a variety of fields, and MSUB provides robust educational opportunities, from certificates to associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, many of which align with the Billings — and Montana — workforce needs. Because of the program alignment with the workforce, MSUB’s graduates typically have higher starting salaries and higher job placement rates compared to other public Montana university graduates.
TAGLINES:
• Live here. Work here. Graduate here.
• Belong in Billings.
• Go Beyond the classroom.
• Be U @ MSUB.
• Be Brave. Be Bold. Become.
Value: MSUB students receive a private college education at a public college cost. MSUB accommodates all types of learners, traditional to non-traditional, with in-demand workforce ready programs, many with robust starting salaries. The intimate settings of City College and university campus provide students with individualized attention from their faculty, along with limitless internship and research opportunities which can lead to rewarding careers.
TAGLINE:
• Private college feel, public college cost.
• Accessible. Affordable. Attainable.
Connection: At MSUB, faculty and students get to know each other on an individual level. Small class sizes and a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 allows strong relationships to form between faculty and students and between the campus community in general.
TAGLINE:
• Be Connected. 4
Success & Preparation: MSUB’s high-quality education aims to transform, empower, and prepare students from diverse backgrounds to succeed. MSUB aims to be a place where students feel accepted for who they are — to “BE U @ MSUB.” Hands-on learning is a hallmark of MSUB, where students receive more hands-on, practical experience as part of their education, setting them apart from other college graduates as they enter the workforce and compete for jobs. In addition, many of our programs are highly accredited. Accreditation information can be found on each academic program’s webpage.
MSUB has dedicated student support resources in place to help students have a meaningful and successful college experience including an on-site career and employment department committed to connecting students to internship and employment resources to boost their success in gaining employment after graduation. Students can also take advantage of the numerous academic opportunities available to them; over 100 undergraduate students from all disciplines present research annually at local, state, and national conferences, and 89% of MSUB seniors are engaged in some form of service-learning, internships, study abroad, and/ or research.
Campus & Community Engagement: Students are highly encouraged to get involved in campus life. Students who are engaged in clubs and organizations have opportunities to develop valuable leadership skills, make lifelong connections, and influence the student campus experience. MSUB offers 40+ student clubs and organizations and the only NCAA Divison II athletic program in the state – there is something for every student.
MSUB has a strong connection to the Billings community and focuses on shaping its students through civic engagement and experiential and service learning. Initiatives are developed to help foster student civic pride, stewardship, and sustainability and encourage students to be part of community-driven social change. Civic engagement and pride are hallmarks of MSUB, with over 62 percent of first-year students and 75 percent of seniors participating in service-learning projects.
Location & Destination: MSUB is situated near outdoor recreation for world-class skiing, rock climbing, fishing, hiking, biking, and is close to many state and national parks. Billings is the regional health care corridor and houses two of the largest hospitals and health care networks in the state. Billings also is home to a large economic district with international, national, regional, and local businesses and also houses the Billings Logan International Airport, the second largest airport in Montana with direct flights on major airlines departing daily to numerous destinations.
Personality: Determined, Successful, Resourceful, Learn by Doing, Close-knit Community, Active, Inclusive, Civic & Community-Minded, Service-Oriented, Be U @ MSUB, Yellowjackets have grit, You’re not just a number — you’re a Yellowjacket!
89%
of seniors are engaged in internships, research, service learning, study abroad
62%
of first-year students participate in servicelearning projects
One of the most affordable universities in Montana
Professors will know you by name
86% of professors hold the highest degree in their field
Credits transfer between all public Montana institutions
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VISUAL STANDARDS GUIDE
COLORS:
MSUB’s colors were changed to blue and gold when the institution became Montana State University Billings in 1994. When the institution rebranded in 2019, the blue and gold colors were updated to reflect the new brand.
PRIMARY COLORS
MSUB BLUE
CMYK: 100-85-20-25
RGB: 21-53-109
HSB: 218-79-43
#15356D Pantone 294C
MSUB GOLD
CMYK: 0-27-100-0
RGB: 240-179-16
HSB: 44-94-100
#F0B310 Pantone 124C
SECONDARY COLOR
BLACK
CMYK: 0-0-0-100 RGB: 0-0-0
HSB: 0-0-0 #000000
TERTIARY COLORS
MSUB STEEL GREY
CMYK: 40-15-5-66 RGB: 67-89-105
HSB: 206-36-40 #435969
FROZEN SMOKE
CMYK: 15-5-0-20 RGB: 176-189-204
HSB: 212-14-80 #B0BDCC
OTHER PRINTABLE COLORS
All of MSUB’s assets may be printed in black and white.
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LOGOS:
MSUB’s new logos accurately represent the university and City College campuses. It is appropriate to use these logos on all institutional materials.
PRIMARY LOGOS
SECONDARY LOGO
TERTIARY LOGO
The primary logo is the first logo that should be included on all materials facing an external audience. After the primary logo has been utilized, the secondary and tertiary logos may be used as space allows. The secondary and tertiary logos should only be used on secondary marketing materials for current students and on items such as swag. The institutional title also needs to be included on these items whenever possible.
PRIMARY WORDMARK
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS
CITY COLLEGE MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS
The text-only versions are only to be used where the primary and secondary logos do not fit. This logo must only be used in smaller surface areas at University Communications & Marketing’s discretion.
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DEPARTMENT LOGOS
Each college, some academic and non-academic departments, and registered student organizations/clubs have their own logos designed by University Communications and Marketing.
skew,
warp
COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS
CITY COLLEGE
DO NOT’S AND USAGE: Don’t
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS OFFICE OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS OFFICE OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS HOUSING & RESIDENCE LIFE HOUSING & RESIDENCE LIFE MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS STUDENT ACTIVITIES B DRAO NOM T A NA STATEUNIVERSITYBILLINGS 8
stretch, squeeze,
or
the logo Don’t use patterns or filters on the logo Don’t change the color of the logo Don’t change the opacity of the logo
Including well-composed, high-quality images is crucial to creating products that draw viewers in and succinctly tell our story. To achieve this, all images included in MSUB material must be clear, compelling, and free from distractions.
DON’T:
Image is busy, with no clear focal point and no message; the photo doesn’t tell a story.
DO:
Image has a distinct focal point, and tells a story.
IMAGES
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EMAIL SIGNATURES
Email signatures play an important role in increasing MSUB’s brand recognition, as they are included in emails sent out to a variety of stakeholders by a vast number of MSUB employees. Establishing a unified presence through consistent email signatures and including MSUB’s logo strengthens the brand by increasing the university’s exposure to a number of audiences. All academic and non-academic departments may use the institution-wide standard email signature that University Communications & Marketing created.
VIDEO BACKGROUNDS
Staff and faculty regularly communicate with off campus entities in this digital age. When working with external facing partners and utilizing webcam services, standard backgrounds have been created to be utilized to support the brand. Please reach out to University Communications & Marketing for these standardized backgrounds.
UNIVERSITY SEAL
The university seal is the formal mark of MSUB. The seal can be used only on official university documents that include the Chancellor’s signature, such as diplomas and communications for the Office of the Chancellor. Acceptable colors include black, MSUB blue, gold foil stamps, and the blue-gold-white combination shown here. Always leave at least 1/4 of the diameter of the seal as clear space around it.
¼d d EXTERNAL INTERNAL ATHLETICS 10
TYPOGRAPHY
The MSUB typeface family has been established to maintain the institutional brand’s cohesiveness. To provide flexibility and accommodate a variety of design needs and spaces, alternative typefaces are acceptable to use in all instances.
For most purposes, a clean contemporary sans-serif typeface is preferred: Gotham is the first choice (and is the typeface family used for this manual, for the logo, and for most of the building signs on campus, among many other uses). However, Gotham isn’t always available, nor is it a free typeface. Raleway is a viable alternative, and is available for free from many sources, including Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts. A third alternative, also free from many sources, is Lato, and a fourth is Open Sans.
Gotham Thin Extra Light Light Book Medium Bold Black Ultra
Lato Hairline Thin Light Regular Medium Semibold Bold Heavy Black
Raleway Thin Light Regular Bold Extra Bold Black
Open Sans Light Regular Semibold Bold Extrabold
For more formal usage, such as the commencement program, a classical serif font is preferred. Palatino is the first choice, but — like Gotham — Palatino isn’t always available, and isn’t free. Times New Roman is an acceptable alternative.
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NAMING CONVENTIONS
INSTITUTIONAL NAMING
Please note the appropriate ways to refer to MSUB in writing. First and only reference to the institution should reflect the full name of Montana State University Billings. First and only reference: Montana State University Billings
Secondary reference: MSU Billings
Further references: MSUB Similarly, City College should be referred to as City College at Montana State University Billings on first reference in writing. City College may be referred to as only City College in subsequent references. Montana State Billings is an acceptable alternate for the athletic department.
Never refer to the university as Montana State University-Billings, MSU-Billings, or MSU-B.
COMMUNITY NAMING
MSUB is home of the Yellowjackets. Yellowjackets at MSUB is a single word with only the “Y” capitalized. Acceptable shortening of the name requires the use of an apostrophe and should be displayed as ’Jackets always. Do not use Yellow Jackets, Yellow-Jackets, or Jackets. The only exception to this is on branded gear, uniforms, and where the apostrophe cannot be used in software, where “Jackets” is permitted for use. In digital marketing and internal marketing, campus may be collectively referred to as the Hive. The institutional mascot is known as Buzz. The mascot is overseen by the athletic department.
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APPEARANCE
Standardized appearance of advertising and materials is important. Each year, University Communications & Marketing releases the annual MSUB viewbooks. These materials guide the marketing look and feel for the upcoming year and help create a standard guide for visuals. You may refer to these pieces for acceptable marketing information and for a look and feel of designed materials.
While departments and student orgs are permitted to develop internal facing marketing materials, external facing entities must be designed or approved by UCAM prior to being sent out to the community. Similarly, departments and student orgs may design their own social media designs.
When designing materials, please note the following:
• MSUB’s mascot is not a bumble bee. Other designs using bumble bees, wasps, hornets, or otherwise are not permitted. The logos with Buzz are the only forms of an insect that may appear on marketing materials.
• The hexagonal or honeycomb design is permitted.
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• The primary institutional logo must be included on materials for an external audience or for new members of the community.
• Information included on materials should be succinct: Only who, what, where, when, and why need to be answered. Text should be brief and to the point and ideally utilize bullet points rather than lengthy blocks of information.
• “Swag” materials such as t-shirts, pens, hats, etc., ordered by departments must be approved by UCAM before being ordered.
• UCAM is available to help with large-scale design requests. Visit the UCAM Intranet page to complete the Design Request Form.
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SOCIAL MEDIA
MSUB recognizes the importance of social media in spreading information in today’s digital age. However, guidelines must remain in place to protect the brand. Social media designs should utilize MSUB’s blue and gold colors when possible and incorporate a logo or contain information about MSUB in the description.
Each department is permitted to utilize Facebook to share information. Instagram accounts will be examined and approved on a case-by-case basis. Student organizations may utilize Facebook and Instagram to share information. No other social media platforms are permitted without the approval of University Communications & Marketing.
Social media platforms require staff oversight and access and must utilize emails affiliated with MSUB. Accounts must be registered with University Communications & Marketing via the form found on the intranet.
MSUB social media accounts should have the name MSU Billings or MSUB at the beginning of the page/account title. MSUB should also be included in the handle for the page to allow users to find all MSUBaffiliated pages easily.
Avatars for these pages will receive an image from UCAM to strengthen brand appearance across platforms.
Brand-recognized hashtags include #msubillings, #beUatMSUB, and #stingersup
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